I Love Kirksville Photo Contest
Kirksville Tourism is thrilled to announce the launch of the "I Love Kirksville," photo contest that invites photographers of all levels and ages to showcase the unique charm and diverse facets of our beloved community.
Inspired by the rich character of Kirksville, we are calling upon photographers to delve into their creativity and submit images that encapsulate the essence of life in our community. Whether it's a candid moment, a scenic view, or a snapshot of a community event, we want to see Kirksville through your lens!
Full Contest Rules
Contest Theme
We love our Kirksville community. There is something about it that makes it an inviting home for people from many backgrounds and interests. And we hope you are capturing the essence of Kirksville in your photography! For this contest, photographers are asked to submit photos that highlight aspects of life in Kirksville and features of personal or community experience that make our city a place we love to call home.
Important Dates
Entry forms and photograph submissions for the “I Love Kirksville” Photo Contest begins March 1, 2024 and ends March 31, 2024.
Who May Enter
This contest is open to photographers of any age. Any contestant who is not 18 years of age must have their entry form signed by a parent or guardian.
City of Kirksville Administration, Kirksville City Council members, members of the Kirksville Tourism Advisory Board, panel of judges, or their immediate family members (children, parents, siblings and spouses) and others living in their households are not eligible for any prize.
What to Enter
All entered photos must be taken in the City of Kirksville or Adair County, MO. Images can be edited, either through photo editing software or other techniques. Drone/aerial photography is also permitted.
Appropriate examples are cropping, exposure (and/or shadows and highlights), sharpening, clarity, saturation (or vibrance), and noise reduction.
Examples of kinds of manipulation that are not acceptable: combining 2 or more images, moving objects around in an image, changing the color(s) of an image, increasing vibrance or saturation so that the results are not realistic, use of filters that change the picture so that it looks unreal, like a painting, sketch, adding light or changing the direction of light, adding clouds, bubbles, stippling, solarizing, etc.
Images generated using Artificial Intelligence (AI) are not permitted.
Each photograph must be submitted under one of the following three categories. Each contestant may submit no more than one entry per category, for a total of three possible entries.
- Natural Kirksville: Photographs that feature animals, plants and landscapes in Kirksville, its natural land or sky features.
- Kirksville Culture: Photographs that convey a sense of history, cultural heritage, uniqueness & diversity.
- My Hometown Kirksville: Photographs that feature events, objects, or activities connecting the people of Kirksville and provide a sense of what it is like to live in this community.
Photographs must have been shot by the contestant since January 1, 2023, to be eligible for submission. The contestant certifies that he/she is the sole creator and copyright owner of the submitted photograph.
Digital photographs should be taken at the highest resolution possible. Photographs must be high enough resolution to maintain image quality when enlarged to 11x17 inches. Photographs must be submitted in .jpeg, .jpg or .eps format.
How to Enter
Each photograph must be submitted individually, in digital format via the registration form (enter below). There will be a location to upload one photo per category. Your submission will be considered eligible only if the form is fully completed, except for categories you opt not to submit. Failure to submit your entry according to these parameters is grounds for disqualification.
Judging
Photo entries will be judged based on creativity, technical quality, originality, responsiveness to the theme and overall impact. The judges will select a winner from each category, and an overall Grand Prize winner. Honorable mentions may also be selected as deemed appropriate by the judges.
The Kirksville Tourism may disqualify anyone who fails to respond to the notification within five business days. Please do not contact us about the status of entries or judging.
Prizes
Prizes will be awarded, as follows:
- 1 Grand Prize: $300
- 3 Winners, one for each category: $100 each
No more than one cash prize will be awarded per person.
All prize winners and honorable mentions will be featured in the “I Love Kirksville” photo gallery, which may be both a physical and electronic. All photographs may also be selected for use in the City of Kirksville promotional products and literature, such as brochures, calendars and postcards.
The Fine Print (Don't Skip This!)
- For a photo submission in which a person is recognizable, you must be prepared to provide a model release from the subject or, in the case of a minor, the subjectʼs parent or guardian, upon request. Similarly, entrants whose photos depict other peopleʼs work (such as sculptures, statues, paintings, and other copyrightable works) must be prepared to provide a release from the rights holder to Kirksville Tourism upon request. When photographing the work of others, it must be as an object in its environment and not a full-frame close-up of another personʼs creation.
- If the entrant is unable to provide all required releases, Kirksville Tourism in its sole discretion reserves the right to disqualify the submission, seek to secure the required releases, or permit the submission to remain in the contest.
- Photos must be taken in accordance with federal, state and local laws.
- Photos that violate or infringe upon another personʼs rights, including but not limited to copyright, are not eligible.
- Photos that contain sexually explicit, nude, obscene, violent or other objectionable or inappropriate content, as determined by Kirksville Tourism in its sole discretion, are ineligible for all categories of this contest.
- The welfare of a subject and its environment must be placed ahead of the desire to capture a photograph. Upon entering the contest, entrants certify that subjects were treated with respect and dignity, and that no people, wildlife or the environment were harmed in creating a photograph.
- Finalists must be prepared to submit an original digital file. Kirksville Tourism reserves the right to disqualify incomplete entries and/or contestants who are unable to submit, upon request, a high-resolution photograph.
- Kirksville Tourism may collect a photographʼs metadata upon entry.
- You retain your rights to your photograph; however, by entering the contest, you grant the City of Kirksville (specifically the Kirksville Tourism and those authorized by the city) a royalty-free, perpetual, non-exclusive license to publicly display, distribute, reproduce, and create derivative works of the entries, in whole or in part, in any media now existing or later developed, for any purpose, including, but not limited to, advertising and promotion of the contest and city tourism. Any photograph reproduced will include a photographer credit as feasible. Kirksville Tourism will not be required to pay any additional consideration or seek any additional approval in connection with such uses.
Conditions of Entry
All entrants hold the City of Kirksville and all employees and volunteers of Kirksville Tourism (Indemnified Parties) harmless from and against all claims of any nature arising in connection with entrantʼs participation in the contest. The Indemnified Parties are not responsible for incomplete or misdirected entries, technical or network malfunctions or failures, or causes beyond their control. Entrants are solely responsible for their entries.
The contest is void where prohibited or restricted by law. Kirksville Tourism reserves the right to cancel the contest or modify these rules at its discretion. In the event of a dispute regarding the winners, Kirksville Tourism reserves the right to award or not award the prizes in its sole discretion. Kirksville Tourism reserves the right to disqualify any entrant whose entry or conduct appears in any way to: inhibit the enjoyment of others; tamper with the competition; violate these rules or other applicable laws.
Contest is now closed