Ian Walsh Photography Competition Official Rules + Regulations

The Ian Walsh Photography Contest  

(The “Contest”) 

Official Rules & Regulations 

These Official Rules govern the Contest. Contest participants will be deemed to have read, understood, and agreed to the Official Contest Rules set out in this document. 

The contest requires no purchase. A purchase will not increase your chance of winning.  

1. SPONSORS 

The Contest is sponsored and administered by Tourism Kingston on behalf of Kingston Accommodation Partners.  Third party sponsors include Alphabet® and many include others at the discretion of Tourism Kingston and Kingston Accommodation Partners.  

Any comments, questions or complaints regarding the Contest should be directed to Kingston Accommodation Partners or Tourism Kingston and not the third-party sponsors.  

2. WHO CAN ENTER 

The Contest is open to legal residents of Canada (excluding Quebec), except for the Contest judgesThe Contest is open to all eligible parties, and not exclusively residents of Kingston, Ontario. 

Entrants 13 years of age or younger must have consent from their parent or legal guardian to enter this Contest.  

The Contest is open to everyone – both professionals and hobbyists alike. 

The following individuals are not eligible to enter the contest: 

  • Individuals who live in the province of Quebec 
  • Individuals age 13 or younger without consent from a parent or legal guardian 
  • Individuals who are employed (and those with whom such employees are domiciled) or agents of the Sponsor, its affiliates and their respective advertising and promotion agencies 
  • Enterprises and business entities are not eligible to enter the Contest 

3. HOW TO ENTER 

To enter, visit ianwalshphoto.ca, to upload your digital file(s) one at a time. Digital entries only will be accepted. Print entries will not be accepted. 

Each entrant can enter a maximum of five (5) photos in the contest. 

4. CONTEST START AND END DATE 

The contest begins on January 29, 2020 and ends on December 31, 2020, at 11:59 p.m. EDT (the “Submission Deadline”).  

5. CONTEST THEME 

The 2020 Theme for the Ian Walsh Photography Contest is Colourful Kingston’, with the goal being for passionate people – residents and visitors – to submit their photos capturing Kingston’s vibrancy. We want to see it all: farmer’s fields growing local produce, our vibrant live music scene, festival and events, unique creations from our talented maker community, plated appetizers and entrees, works of art from our artists and creators – if it’s colourful Kingston, we want to see! 

6. ELIGIBILITY  

Entries can be uploaded electronically as .jpeg, .jpg, .gif or .png files at ianwalshphoto.ca or https://www.visitkingston.ca/makers/ian-walsh-photography-contest/. Digital files should be at least 5 megapixels, or 2560 x 1950 pixels; image quality setting: high. Colour correction and tonal cast changes are acceptable; compositional changes, and well as added watermarks or signatures will result in automatic disqualification. Entries that do not meet technical requirements will be automatically rejected. 

If a photo is chosen as a winner, all original material, including digital capture files, must be made available to the Sponsor as a condition of receiving a prize. 

7. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS 

  1. You must have taken the photo that you submit for the Contest. 
  2. The submitted photo must adhere to the 2020 contest theme 
  3. You will require the consent of all individuals who are included in the photo and consent from the individuals who own any personal property (i.e. a restaurant, venue, home, etc.) featured in the photo – if your photo is selected as a finalist, you will be asked to provide model release forms for any individuals pictured; 
  4. The submitted photo must never have been previously published, exhibited publicly, or selected as a winner in any other contest. 
  5. By entering the Contest, you represent and warrant to Sponsor that the photo will not violate the rights of any third parties or any applicable laws. All photos submitted become the property of the Sponsor and/or its affiliates and by entering this contest, entrant hereby assigns all right, title and interest, including, without limitation, copyright in the photo and its underlying elements to Sponsor. Entries not complying with these contest rules will be disqualified. 

8. CODE OF ETHICS 

  • Entrants must maintain a professional manner in behaviour, avoiding the use of false, inaccurate and misleading terms, descriptions, and claims 
  • Entrants must maintain honesty and display a friendly spirit of co-operation to other entrants and sponsors at all time 
  • Entrants must treat all members of the public and sponsors with the highest level of respect in areas of contact including all methods of communication.
  • Recognizing that personal opinions and experiences may differ between entrants, communication must remain professional, supportive, and courteous while resolving differences 
  • Must not intentionally contribute to, or alter, the photograph by re-enacting or staging events
  • Must not pay their subjects, either in money or goods 
  • Must maintain the integrity of the photo by ensuring there are no material changes to content
  • Must ensure captions are accurate
  • Must ensure the editing of a photo story provides an accurate and fair representation of its context 

9. REFUSAL OR REJECTION 

Sponsors have the right to void entries and disqualify participants from the contest, at their sole discretion, and any of the Sponsor’s other promotions. 

Entrants will be refused or rejected if: 

  • Entrants who attempt to obtain more than the stated maximum number of entries  
  • Entrants who use multiple/different names, email addresses, identities, registrations and logins 
  • Entrants who fail to comply with Office Contest Rules including but not limited to the code of ethics 

Your entry will be refused or rejected if:  

  • Entries with entry formnot fully completed  
  • Entries received after the submission deadline 

10. THE PRIZES 

There are three prizes to be won: 

  1. There is a $2,500 First Place Prize to be won 
  2. There is a $1,500 Second Place Prize to be won 
  3. There is a $1,000 Third Place Prize to be won 

Prizes must be accepted as awarded. No substitutions except at the Sponsor’s discretion. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize or a prize component with one of equal or greater quality/value. Taxes on prize may be the sole responsibility of the winners. If the winner is a minor in his/her province/territory of residence, such winner’s parent or legal guardian must accept the prize on his/her behalf. 

11. WINNER SELECTION 

A panel of judges appointed by the Sponsor consisting of professional photographers and affiliates will judge all photos submitted on the basis of originality, creativity, technical proficiency, uniqueness, appropriateness and relevance to the contest theme. 

All judging criteria will be weighed equally. In the event of a tie, the photo with the highest score in creativity will be selected as the winner. Photos which are illegal, defamatory, or in any way obscene, all as determined solely by the Sponsor, will be disqualified. 

Odds of a photo being selected by the contest judges as a Prize Winner depend on the number and calibre of entries received. 

Winner grants the Sponsor the right in perpetuity to publish and use the winner’s photo, as is or as may be edited in Sponsor’s sole discretion, in any media, worldwide in perpetuity. Selected winners agree to waive all moral rights in and to the Photo in favour of the Sponsor. 

11. CONTEST CONDITIONS  

  • Entrants agree to be bound to the Official Rules and by the decisions of the contest sponsors, which decisions are final, binding, and conclusive 
  • No correspondence will be entered into except with the selected winners.  
  • This contest is subject to all applicable federal, provincial and municipal laws. Void where prohibited by law.  
  • The decisions of the contest judges with respect to all aspects of this contest are final and binding on all entrants without right of appeal. 
  • Selected winners (or winner’s parent or legal guardian if winner is a minor) will be required to sign and return a standard Declaration, Liability and Publicity Release, releasing the Sponsor, prize suppliers, and their respective advertising and promotional agencies, and the contest judges, from any all liability arising directly or indirectly from this contest, participation in contest related activities, the awarding of a prize, and the use or misuse of any prize. 
  • Entrants agree to comply with these official contest rules  
  • Entrants agree to the publication, reproduction, and/or other use of his/her name, address, voice, statements about the contest, and/or personal photograph or other likeness without further compensation, in any publicity or advertising carried out by the Sponsor in any manner whatsoever, including but not limited to print, broadcast and digital. 
  • The Sponsor, its advertising and promotion agencies, and the contest judges are not responsible for late, lost, misdirected, or delayed entries. 
  • Without limitation, the Sponsor, its advertising and promotion agencies, and the contest judges will not be liable for the failure of any entry or photo to be received. 
  • The Sponsor reserves the right to withdraw or amend this contest in any way, in the event of an error, technical problem, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failure, or any other cause beyond the reasonable control of the Sponsor that interferes with the proper conduct of this contest as contemplated by these rules.  
  • Any attempt to deliberately undermine the legitimate operation of this contest is a violation of criminal and civil laws, and should such an attempt be made, the Sponsor reserves the right to seek remedies and damages to the fullest extent permitted by law, including criminal prosecution.  
  • The Sponsor reserves the right to cancel or suspend this contest in the event of any accident, printing, administrative, or other error of any kind without prior notice or obligation. 
  • By entering the contest, each entrant grants the Sponsor the right in perpetuity to publish and use the entrant’s submitted Photo, as is or as may be edited in Sponsor’s sole discretion, in any media, worldwide in perpetuity.  
  • Entrants agree to waive all moral rights in and to the photo in favour of the Sponsor. 
  • By entering this contest, each entrant expressly consents to the Sponsor, its agents and/or representatives, storing, sharing and using the personal information submitted with his/her entry only for the purpose of administering the contest.