2008 CONTEST RULES AND DETAILS:

  • The contest is Free!
  • The top three photographers will receive cash prizes.
  • Winners will appear in our 2009 Hill Country Calendar
  • The competition is open to all photographers, professional and amateur.
  • Photo submissions may be uploaded to the HCA website beginning March 1st until May 31st, 2008.
  • Images must have been taken after the close of the 2007 photo contest (May 5, 2007).
  • Each photographer is limited to four (4) image submissions.
  • Images must be taken in the 17 Hill Country County region.

NEW THIS YEAR: WE'VE PARTNERED WITH THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY ALLIANCE TO OFFER A NEW $1,000 PRIZE AND ACCESS TO PRIVATE RANCHES!

Six beautiful, private Hill Country ranches are available to you for nature photography and HCA photo contest opportunties. The Alliance has also added a $1,000 bonus prize if the grand prize winning photograph is taken at one of their member ranches! Click here for details about the Alliance and their member ranches. You must make reservations in advance to access these ranches. Please let them know you are a contestant in the HCA Photo Contest. Print this page and bring it with you for $25.00 off the regular admission fee of $125.00 to access the ranch.

WINNING PHOTOS: 12 winners will appear in the 2009 HCA Hill Country Calendar.

  • The Grand Prize winner will receive $500.00, ten 2009 Calendars
    and a chance to win an additional $1,000.00 for a verified
    winning picture taken on one of the THCNPA member ranches.
  • The Second Prize winner will receive $250 and ten 2009 Calendars.
  • The Third prize winner will receive $100.00 and ten 2009 Calendars.
  • All other winners will receive three 2009 Calendars.

AGREEMENT TO RELEASE YOUR PHOTOS TO HCA: Your entry in the contest constitutes your agreement to allow the use of your photos together with your name, city and state of residence in the HCA calendar, on printed postcards, on the HCA website, HCA promotions and collections of winners, online photo features, promotional cards and publications, both online and off, emails and e-newsletters. THCNPA and member ranches, reserve the right to use the grand prize winning image in promotional material for THCNPA as well as the member ranch that is taken on.

The Hill Country Alliance will have the sole right to judge entrant compliance with contest rules and to verify this compliance for the purpose of selecting contest winners.

FORMAT: Photographs should be submitted electronically at 72 ppi high quality jpegs, 1080 pixels wide using the submission form on the HCA website. If chosen as a finalist, you must submit the image in 300ppi maximum quality jpeg or tiff with a width of 14 inches and a height of 10 inches on a CD for printing. All photos must be submitted in either JPEG or TIFF format. Only color photos will qualify; no black and white photos will be accepted. Photos must also be submitted in horizontal mode or landscape mode as opposed to vertical or portrait mode to be considered for printing and prizes. Any images not following this format will not be considered.

WHAT TO ENTER: Photos that capture all that is special about the Hill Country. We are looking for beautiful, calendar worthy photography representing the Visual Essence and spirit of the region. Suggested subjects could be:

  • Hill Country Vistas
  • Wildlife or Livestock in the Hill Country
  • Wildflowers, Trees, and vegetation
  • People, Festivals, recreation, activities and gatherings
  • Water: creeks, streams, rivers and lakes
  • Sunsets taken in unique Hill Country locations

If people are identifiable in the photo, the contest participant is responsible for the consent of the parties involved. If a photo is selected for print that includes identifiable persons, the photographer must submit a release form from the person or persons in the image with the name, address, and signature of the parties on the release form. This release form must accompany the CD submitted by each notified finalist. CD's from notified finalists should be mailed in a CD cover suitable for mailing. Retain the original image and send only copies of the requested image in the proper format.

HCA is not responsible for lost or damaged submissions.

Previously published material for which non-exclusive rights were granted may be entered if the image was taken since May 5th 2007 and you warrant that you retain full rights to the photo. You must disclose when and where each image appeared previously upon submission.

JUDGING: Images will be judged on originality, technical excellence, composition, overall impact and ability to capture what's unique about the Hill Country. Decisions made by the judges and the HCA Photo Contest Committee will be final. The judges will be a panel of qualified artists and photographers as well as regional leaders, all with knowledge and passion about the Hill Country.

Entrants must not infringe on the rights of any other photographer or person or submit images that involve the willful harassment of wildlife, domestic animals or livestock, nor damage to the environment by the photographer. The photographs should accurately reflect the subject matter and the scene as it actually appeared. Photos that have been digitally altered beyond standard optimization (removal of dust, cropping, adjusting the color and contrast, etc.) will be disqualified.

DEADLINE: Online entries can be uploaded to the HCA website starting March 1, 2008 and no later than midnight on May 31, 2008. Finalists will be contacted in June and will be requested to submit CD's and release forms if applicable, of requested images directly to HCA. Winners chosen from the list of finalists will appear in the calendar to be published in August.

HOW TO ENTER: It's easy. Simply upload your image or images and fill out an entry form on the Hill Country Alliance website. On our home page, click on Photo Contest and follow the instructions.

Questions and inquiries about contest rules can be emailed to info@HillCountryAlliance.org.