Ward Museum Photo Festival 2021

International Virtual Ward Museum Photo Festival Call for Entries

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The Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art will be hosting our Ward Museum Photo Festival the weekend of July 16-18, 2021. Categories for this year once again include photographs of nature (wild animals, plants, scenic landscapes), humans in nature, man-made structures, etc., as well as urban landscapes, portrait photography, and more. This will be our second year hosting the competition virtually. Photographers compete for their chance at top prizes, including cash, awards, and a feature in the Ward Museum magazine.

Online entries for the 12 unique competition categories will be accepted June 4 – July 2 for either of the two festival divisions: Photographer and Youth Photographer. Contestants in the Art in Nature Photo Festival can enter photographs in any of the competition’s 12 categories, ranging from traditional black and white photography to drone and aerial photography. These will be judged by local and internationally known photographers, including noted director and photographer Eric J. Smith, nature photographer Jacqueline Deely, and more.

Prizes:

Grand Champion - Best in Show: Overall winner from any category or division. This winner will receive a $250 cash award, from Wimberley a WH-200 Wimberley Head Version II full gimbal tripod head, two tickets to the Ward Museum’s Fall Fundraiser ($100 value), a Friends Membership to the Ward Museum ($150 value), and certificate.

Second & Third Best in Show: These winners may come from any category or division. Winners will each receive $50 cash awards, a gift certificate for $100 to Wimberley, two tickets to the Ward Museum’s Fall Fundraiser ($100 value per pair), Family Memberships to the Ward Museum ($75 value each), and certificates.

First, Second, and Third: A first, second, and third place in each category. First place winners will receive $50 each. All winners will receive Individual Memberships to the Ward Museum ($50 value) and a certificate.

Youth Grand Champion – Best in Youth Division: Overall winner from the Youth Division. This winner will receive $100 cash prize, a $100 gift certificate to Wimberley, a Family Membership to the Ward Museum ($75 value), and a certificate.

Honorable Mentions: Up to three honorable mentions in each category. Winners will receive certificates.

5 Minute Mini Documentary: First, Second, and Third prize winners will have their films shown during the Delmarvalous Festival on August 14, 2021. All winners will receive Individual Memberships to the Ward Museum ($50 value) and a certificate. The First-place winner will receive two tickets to the 2022 Ocean City Film Festival and the winning documentary will be featured in the 2022 Ocean City Film Festival.

Eligibility:

The competition has two divisions: Photographer and Youth Photographer. The Youth division is open only to persons 17 years and under as of July 16, 2021. The Photographer division is open to persons 18 years old and older. Youth entry forms must be signed by a parent or guardian. Contest judges, Ward Foundation employees, board members, and their immediate families are welcome to exhibit images but are not eligible for any prizes, including the People’s Choice award.

Copyrights & Usage Rights:

Photographers/Filmmakers retain all their rights to any photograph/film entered
into the competition and show. However, all entrants (or their parent or guardian), by entering an image, grant
the Ward Foundation a royalty-free, non-exclusive right to display the photograph in the festival and on its
social media channels.
If an entered photograph wins or places (Best in Show to Honorable Mention) in any category of any
division, the photographer or their guardian grants the Ward Foundation, by acceptance of the award, a
high-resolution digital copy of the image (to be provided by you to the Ward Museum by July 31, 2021)
and royalty-free, non-exclusive rights to:
Display the photograph in Ward Museum galleries and on its website, and to use the photograph in any of
the Museum’s educational programs, publications, fund-raising, advertising, e-mails, social media outreach
efforts, and other activities;
Allow third-parties to share the photograph on social media;
Provide the photograph to other individuals and organizations for Ward Foundation/Museum-related use in
news stories, newsletters, reports, slide shows, displays, web pages, videos, and other; and
Use the photographer’s name, city, and state in promotions and other activities in connection with any of the
above activities,
Best in Show, Division, Category, and People’s Choice (i.e. any first-place winning printed photograph) will
remain at the Ward Museum and be added to the Museum’s collection once printed.
The Ward Foundation/Museum will endeavor to credit all photographs with your full name and
copyright date for winning photographs. The name, city, and state of a winning entry in the Youth
division will be requested from a parent or guardian before publishing the name of any Youth division
winner.

Theme:

Black and White Aerial Conceptual Documentary Environmental Landscape Multi-categories Wildlife Urban Self-Portrait Photojournalism Portrait People Nature