The official rules of Hilltown Land Trust’s 2017 Digital Photo Contest.

SPONSOR

The Photo Contest is sponsored by Hilltown Land Trust, 332 Bullitt Road, Ashfield, MA 01330. This Photo Contest is in no way sponsored by, endorsed by, administered by, or associated with, Facebook.

ENTRY PERIOD

The Photo Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on October 25, 2017 (the “Entry Period”). Entries submitted after the Entry Period will not be eligible. Hilltown Land Trust’s computer is the official time-keeping device for the Photo Contest.

WHAT TO ENTER

Hilltown Land Trust is committed to connecting residents of Western Massachusetts with nature. For our 2017 Photo Contest, the theme is “Water, Everywhere.” We are eager to see your images, the subject of which must be water, in any form (rivers, streams, ponds, lakes, rain, mist, ice, snow, etc.). Photo submissions must be taken in a natural setting in a rural Massachusetts town west of the Connecticut River.

To ensure eligibility for the contest, please submit files of at least 240 dpi/ppi in JPEG or PNG form at the time of entry. All photographs should accurately reflect the subject matter and the scene as it appeared. Photos that have been digitally altered beyond standard optimization (removal of dust, cropping, reasonable adjustments to exposure, color and contrast, etc.) will be disqualified. Please do not submit photographs that contain watermarks.

Entries should include metadata if at all possible. Please submit the following information in your email with your digital photo:

Full name and email address of photographer
Town of photographer’s residence
Age of photographer
Detailed caption of subject matter
Location where photograph was taken

Previously published material for which non-exclusive rights were granted may be entered as long as you still maintain the right to grant us a license (see “Your Rights” below). You must be able to disclose when and where the photo appeared previously to Hilltown Land Trust upon request.

If you choose to include people in your submission, you are responsible for obtaining the necessary releases from the individuals depicted, and must be able to provide copies of those releases to Hilltown Land Trust upon request.

The following submissions are ineligible:

Images of captive animals photographed in zoos and commercial game farms.
Photos that violate or infringe upon another person’s rights, including but not limited to copyright.
Photos that contain sexually explicit, nude, obscene, violent or other objectionable or inappropriate content.
Images that involve the willful harassment of wildlife, or damage to the environment by the photographer.
Images that involve putting any individual or animal in danger.
Images taken more than three years prior to the beginning date of the Contest.

Hilltown Land Trust shall determine entry eligibility in its sole and absolute discretion.

HOW TO ENTER

All images must be submitted via email to hltoutreach@thetrustees.org, and the email must contain all required information, including name, email and other information about your photo submission.

You may enter up to two separate photographs. Sponsor reserves the right to reject any additional entries or entries that do not comply with these Official Rules. By entering, you indicate your unconditional agreement to, and acceptance of, these Official Rules and Sponsor’s decisions, which are final and binding. You cannot win unless you comply with all requirements in these Official Rules.

JUDGING AND PRIZES

Photos will be judged by public voting on Facebook. After the submission deadline, Hilltown Land Trust will share all eligible submissions on its Facebook page, and the entry which gets the most “likes” within one week of posting date will be the winner. Hilltown Land Trust encourages all participants to solicit “likes” for their photographs on Facebook by sharing Hilltown Land Trust’s Facebook posts about the contest on the participants’ personal Facebook pages.

One winner and one runner-up will be selected from each of two categories: Youth (18 and under) and Adult (19 and older). If you enter more than one photograph, you are only eligible to win once. For instance, if you submit two photographs, even if your two photographs get the most “likes” on Facebook, you will only win for the one photograph that gets the most votes. The other winner will be the photograph by a different participant that gets the most votes after yours. All eligible submissions will be printed and displayed in the Bullitt Reservation house in Ashfield. Winning photographs will be printed and framed. All participants will be able to take their printed photographs home at the end of the display time period (exact dates to be determined).

All judging decisions are final. Please do not contact us about the status of entries or judging.

Hilltown Land Trust will notify the winner or winners via the contact information provided at the time of entry.

All winners are responsible for paying any income taxes and any and all other costs and expenses not listed above.

YOUR RIGHTS

Your photographs help Hilltown Land Trust protect the amazing diversity of wildlife, plants, and habitats in the Hilltown Region of Massachusetts. Thank you for helping to further our mission through your photography.

You will retain all rights to any photograph you submit — including ownership if applicable.

By submitting a photograph to the contest, you grant Hilltown Land Trust a royalty-free, nonexclusive right, in perpetuity, to:

Use the photograph on the Internet and in Social Media in support of our mission.
Use the photograph in Hilltown Land Trust’s internal and external communications materials including but not limited to web sites and web publications, fact sheets, fund raising publications, advertising, multimedia, presentation and membership services, and the annual report.
Provide your photograph to other individuals and organizations for Hilltown Land Trust-related use in news stories, newsletters, reports, slide shows, displays, web pages, videos, membership premiums, and the like.
Use, in connection with the Photo Contest, your name and city or town of residence in promotions and other publications.
Retain a digital copy of your photograph that will be archived in the Hilltown Land Trust photo library and accessible to Hilltown Land Trust and The Trustees staff.

Hilltown Land Trust will endeavor to credit all photographs to the photographer when the full name is available.

GENERAL CONDITIONS

In the event that the operation, security, or administration of the Photo Contest is impaired in any way, Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, either: (a) suspend the Photo Contest to address the impairment and then resume the Photo Contest; or (b) award the prize(s) from among the eligible entries received up to the time of the impairment. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify and seek damages from any individual who tampers with the operation of the Photo Contest, violates these Official Rules, or acts in a disruptive or unsportsmanlike manner. Sponsor’s failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision. Proof of sending any communication to Sponsor by mail shall not be deemed proof of receipt of that communication by Sponsor. In the event of a dispute as to the owner of an online entry, the authorized account holder of the e-mail address used to enter will be deemed to be the owner. The Photo Contest is subject to federal, state, and local laws and regulations and is void where prohibited.

RELEASE AND LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY

By entering, you agree to release and hold harmless Sponsor, Facebook, their respective parent, subsidiaries, affiliates, and each of their respective officers, directors, employees, and agents (the “Released Parties”) from and against any claim or cause of action arising out of participation in the Photo Contest or receipt or use of any prize, including, but not limited to: (a) unauthorized human intervention in the Photo Contest; (b) technical errors; (c) printing errors; (d) late or undelivered mail; (e) errors in the administration of the Photo Contest; or (f) injury or damage to persons or property. You waive the right to claim any attorneys fees and any damages whatsoever, including, but not limited to, punitive, consequential, direct, or indirect damages.

ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS

When you enter, you will be added to Hilltown Land Trust’s electronic communications list. This includes special event invitations, digital messages and a monthly e-newsletter. You may cancel and unsubscribe at any time.

PRIVACY AND PUBLICITY

The information you provide when you enter is provided to Sponsor, not to Facebook. Except where prohibited, you consent to Sponsor’s use of your name in any list of winners (if applicable) and for promotional purposes in any media without further payment or consideration.

DISPUTES

You agree that any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of, or connected with, the Photo Contest or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by the appropriate court located in Massachusetts. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation, and enforceability of these Official Rules, your rights and obligations, or the rights and obligations of Sponsor in connection with the Photo Contest, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of Massachusetts, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of Massachusetts or any other jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than Massachusetts.

RESULTS

Winner(s) names will be announced on Facebook and on Hilltown Land Trust’s website, and may appear along with their winning images in any media Hilltown Land Trust chooses.