Activities and Events at Prime Hook
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2009 NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST RULES

The Prime Hook Nature Photography Contest is open to all photographers, amateur or professional, Junior Student (up to 12 years of age), Senior Student (13 to 17 years of age) or adult (18 or over). Submitted photographs will be judged by a panel of three eminent professional photographers during the week of October 11, 2009. Winners will be announced and awards given at a reception for the artists and the general public to be held in the Refuge Auditorium on Sunday, October 18, 2009. Entries will be displayed in the auditorium from October 18, 2009 to November 30, 2009.

Entries may be in any or all of four categories: Delmarva Scenery (landscapes or seascapes), Native Wildlife, Native Flowers and Plants, and The Beauty of Prime Hook. To qualify as Delmarva Scenery, a photograph should have been taken somewhere on the Delmarva Peninsula (i.e., in Delaware or on the Eastern Shores of either Maryland or Virginia). The Native Wildlife category includes photographs of native animals, birds, fish, insects, and amphibians. The Native Flowers and Plants category is limited to Delmarva’s wild flora. The Beauty of Prime Hook category encompasses only photographs taken within the boundaries of the Refuge. No photograph in any category may contain persons or man-made structures.

For the purposes of this contest, “native” should be taken to mean “not introduced by humans.” Photographs of domestic animals are not permitted in the Native Wildlife category. With respect to flowers and plants, the matter can be confusing. Cultivated garden flowers and plants or those which have escaped from gardens and now grow in the wild are considered non-native. Photographs of them cannot be entered in the Native Flowers and Plants category. The Photographic Society of America’s definition of a nature photograph will be strictly adhered to:

Eligible subjects include trees, wild flowers, weeds, grasses, fungi, ferns, mosses, animals or birds (except domesticated), reptiles, insects, fossils, weather, land/seascapes (without boats or other human evidence), geological formations, etc. Banding is acceptable on birds.

Ineligible subjects include cultivated plants or flowers, domestic animals (dogs, cows, etc.), scenics which show human artifacts (fences, buildings, telephone wires, etc.), museum habitats or groups, or subjects that have since become extinct.

Only color prints no larger than 12”x16” will be accepted. Each should be matted in white but unframed and should have the name, address and phone number of the entrant as well as the name of the photograph and the category in which it is to be entered placed on the reverse side of the matte. The total dimensions (i.e. the photograph plus the matte) cannot exceed 16”x 20.” Digital photographs are acceptable in all categories.

It is strongly suggested that all prints be mounted to the matte board (not inserted or taped). There is a mounting spray available in art- or photographic-supply stores. Peel and stick mattes are another option. Proper mounting will preserve, protect, and better present your photograph. It will also prevent mattes and/or photographs from coming loose and falling during the exhibit.

To be entered in the contest, photographs must be mailed or hand-delivered to the Refuge Office on or before October 8, 2009. The Refuge address is 11978 Turkle Pond Road, Milton, DE 19968 (off Broadkill Road). Refuge hours are Monday through Friday from 7:30 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. If you are unable to pick up your entry before the exhibit closes on November 30, 2009, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope with your submission. Entries not picked up before January 1, 2010, will become the property of the Friends of Prime Hook NWR. They may be used for promotional purposes or fund-raising. The Friends of Prime Hook NWR assume no liability for entries lost or damaged during the exhibit. The entry fee is $5 per photograph or 6 for $25 and must be included with the submitted photographs. Please make all checks payable to the Friends of Prime Hook N.W.R.

Three professional photographers will serve as judges. The Grand Prize will be awarded to the person submitting the entry judged “Best in Show,” and will include a $100 prize. Monetary awards will be given to the First, Second, and Third Place winners in each category and to the student winners. If you cannot be present at the Reception, your award will be mailed to you.

If you have further questions, please contact the Refuge at (302) 684-8419.