Our 2017 photo contest is now open to amateur photographers!
This year we have two big changes to the contest!
No one site will be assigned to any photographer. Instead, you may visit any or all sites from a
selected list of preserves owned or managed by The Land Conservancy, listed at the bottom.
We also are judging in categories this year! TLC has decided that 2017 will be the year of the
oak, so we’ve created a few oak-themed categories, as well as a category for
Conservation@Home or Conservation Easement Owners. See below for descriptions on those.
We hope these changes will offer our photographers a more robust experience, as you can
explore many different sites and choose which one speaks to you.
Annual TLC Amateur Photography Contest
The Land Conservancy of McHenry County (TLC) invites amateur photographers to participate
in a unique photo contest meant to highlight the inspiring nature of TLC's land preservation
work. The contest goal is to showcase photographs that reveal the beautiful and immense natural
and cultural diversity found throughout McHenry County.
TLC has worked with over 100 landowners to preserve more than 2,100 acres across McHenry
County. Protected properties range from 1 acre to 250 acres in size. Preserved lands include high
quality wetland and woodland habitat, farmland, scenic vistas, historic farmsteads and similar
valuable land resources.
A list of approved properties TLC owns or manages will be provided to the photographer, and
only pictures taken from these sites can be entered. Also available is a special
Conservation@Home and Conservation Easement Category, in which people who own
properties with these TLC designations may take photos from their own property and enter them
in the separate category.
How to Enter:
Once you have read and agreed to the rules below, fill out and return the contest application and
pay the contest registration fee of $15.
Categories:
This contest IS JUDGED in CATEGORIES! Photographers may submit a maximum of
THREE (3) photos, drawing from any of these categories, and the judges will select one
photograph to be judged for awards and displayed at the Art of the Land show.
2017 is the year of the oak, and we’ve selected a few oak-themed categories for you.
LANDSCAPE: Overviews of a property with an oak tree in the viewing shed.
PLANT LIFE: Flowers, trees, and other plants in their natural habitat that live in the oak
ecosystem (please avoid invasive species).
SMALL WORLD: Close-up images or macro shots of flowers or flower parts, leaves, bark, or
acorn, etc.
WILDLIFE: Wild animals observed in the oak’s natural habitats- birds, mammals, frogs, insects,
etc.
CONSERVATION AWARD: Any one of these categories, but for landowners who enter who
have a TLC designated Conservation@Home Site or a Conservation Easement held by TLC
Prizes & Recognition:
A total of nine cash prizes will be given. 1st Place Overall- $100, Runner up Overall- $50,
Winner of Each Category- $25, People’s Choice (Friday and Saturday awards)- $25
List of Sites Open for Photography:
Harvard Gateway Nature Park
Ryder’s Woods
Westwood Conservation Area
Donato Conservation Area
Wonder Lake Sedge Meadow
Yonder Prairie Nature Preserve
… And more may open in the future
See our website for locations and maps to all sites.
Eligibility:
Only original photographs taken for this purpose are eligible.
This contest is open to all amateur photographers. Amateur is defined as earning less than a
maximum of $2,000 annually from photographic work.
Participants do not need to be residents of McHenry County.
Those under 17 years of age must have permission from a parent in writing.
All submitted photos must be free of claims and rights of third parties.
TLC board members, employees and members of their immediate households may submit
photos, but will not be eligible for the prizes.
Elements cannot be deleted or added to the photograph, but images may be cropped and
enhanced in a photo software program so long as the manipulation does not distort the image or
create a “computer art” image. If, in the opinion of the judges, software manipulation is extreme,
the photo will be disqualified.
Photos whose subject matter is a manmade object, e.g. windmill or building, will not be eligible
for an award. Photos that include manmade objects, but whose primary subject is the land, plants
or wildlife, are eligible.
Photographers understand and agree that The Land Conservancy has the right to display, use,
reproduce and make other use of photos in its publications or to make the photographs available
for publicity purposes or any and all other nonprofit purposes, including offering them for sale as
part of a fundraiser, to promote The Land Conservancy and its land preservation mission in
perpetuity.
Submitting Photographs:
Contestants may submit no more than three (3) images each.
Images must be submitted in print AND digital format.
Print images must be 8 x 10 inches and unmounted. Digital files must be a minimum of 2
megapixels or 1600 x 1200 dpi.
Each print must be labeled with the photographer’s name, year, and where the photo was taken.
Adhering a permanent label to the back of the print rather than writing directly on the back is
preferred as ink may smear.
Digital images must be named SiteName_PhotographersName_2017_1,2,or 3.
Submit photos by mailing to PO Box 352, Woodstock IL 60098 or by dropping them off at our
office at 4622 Dean St, Woodstock. Email digital images to [email protected].
Entries must be received by 5pm on August 18, 2017.
One photo from each participating photographer will be displayed at TLC's benefit show at the
Starline Gallery in Harvard (September 2017). Winning photos and finalists, along with
photographer's name and city, will be displayed on the TLC website, in the TLC newsletters
(paper and email versions), and on TLC's Facebook Page. TLC may also put together a photo
catalogue showing each year's entries. The photographers must understand and agree that TLC
has the right to display, use, reproduce and make other use of the photo(s) in its own publications
or to make the photograph available for publicity purposes or any and all other non-profit
purposes, including offering them for sale as part of a fundraiser, to promote TLC and its mission
in perpetuity.
Timeline:
Deadline for Entries—5:00 pm on August 18, 2017
Judging—Early September 2017
Winners Announced—After the People's Choice judging is completed at TLC's benefit in
September 2017. All decisions made by the judges will be final.
Contest Registration Fees:
Contest registration is $15. This fee includes entry to TLC's benefit show in September 2017 for
each participating photographer.
Entrants may pay the contest fees in one of these ways:
- Pay with a credit card by phone, 815-337-9502. Our hours are M-F 9am-4pm.
- Stop by TLC to pay in person using cash, check or credit card, 4622 Dean Street, Woodstock,
IL.
- Mail a check or money order to The Land Conservancy, PO Box 352, Woodstock, IL 60098.
Be sure to include the name of the photographer.
2017 Amateur Photography
Contest
Application
Name:________________________________________________________________________
Email: _____________________________ Phone: ________________________
Address:
______________________________________________________________________________
City/State/Zip:
_____________________________________________________________________________
Are you entering for the Conservation@Home or Conservation Easement Owner Category
YES
NO
I confirm that I have read and agree to the rules for the Art of the Land
Amateur Photography Contest.
Signature: ______________________________________ Date: ________________________
Return application with $15 application fee to:
The Land Conservancy of McHenry County, PO Box 352, Woodstock, IL 60098
www.conservemc.org | 815-337-9502
THANK YOU!