California Trout, in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Eureka, invites photographers to enter its Eel River Photo Contest. You must read the following rules, terms, and legal conditions before submitting any photos!
California Trout’s Eel River Photo Contest (the “Contest”) is open to ALL photographers at least 18 years of age, except employees of California Trout and Rotary Club of Eureka and the immediate families of such employees. The contest is open to all participants regardless of residence or citizenship, so long as the laws of their jurisdiction allow participation.
WHAT TO SUBMIT:
We are looking for images that depict the spirit and diversity of the Eel River watershed, especially for the categories of 1. restoration, 2. access, 3. recreation, 4. wildlife. All photos must in some way be related to the Eel River watershed, especially it’s rivers, creeks, streams, and/or lakes and/or the activities around them. Ideally, photos should be in a horizontal format..
All photographs should accurately reflect the subject matter and the scene as it appeared. Photos that have been digitally altered beyond standard optimization (i.e., removal of dust, cropping, reasonable adjustments to exposure, color and contrast, etc.) will be disqualified. Images that do not meet these requirements may or may not be judged at the judging panel’s sole discretion.
Photo captions must accompany all submissions (i.e., the photo title, the location the image was taken, and the name of the photographer(s)).
SPONSOR
Sponsor is California Trout, 435 Pacific Avenue, Suite 200, San Francisco, CA 94133, USA (“Sponsor” or CalTrout)
TERM
The Eel River Photo Contest (the “Contest”) submission period begins January 15, 2025 at 00:01 Pacific Daylight Time (“PDT”) and ends March 31, 2025 23:59 PDT. ALL ENTRIES MUST BE RECEIVED BY March 31, 2025 by 23:59 PDT. Information on how to enter and prizes form part of these official rules (“Official Rules”). By submitting an entry, each entrant agrees to the Official Rules and warrants that their entry complies with all requirements set out in the Official Rules. This is a skill-based contest and chance plays no part in the determination of winners. Winners will be contacted by April 30, 2025.
HOW TO ENTER
Each entry consists of an entry form and a single image. To enter, visit www.caltrout.org/eel-river-photo-contest and click on the relevant submit button to complete an entry form with the required information, including your name, e-mail address, photo caption, photo location, and optional social media handle; and submit along with your photograph in accordance with the instructions that follow.
There is a limit of 1 entry per person per category. Each entry must comply with the following requirements (the “Photograph Requirements”):
- HDR photographs and minor burning, dodging and/or color correction is acceptable, as is cropping. Stitched panoramas are NOT acceptable. Any changes to the original Photograph not itemized here are unacceptable and will render the photograph ineligible for a prize.
- Digital files must be high resolution, 300ppi, file size 3MB or larger (at close to actual size) and must be in .jpg format.
- The photograph, in its entirety, must be a single work of original material taken by the Contest entrant. By entering the Contest, entrant represents, acknowledges, and warrants that the submitted photograph is an original work created solely by the entrant, that the photograph does not infringe on the copyrights, trademarks, moral rights, rights of privacy/publicity or intellectual property rights of any person or entity, and that no other party has any right, title, claim or interest in the photograph.
- The photograph must not, in the sole and unfettered discretion of the Sponsor, contain obscene, provocative, defamatory, sexually explicit, or otherwise objectionable or inappropriate content.
Images will be judged on originality, technical excellence, composition, overall impact, and artistic merit. The judges are a panel of California Trout and Rotary Club of Eureka staff, board members, partners, and other connected individuals who will select 20 finalists, 5 Best Photo Winners, and the Emerging Photographer Award winner. The public will vote on the 20 finalists to determine the Grand Prize Award, as determined by the top votes, in person at the Eel River Expo on April 19, 2025 in Fortuna, CA. All entries must be submitted and received by March 31, 2025 at 23:59:00 PDT. Proof of submission is not proof of receipt. Entries must be made by the authorized account holder of the e-mail address submitted at the time of entry. “Authorized account holder” is defined as the natural person who is assigned to an e-mail address by an Internet access provider, online service provider, Internet domain owner, or other person or organization (e.g., business, educational institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning e-mail addresses for the domain associated with the submitted e-mail address. Sponsor reserves the right to examine the original photograph/source material in order to confirm compliance with these rules.
California Trout shall determine winner eligibility in its sole and absolute discretion. All decisions made by the judges are final.
YOUR RIGHTS:
Your photographs help California Trout in its mission to revitalize waters for resilient wild fish and a better California. 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 photos in the Contest, you grant California Trout and Rotary Club of Eyreak a royalty-free, nonexclusive right, in perpetuity, to:
- Use the photograph on the Internet in support of our missions.
- Use the photograph in California Trout and Rotary Club of Eureka’s non-commercial communications.
- Provide your photograph to other individuals and organizations for non-commercial use, CalTrout-related use in news stories, newsletters, reports, slide shows, displays, web pages, and the like.
- Use, in connection with the Photo Contest, your name, city, state and country of residence in promotions and other publications.
- Keep the files provided, and to archive the images on CD or in other electronic forms, so that your photos can be used to support our missions and be properly credited.
As conditions of this permission, California Trout and Rotary Club of Eureka shall credit all photographs with the Contest entrant’s name.
QUESTIONS:
Questions and inquiries about contest rules can be emailed to [email protected]
Click here for Contest Information and to Submit Your Photos
Dams block access to historical spawning and rearing habitats. Downstream, dams alter the timing, frequency, duration, magnitude, and rate of change of flows decreasing habitat quality and survival.
