Local photographers are encouraged to participate in the Ellis County Conservation District plat book cover photo contest. Entry forms may be picked up the ECCD office, 2715 Canterbury Drive, Hays.
The rules are:
ELIGIBILITY: The Ellis County Conservation District Photo Contest is open to amateur photographers who are residents of Ellis County, KS. (An amateur photographer is one whose majority of income does not come from photography.) Persons of any age may compete in this contest. Ellis County Conservation District board of supervisors and employees and family members and employees working in the Hays Field Office are not eligible to enter.
SUBJECT MATTER: Photos should be taken within Ellis County. Photos can be of community events, friends, family, scenic, historical structures, or conservation practices** within the county. Do not use or show any copyrighted material in the photo.
ENTRIES: Should be sent or delivered to Sandi Scott, District Manager, 2715 Canterbury Drive, Hays, KS 67601. Photos may also be digitally transmitted at [email protected]. Photos must be received NO LATER THAN CLOSE OF BUSINESS ON OCTOBER 1, 2019.
AWARDS: 1st place winner will receive a $50 cash prize. The winning picture will be featured on the cover of the 2020 Ellis County Conservation District Plat Book.
PHOTO RULES: Photo must have been taken any time from October 1, 2018 – October 1, 2019. Minor digital enhancements for cropping, red-eye removal, filters and corrective functions are permitted, but images that have been judged to be altered in any significant manner will be disqualified. Contestants are not to place watermarks, dates, signatures or copyright images on photos. Previously published photos are not eligible.
MOUNTING THE PHOTOGRAPH: Please mount on white mount board or paper. Mount the photo on the “whitest” and “smoothest” side of the board. Do not use foam core board or poster board. Remove white border from the enlargement before mounting. All photos must be 8” x 10”. If photos are mounted, leave a top edge of the print 1” below the top of the mount board. The sides of the print must be equal distance from the two sides of the mount. Photograph may use either a horizontal or vertical format. Use only adhesives designed for permanent photography mounting. Do not use rubber cement or other household glues (white glue, etc.).
NAME AND ADDRESS: A completed entry/release form must be submitted with the photo. Include a brief description of the photo, when and where the photo was taken, photographer’s full name and age, parent’s name if under the age of 18, home address, and contact number. Entry forms may be picked up at 2715 Canterbury Drive, Hays.
TERMS: In submitting photos, the photographer gives the Ellis County Conservation District permission to use their photo on the cover of the 2019 Plat Book and in any publications, social media, websites, displays and other places without payment or other consideration. An entry/photo release form is required to be submitted with the entry.
JUDGING STANDARDS: Photos will be judged on technical merit, composition and visual and aesthetic criteria. For technical merit, judges may check to see if the photo is well-framed, properly exposed, sharp and clear. For composition, judges determine if the photo features a recognizable center of interest, action and imagination and creativity. For visual and aesthetic criteria, judges will consider framing and choice of viewpoint, background, design elements and visual impact.
**Examples of conservation practices include Contour Buffer Strips, Contour Farming & Strip cropping, Cover Crop, Critical Area Planting, Crop Residue Management, Crop Rotation, Diversion, Field Borders, Grade Stabilization Structures (dam/embankment), Grass Waterways, Livestock Management, Manure Storage and Runoff Control, Nutrient Management, Pasture Planting, Pest Management, Riparian Buffer, Rotational Grazing, Stream bank & Shoreline Stabilization, Terrace, Tree Planting, Upland Wildlife Habitat, Water & Sediment Control Basin, Wetland Restoration, Wildlife Food Plot, Windbreaks, and Woodlot Management.