From October 9 - November 9, We are Water is hosting a photo contest to showcase water and communities in the Four Corners Region. We hope that these images will highlight how plants, animals, landforms, weather events, and their connections to water all play an important role in shaping what people see in the environment and how people interact with and learn from the natural world.
If you live in, are from, or have spent time in the Four Corners Region of the Southwestern U.S., we invite you to submit photographs of Four Corners’ communities and life (with permissions), landscapes, wildlife, vegetation, and weather. Though, all ideas are welcome! Your images can show how things looked in the past, how they look today, or how they might look in the future.
When submitting a photo you will be given the option to share a water reflection with us. Tell us about a memory, experience, or perspective you have about water in your community or share how your submission exemplifies what water means to you.
There will be prizes for the top three photo submissions, with special consideration being given to current and previous residents of the Four Corners Region. There will also be prizes for best accompanying water reflection and best photo submission from a visitor to the region. Submissions will be used for We are Water outreach, engagement, and communications and may be added to our Community Image Gallery or the We are Water Traveling Exhibition.
Contest Rules
To participate, please review the contest rules and submit your photo via this form. Entrants may submit multiple photos, but will need to fill out a separate form for each. If you are unable to submit a photo through this form, please contact us at wearewater@colorado.edu and we will be happy to assist you!
Submissions must be in .gif, .jpeg, .jpg, .png, .tif, or .tiff format, must be at least 2000 pixels on its longest side, and be no larger than 10 MB in file size. All photos must be original work.
Image Rights
By participating in the competition, you retain your rights to the photograph but agree that photos submitted can be used by We are Water for purposes including, but not limited to, use in the We are Water website, social media accounts, reports, newsletters, presentations, and other products. Entrants also agree to have their names published in any photo competition-related communications. The photographer’s name will be credited when using the photos for We are Water purposes.
Must have written permission of subjects
The photographer is responsible for the copyright and publishing rights for the photographs. Persons who appear as identifiable in the photos must confirm permission to publish the photographs through a model release. If a person under the age of 18 appears in the photo, the parent or guardian must give permission to publish the photograph. Model releases may be submitted on the photo submission form. Please follow this link to download a blank model release form. An email from the photo subject using the permission text from the model release form is also acceptable. Organizers reserve the right to reject an image if it is discriminatory, offensive, ethically questionable, or otherwise violates the competition rules.
Criteria and Judging
Photo submissions will be judged based on the following criteria:
- Relevance to water and communities in the Four Corners Region
- Composition
- Originality
- Use of color
- Artistry
We are Water team members and partners will judge the photos and select first, second, and third place winners, as well as best water reflection and best visiting photograph. All decisions are final. We are Water reserves the right to disqualify any entry that is deemed offensive, inappropriate, or in violation to stated contest rules.
Competition Prizes
The prizes will be:
- First Place: $100 gift card and a We are Water prize bag
- Second Place: $75 gift card and a We are Water prize bag
- Third Place: $50 gift card and a We are Water prize bag
- Best Water Reflection: $50 gift card and a We are Water prize bag
- Best Visitor Photograph: $50 gift card and a We are Water prize bag
Deadline for submission is 5pm November 9th, 2023. Please send any questions to wearewater@colorado.edu.
Winners will be notified via email by December 1st, 2023. Please ensure contact information on the submission form is correct. Contest results will be announced to the public on December 4, 2023.