Florida’s Natural Beauty
2024 Juried Photography Contest & Exhibition
Event
Florida’s Natural Beauty ~ 2024 Juried Photography Contest & Exhibition is proudly presented by Audubon of Martin County (AoMC) and hosted by the Historical Society of Martin County (HSMC) and the Elliott Museum.
Audubon of Martin County’s mission is to promote conservation through education about birds and their native habitat, while providing avenues to experience the joy of observing birds in the wild and the beautiful natural scenery around them.
Eligibility
· All amateur and professional photographers residing in the U.S. may enter. Please read all rules and regulations before registering to enter.
· All photographs must be taken in Florida.
Awards
· Best in Show: $300.00
· 1st Place in Each Category: $200.00
· 2nd Place in Each Category: $100.00
· 3rd Place in Each Category: $50.00
· Honorable Mention awards may also be awarded at the discretion of the judges.
Categories
· Birds
· Wildlife
· Flora/Landscape
· Cell Phone Photography
· Creative Category
Criteria:
· All photos must be taken in Florida.
· Birds: Birds must be native to Florida, along with migratory birds that call Florida home during our winter months.
· Wildlife: Wildlife must be native to Florida.
· Flora/Landscape: Native Florida plants, landscapes, seascapes, architecture and habitats in and around the state of Florida.
· Cell Phone: Open to all cell phone camera users who fall within one of the categories listed above.
· Creative Category: Includes photography with added elements (the use of AI is NOT permitted) or treatments such as focus stacking, montages, composites, stitched panoramas, sky and moon replacements, false backgrounds and HDR. Added elements must be the photographers own work, not AI nor stock image components.
Important Dates
October 1 – December 8, 2024: Online digital submissions on OnlineJuriedShows. Log in on this page and click Enter this Show to begin your submissions.
December 9-13, 2024: Judging process. A panel of independent judges, all of whom will be experts in photography and the various techniques of it, will review, score and select initial qualifiers in each category eligible for awards. These final scores will determine 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each category, along with Best In Show and Honorable Mentions. All judging will be done on a blind basis without names of participants present.
December 15, 2024: Notifications of acceptance will be available in each artist’s account on OnlineJuriedShows. Artists will be emailed when results are available.
December 16, 2024 - January 13, 2025: Timeframe for out-of-town shipped photos to arrive at Audubon of Martin County.
Shipping Requirements: If you live outside the Treasure Coast (Florida) area, shipping of juror-approved accepted work is permissible. Shipping requirements are as follows: Photographers are responsible for all shipping arrangements and expenses. Round trip shipping expenses must be prepaid and a return shipping label must be included in your shipment. Any entries sent collect will not be accepted. All artwork must be packed in a reusable USPS, UPS or FEDEX approved package/box and all packing material must be sufficient for safe repacking and return (no plastic peanuts or shredded paper). Packages/boxes must be clearly and properly labeled for return shipment.
Must be shipped by FedEx, UPS or USPS to:
Audubon of Martin County
4096 SW Bimini Circle S
Palm City, FL 34990
Phone: 772-485-8129
January 16, 2025 (Thursday): Local drop-off of all juror-approved photos between the hours of 9 am and 3 pm ONLY to:
Audubon of Martin County
621 SE Palm Beach Road
Stuart, FL 34994
Phone: 772-288-2637
January 23, 2025 (Thursday) Opening Reception, Awards Ceremony and Open Exhibit from
5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at the Elliott Museum, 825 NE Ocean Boulevard, Stuart, FL 34996.
$18.00 admission per person/Free to HSMC / Elliott Museum members. Includes a special wildlife presentation by John Nelson of The Audubon Moment / Chapter President for Audubon of Martin County. Cash bar.
January 23 – March 6, 2025: Photo Exhibit open to the public during Museum hours.
March 13 AND March 14, 2025: All photographs must be picked up from Audubon of Martin County between the hours of 9 am and 3 pm ONLY at:
Audubon of Martin County
621 SE Palm Beach Road
Stuart, FL 34994
Phone: 772-288-2637
Week of March 17th 2025: Return shipping of all out-of-town artists’ photos.
HOW TO ENTER:
· Starting October 1, 2024, you may upload your images to OnlineJuriedShows. Log in on this page and click Enter this Show to begin.
· If it’s your first time, you’ll need to create an account before you can upload your images (https://onlinejuriedshows.com/CreateNewAccount.aspx).
· All payments need to be made once all images have been uploaded.
· Each photographer may submit (via digital upload) up to seven (7) photographs in each category to the jurying panel for review and scoring.
· Each image entered may be submitted in only one category.
· A non-refundable entry fee of $20 (for Audubon of Martin County Members in good standing through the duration of the show) and $25 (for non-members) will be charged for each uploaded photograph. Membership rate will be verified.
· Digital file criteria: JPEG format, sRGB color space, 1920 pixels on the long side (horizontal or vertical) at 72ppi – not to exceed 4MB. Use your own file naming structure.
· Color, B&W or monotone images are acceptable.
· Photographs must not have been previously entered into an Audubon of Martin County Photography Contest.
· Photographs will be denied if the judges deem that a camera trap was used. Photographers must be present in the field and working to capture live action.
· Recognizable individuals pictured in photos must include a signed release.
· No nudity or pornographic content.
· Basic brightness, contrast, sharpening and saturation adjustments are permitted. Masking and adjustments to selective areas should be used sparingly with believable results.
· Drastically altered images belong only in the Creative Category.
· AI (Artificial Intelligence) generative fills or generated components using AI are not permitted.
· If you receive this error along with a yellow screen during submitting your photos on the onlinejuriedshows.com platform, it means you have been idle too long: Server Error in '/' Application. You will have to log out and log back in again. It is a data safeguard in place.
· For help with your submissions, contact onlinejuriedshows@gmail.com or 888-666-1351.
· There will be no exceptions for deadlines, specifications or rules, and there will be no refunds.
· All decisions of the jurying panel and Audubon of Martin County are final.
Accepted Entries – Preparing Your Photographs:
1. No signatures, names or text of any kind on the photograph.
2. With exception to size, your final print must be an unedited version of the juried digital submission.
3. Images printed on the following substrates are acceptable: Any quality photo, metallic or fine art paper. Canvas, aluminum, wood and acrylic are also acceptable.
4. Professional presentation is a must! Use industry accepted matting and framing techniques. It is understood that some nontraditional substrates, i.e., aluminum, wood, acrylic and gallery wrap canvas may be displayed without the addition of a finished frame assembly (matte, glass & frame). Non-gallery wrap canvas work requires a finished frame.
5. The minimum photo print size is 8” on the short side. Finished work must not exceed 20”x24” in height or width including outer edges of a frame.
6. All entries must be wired for hanging using picture hanging wire. No saw tooth hangers are permitted.
Metal prints:
For the back of the metal print, you must choose the option to include a picture hanging wire. Circular holes and rectangle cutouts that have a sawtooth finish on the rectangle’s upper edge are not acceptable for gallery hanging.
7. Print, fill out and tape one identification label to the back of each photograph. Indicate the value of the piece for insurance purposes. Check the appropriate box indicating if the photo is for sale or not.
Liability
Audubon of Martin County, HSMC, and the Elliott Museum will exercise the best possible care in the handling of your submissions. But, neither the Audubon of Martin County, HSMC, or the Elliott Museum will be responsible for loss or damage of your submission due to fire, theft, vandalism, or any other cause. Entries submitted constitute agreement to the conditions set forth in this prospectus.
Photo Rights
Artist maintains copyright with Audubon of Martin County limited use. The photographer grants the Audubon of Martin County, HSMC and the Elliott Museum permission to photograph the entries for archival purposes, publicity, website, or for promotional publications.
Contact
Please forward any questions you might have to Sonia Sousa, Audubon of Martin County Photography Contest Director, by email to soniasousa7@gmail.com.