2024 Preserving Our Heritage Photography Contest
Contest Categories
Photos must be taken at a Preservation Parks site.
Animals – Photos in this category may include only wild animals. No domesticated animals will be permitted. Photos of Gallant Farm livestock should be entered in the Park District Scenes category. Photos must be taken at a Preservation Parks site.
General Nature – Photos may capture landscapes, plants, animals, and natural phenomena of nature and the environment such as weather, etc. The human element may be present but should be unobtrusive and only present to enhance the scene. Photos must be taken at a Preservation Parks site.
Macro – This category showcases a subject larger than it is in real life, i.e., extreme closeups of something small. Photos can feature closeup aspects of plants, animals, and other natural items. No man-made features please. Photos must be taken at a Preservation Parks site.
Park District Scenes – Photos may capture natural or historical features, structures, events, areas, or people found within the parks. Photos may include people but NO portraits will be accepted. Photos must be taken at a Preservation Parks site and the park must be clearly identified in the entry information.
Youth – Photos in this category must be related to any of the other contest categories. Photos must be taken at a Preservation Parks site. This category is for ages 17 and under.
2024 Guidelines
The photo contest is open to all amateur photographers, youth to adult. Amateur is defined as someone who derives less than 50% of their annual income from the sale of photographs or photographic works. Preservation Parks’ employees and their families are ineligible to participate in the contest. Youth must be 17 years or younger. For questions or information please email entries@preservationparks.com.
- SUBMISSIONS ARE CURRENTLY CLOSED. Judging in progress.
- All photo entries must be uploaded to our digital asset management platform, Canto. Entries need to be a minimum resolution of 2400 x 3000 pixels, a maximum of 5MB and in jpeg/jpg format. No major digital enhancements or alterations will be accepted. Please do not include any watermarks, date stamps, borders, writing or quotes on photos.
- Each photo entry must have the following information to be eligible:
Enter the information below in the “Description” section when uploading a photo to Canto.
1. Photographer’s name, address, phone, and email
2. Park or trail and date (if known) of each photo
3. Contest category photo is being entered - Contest Categories: Participants may enter two (2) entries per category. All photos must be taken at a Preservation Parks site (park or trail). Please visit our Parks & Trails page to see all Preservation Parks sites.
- Animals
- General Nature
- Macro
- Park District Scenes
- Youth (17 and under)
- No major digital enhancements or alterations will be accepted. Do not include any watermarks, date stamps, names, borders, writing or quotes on your photos.
- Photos must be your own and not taken by somebody other than you. Your submission of the entry is your guarantee that you are the author, sole owner and copyright holder of the photo.
- Judging and Awards:
- Photos will be reviewed by a panel of Park District staff and will be judged on content, image quality, composition, creativity and storytelling.
- First, second, and third place ribbons will be awarded in each category.
- One “Best of Show” and one “Reserve Best of Show” ribbon will be awarded across all entries.
- A “People’s Choice” ribbon will be awarded based on the number of votes photos receive on the Park District’s Facebook page.
- People’s Choice voting runs November 14 – December 4, 2024.
- All entries will be visible in category folders on the Preservation Parks’ Facebook page where visitors can vote on their favorite photos.
- If you are entering any photos, containing recognizable people (photos showing faces), the photo submission must be accompanied by a signed photo release form included here. Do not take photos of strangers. A form must be signed by each adult in the photo and permission granted by a parent or guardian for any child pictured. A photocopy of the form can be uploaded to Canto with the photo submission.
- By entering this contest, each entrant agrees to allow Preservation Parks to use their photograph and/or name in any Park District publication, advertisement, or merchandise without further notice or compensation. Preservation Parks may publish or use any submitted photograph at their sole discretion, giving credit to the photographer where possible. The entrant still retains the right to use and publish their photograph. Preservation Parks reserves the right to reject any photograph if it is deemed as containing objectionable or questionable content.
