What can I win?
Prizes for 1999 have not yet been determined. For the 1998 contest, the prizes were:
First Prize—10-day tour of India for two, courtesy of Geographic Expeditions (800 777 8183 or +1 415 922 0448), including round-trip coach-class air transportation.
Second Prize—14-day rail journey across Canada for two with up to seven nights, hotel accommodations, courtesy of VIA Rail Canada(800 561 3949) and Canadian Pacific Hotels (800 441 1414 or +1 506 877 3000), including round-trip coach-class transportation on American Airlines.
Third Prize—6-day Grand Canyon raft trip for two, courtesy of Western River Expeditions (800 453 7450 or +1 435 259 7019), including round-trip coach-class transportation on American Airlines.
Merit Awards (7)—Canon EOS Rebel G 35-mm camera
with 35-80-mm zoom lens.
What does it take to win the contest?
Experimentation...luck...a good eye. Our rules state, “Entries will be judged on the basis of creativity, photographic quality, and effectiveness in expressing the contest theme.” The theme for the 1998 contest was “the moment,” that special instant when you capture serendipity or surprise.
Ask yourself: “How can I look at this subject in a way that no one else has seen it?” Reach to capture the essence of the place by defining a moment. What is happening in the photograph that makes it interesting?
Do I have to travel to faraway places to create a winning photograph?
Not necessarily. Sure, there are places where it’s difficult to take bad photos, but great images could be waiting in your backyard if you compose the picture just right.
What are my chances of winning?
That depends upon how many people enter the contest.
What type of film should I use?
Use whatever brand of color film you prefer. Entries must be color prints or 35-mm transparencies (slides). A tip: Lower film speeds (for example, 100 A.S.A.) usually provide better color and sharpness.
How should I send my entry?
Send a high-quality duplicate slide or a print. It’s not a good idea to send the original negative or slide, because there’s always a chance something could happen to it. If you win, we’ll contact you to retrieve the original.
We also recommend packing your entry in a sturdy cardboard mailer for protection.
When should I enter?
All entries go through the same review process, regardless of when we receive them. They must have been postmarked no later than August 15, 1998 for the 1998 contest.
What should I do if I want my photos returned?
Be sure to check the box on your entry form! And please enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
What if I live outside the U.S.A.? Can I enter?
Yes! We encourage everyone in the TRAVELER
community, anywhere in the world, to participate in the contest. Please allow extra time for your entry to arrive since international mail can be extraordinarily slow.
How can I send return postage for my entry if I live outside the U.S.A.?
Purchase international postal coupons for the return postage from your local post office. They will be able to tell you how much postage you need. Then, we’ll exchange the coupons for U.S. postage stamps when we send back your entry.
When is the deadline for entries?
Last year’s deadline was August 15, 1998.
When are the winners announced?
We announced the 1998 winners in the January/February 1999 issue of TRAVELER and on the Internet.
Did I win?
All winners are contacted by the end of September. So if you haven’t been contacted, wait for the January/February issue to see the winning photographs. Or come see them here at nationalgeographic.com.
When will I get my stuff back?
If you asked us to return your entry, we’ll hold on to it until we announce the winners. Then we send them back gradually so we don’t overwhelm our mailroom. Expect your entries back in late January or early February. How do you define a “professional” photographer?
Our bottom line: A professional photographer is someone who earns more than 50 percent of his or her income from photographic sales. If you sell an occasional photograph, but make a living doing something else, feel free to enter.
If you’re still not sure, ask yourself two more questions:
- Are you a member of a professional photo organization
(such as the National Press Photographers Association)?
- Are your photographs published
regularly?
If you answered yes to
either of these secondary questions, chances are you’re not
eligible to enter.
DO YOU HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS? Check out this year’s rules.
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