Fall 2021 Photo Contest Rules

RULES

Term:

Friends of Bethlehem Parks and Recreation (“FBPR”) “Fall in Love with Bethlehem Parks” Photo Contest begins October 1, 2021 and ends November 8, 2021.

Who may enter:

Prizes are open to photographers who are 18 years old or older and residents of the Town of Bethlehem, New York. Directors of FBPR and their immediate families are not eligible for any prize. FBPR will determine winners’ eligibility in its sole discretion. By submitting an entry, each entrant agrees to the rules of the contest and states that they are 18 years old or older and a resident of the Town of Bethlehem.

What to enter:

All photographs must have been taken in the bounds of one of the Bethlehem Town Parks: Elm Avenue Park, Dog Park and Pool Complex; Colonial Acres Park; Firefighters Memorial Park; Henry Hudson Park; Maple Ridge Park; Moh-He-Con-Nuck Nature Preserve; Normans Kill Ravines Park; North Bethlehem Park; Selkirk Park; South Bethlehem Park; Town Hall Park; Veterans Memorial Park.

Subjects may include:

1. Natural World: Animals, plants and landscapes; geological or climatological features found within any of the Bethlehem Town Parks.

2. Location: Important structures or objects that are easily recognizable as being part of the Bethlehem Town Parks.

3. Events: Sports, activities, concerts or other group activities that occur within Bethlehem Town Parks where the focus of the photograph is clearly on the event and the nature of the event is obvious and easily distinguishable from the image alone.

To be eligible, a photograph must have been shot by the entrant since January 1, 2021. This date applies to all images in a composite. The entrant certifies that they are the sole creator and copyright owner of the submitted photograph. Do not submit portraits of individuals or of groups of people, including selfies, where people are individually identifiable or are the primary focus of the photograph.

Cropped photos are eligible. We do not accept digitally or otherwise enhanced or altered photos. Minor adjustments, including the removal of sensor dust or scratches on scans of negatives, dodging and burning, sharpening, contrast, toning, slight color adjustment and conversion to grayscale are acceptable. The addition and subtraction of objects is not permitted. If the judges determine that a photographer has altered their photo, they reserve the right to disqualify it.

Entrants whose photos depict other people’s work (such as sculptures, statues, paintings and other copyrightable works that are not part of the public spaces in the parks), must be prepared to provide a release from the rights holder to FBPR upon request. When photographing the work of others, it must be as an object in its environment and not a full-frame close-up of another person's creation.

If the entrant is unable to provide all required releases, FBPR in its sole discretion reserves the right to disqualify the submission, seek to secure the required releases, or permit the submission to remain in the contest.

Photos that violate or infringe upon another person's rights, including but not limited to copyright, are not eligible.

Photos that contain sexually explicit, nude, obscene, violent or other objectionable or inappropriate content, as determined by FBPR in its sole discretion, are ineligible for all categories of this contest.

Ethics:

The welfare of a subject and its environment must be placed ahead of the desire to capture a photograph. Upon entering the contest, entrants certify that subjects were treated with respect and dignity, and that no people, wildlife or the environment were harmed in creating a photograph.

If baiting was used to attract wildlife, or special equipment such as camera traps and drones used to capture the photograph, this must be disclosed. Live baiting of wildlife is not permitted.

How to enter:

Submit a photograph by posting it on Facebook or Twitter. You must tag Friends of Bethlehem Parks and Recreation and include in the post the name of the park where the photo was taken and the hashtag #LoveBethlehemParks. You may submit up to five (5) photographs for a total of five submissions across all platforms. If you submit more than five photographs, only the first five will be considered for entry. We do not accept more than one entrant per email address.

In order to be displayed in our online gallery without being distorted, photographs must be submitted in .jpeg, .jpg, .gif or .png format, no larger than 10 MB. You may submit only a single photograph per submission. Anyone found to be creating or using multiple accounts to increase the number of submissions to the contest will be disqualified.

High-quality scans of non-digital photographs are acceptable. Digital photographs should be taken at the highest resolution possible.

FBPR reserves the right to disqualify incomplete entries and/or entrants who are unable to submit, upon request, a high-resolution photograph of at least 300 dpi at 2,000 pixels on the longest side or an original photo negative, print or slide. Mobile photographs are exempt from this size requirement, but must be submitted at their highest resolution upon request.

FBPR may collect a photograph’s metadata upon entry.

Copyright:

You retain your rights to your photograph; however, by entering the contest, you grant FBPR (and those authorized by FBPR) a royalty-free, worldwide, perpetual, nonexclusive license to publicly display, distribute, reproduce and create derivative works of the entries, in whole or in part, in any media now existing or later developed, for any purpose, including, but not limited to, FBPR publications and advertisements. Winning entries will be announced witha photographer credits as feasible and at the sole discretion of FBPR. FBPR will not be required to pay any additional consideration or seek any additional approval in connection with such uses.

Entry deadline:

The contest begins on October 1, 2021. All entries must be received via the social media platforms listed through November 8, 2021.

Judging:

Photo entries will be judged based on creativity, quality, originality and overall impact.

FBPR will select three winning images, which will be revealed on Facebook, Twitter and friendsofbethlehemparks.org.

FBPR will notify winners via the social media platform used at the time of entry; FBPR may disqualify anyone who fails to respond to the notification within five business days.

Please do not contact us about the status of entries or judging.

Prizes:

Each winner will receive a $50 gift certificate that can be used toward Town of Bethlehem Parks and Recreation purchases and programs.

Limit one prize per person. Winners must sign or e-sign a declaration of eligibility and will be responsible for paying any fees or taxes associated with the prize. All prizes are awarded “as is” and nontransferable. In case applicable law prohibits FBPR from awarding a photographer any prize, FBPR may award the prize in name only.

Online features:

FBPR may select photos for highlight on its website or display in a publicly accessible contest archive or on social media or other digital platforms. Such selections will be made in FBPR’s sole discretion.

Conditions of entry:

All entrants hold FBPR, the platforms used to collect the entries, and their respective regents, directors, officers, employees, emeriti, fellows, interns, research associates, and volunteers (the “Indemnified Parties”) harmless from and against all claims of any nature arising in connection with entrant’s participation in the contest and acceptance or use of a prize. The Indemnified Parties are not liable for any costs, damages, injuries or other claims incurred as a result of entrants’ participation in the contest or winner’s acceptance and usage of a prize. The Indemnified Parties are not responsible for incomplete or misdirected entries, technical or network malfunctions or failures, or causes beyond their control. Entrants are solely responsible for their entries. Entrants may not submit materials that introduce any software viruses, worms or other programs designed to damage software, hardware or telecommunications equipment; that are off-topic or partisan-political; that contain advertising, nudity, personal attacks or expletives, or are otherwise abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, discriminatory, libelous, obscene, false or sexually explicit; or that infringe on the rights of any third party.

The contest is void where prohibited or restricted by law. FBPR reserves the right to cancel the contest or modify these rules at its discretion. In the event of a dispute regarding the winners, FBPR reserves the right to award or not award the prizes in its sole discretion. FBPR reserves the right to disqualify any entrant whose entry or conduct appears in any way to: inhibit the enjoyment of others; tamper with the competition; violate these rules or other applicable law or regulation; infringe on the rights of third parties; or act in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner. Decisions of FBPR are final and binding.

All submissions must adhere to the Twitter Rules and/or the Facebook Terms of Service as applicable to the method of entry. Entries will not be accepted unless submitted via the official contest channels.