The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) invites current and former grantees to enter our 2023 Digital Photo Contest. 

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 Contest (the “Contest”) is open to all CEPF grantees, except employees of Conservation International and the immediate families of such employees. THE CONTEST IS VOID IN CUBA, IRAN, SYRIA AND WHERE PROHIBITED.

WHAT TO ENTER

We are looking for striking digital images that show how our support enables people to protect hotspot species and critical ecosystems, and participate in sustainable livelihoods. 

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

Photos 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

All images must be submitted to CEPF via email at photocontest@cepf.net. You must put in the subject line “PC2023” and include the following details:

• ​​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 they must be your own work and must be submitted with all of the information outlined above.

ELIGIBILITY AND JUDGING

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 TIFFs can also be submitted. 

The CEPF panel of judges will determine winner eligibility in its sole and absolute discretion, with a winner in each of the three categories selected. The CEPF judges panel will select the winner based on technical excellence, composition, overall impact, artistic merit and quality. 

Thirty of the images will be chosen to be judged by fans on CEPF’s Facebook page based on the number of likes received to determine a "Facebook Favorite Award." In the case of a tie, the CEPF judges panel will select the winner. 

There will also be a category for camera-trap photos. For the camera-trap category, the CEPF judges panel will select the winner based on composition, overall impact and quality.

All decisions made by the judges are final.

DEADLINES

Entries can be submitted starting on 11 April 2023. Deadline for submitting entries is 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time on 11 May 2023.

Entrants may be asked to supplement their submission (such as a paragraph about their photo, the highest resolution version of their photo, or a watermark-free version of their photo). 

Public voting for the Facebook Favorite winner will begin 13 May 2023 and end 20 May 2023. Winners will be announced 22 May 2023, with winners notified via email by 21 May 2023.​

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

WINNING PHOTOS

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. 

All entrants featured in the Impact/Annual Report will receive a copy of the report.

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.