There are some new aspects to the 2024 edition of CEPF's annual photo contest: video and prizes!

Beginning 17 April 2024, CEPF invites current and former grantees to enter our 2024 Digital Photo and Video Contest. In addition to still photography, CEPF is seeking entries of video for this year's contest and will award prizes for the first time this year.

WHAT TO ENTER

We are looking for striking digital images and video that help tell the story of how CEPF's support enables people to protect hotspot species and critical ecosystems, build resilience in the face of climate change and participate in sustainable livelihoods.

Deadline for contest entries: 11:59:59 p.m. EDT, 8 May 2024.

One winner will be chosen for each of the following categories:

• Still photography. Prize: US$500
• "Facebook Favorite" still photo. Prize: US$500
• "Facebook Favorite" video. Prize: US$500

Public voting for the Facebook Favorite winners will begin 12:00:01 a.m. EDT 13 May 2024 and end at 11:59:59 p.m. EDT 17 May 2024.

Before submitting photos, you must read the following rules and legal conditions (“Official Rules”). By submitting an entry, you agree to the Official Rules and warrant that your entry complies with all requirements set out in the Official Rules. This is a skill-based contest and chance plays no part in the determination of winners.

RULES

WHO MAY ENTER

The CEPF Digital Photo and Video Contest (the “Contest”) is open to employees and volunteers of all current and former CEPF grantees, except employees of Conservation International and its affiliates and the immediate families of such employees. Entry is limited to individuals of 18 years of age and older at the time of the Contest. This Contest is not open to residents of Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Myanmar, Sudan, Syria, the Province of Quebec and is void in any other nation, state, or province where prohibited or restricted by applicable law. Furthermore, Specially Designated Nationals and anyone sanctioned (directly or indirectly) by the U.S. Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctions are ineligible to enter the Contest.

PHOTO AND VIDEO SPECIFICATIONS

Photos: To ensure eligibility for the Contest all entries should submit the highest quality photo possible – ideally 300 dpi (2550 pixels wide by 3300 pixels tall), with a minimum of 150 dpi (1275 pix by 1650). Images should be between 1MB and 10MB in size. The preferred file format is JPEG, but PNGs and TIFFs can also be submitted.

Video: To ensure eligibility for the Contest all video entries should be up to one minute long and recorded in high-definition (HD), 720p at 30 frames per second (FPS) minimum. Videos should not have any text, graphic overlay or background music added. Both vertical and horizontal video are allowed. The only video format that will be accepted is MP4 (MPEG-4).

Entries must be the entrant's own work.

Please do not include photographs or video of pets or domestic or captive animals, or images of biodiversity being harmed. Images or video with people should not involve nudity and the individuals depicted must have consented to being photographed or recorded on video.

Photos and video should not be digitally altered and should accurately reflect the subject matter and the scene as it appeared.

Images that do not meet these requirements may or may not be judged at the judging panel's sole discretion.

HOW TO ENTER

Submit entries by sending the file(s) or a link to downloadable files to photocontest@cepf.net and include "PC2024" in the subject line. Entries must include:

• Name of copyright owner, including how the image should be credited.
• Name of grantee and project funded by CEPF.
• Caption for the photo, including the subject of the image.
• The location where the photo was taken.

Each individual may enter no more than 10 images, and no more than two videos. Entries must be the entrant's own work and must be submitted with all of the information outlined above.

ELIGIBILITY AND JUDGING

The CEPF panel of judges will determine winner eligibility in its sole and absolute discretion. The CEPF judges panel will select winners based on technical excellence, composition, overall impact, artistic merit and quality.

Up to 30 of the still images and up to five videos will be chosen to be judged by fans on CEPF’s Facebook page based on the number of likes received to determine "Facebook Favorite Award" winners. In the case of a tie, the CEPF judges panel will select the winner.

All decisions made by the judges are final.

Entrants may be asked to supplement their submission with additional information and/or improved files (such as a paragraph about the photo, the highest resolution version of their photo, or a watermark-free version of their photo).

Winners will be notified by email on or before midnight EDT on 20 May 2024. Winners will receive an email from the Contest administrator from the email account photocontest@cepf.net.

Winners will be required to respond to the notification and reply via email with the requested information within thirty (30) calendar days of the notification. If winner does not respond within the required time frame, prize will be forfeited and awarded to an alternate. Winner must continue to comply with all terms and conditions of these Official Rules and winning is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements.

CEPF reserves the right to adjust any deadline(s) as the result of causes beyond its immediate control.

WINNING PHOTOS AND VIDEO

The winning images may also be featured in a CEPF website article illustrating your CEPF-funded project. All images will be reviewed for possible inclusion in the CEPF Impact/Annual Report or for placement on the CEPF website or in other forms of CEPF or Conservation International communication.

YOUR RIGHTS

You will retain all rights to any photograph you submit — including ownership if applicable. However, by entering images into the Contest, each entrant grants Conservation International Foundation (CI) (as the legal entity hosting the CEPF Secretariat) a perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, non-exclusive license, including all rights to sub-license, to exercise all rights of whatever kind or nature now and hereafter protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States of America and all foreign countries in and to the entered photographs and any accompanying descriptions.

Each use of the entered photographs by CI will be accompanied by an appropriate credit line with the caption © NAME COPYRIGHT OWNER.

QUESTIONS

Questions and inquiries about the Official Rules of the Contest can be emailed to photocontest@cepf.net.