Join in the fun and enter our

Photo Contest!  

Photo Contest Date/Time:

• Judging will take place on Saturday, February 15, between 12:00-1:00 pm.  Judging will be closed to the public.
• Ribbons will be awarded when judging is complete.
• All photographs will remain up for display, with ribbons, until 12:00 pm on Sunday, February 16.
• Photographs and ribbons may be picked up on Sunday, February 16, between 12:00-1:00 pm.

Photo Contest Judge:  Caitlyn Moyer

Photo Contest Contact:  Melissa Lehew   [email protected]

How to Enter:

• Each Entry consists of 5 parts:
  • 1. completed entry
  • 2. a single image
  • 3. a caption for your image
  • 4. an entry fee
  • 5. mounted  - 8x10 photo on black matboard with 2" border around photo  
• Click here to register online:   http://www.alpacareg.com/start/txolan
• You may enter any number of entries in any of the categories. Each entry must have its own entry form, caption, etc., as listed above.  Photos may be taken at any time. 

Entry Fees:

• ADULT (18 and over) $10 per entry
• JUNIOR (17 and under) $5 per entry

Format: 

• Printed format: All mailed or in-person submissions of photographs must be 8 x 10, printed on photo paper, and matted on black matboard with a 2" border around the photo.  
• Digital format:  If you are emailing a digital image(s), these should have a long dimension of at least 3,300 pixels and be saved at 300 dpi (around 10" or larger) jpeg.  Images may be color profiled in sRGB, Adobe-1998 or later, or not color-managed. File size may be not larger than 10 megabytes.  As noted, TXOLAN will print and mat, though will not be responsible for nuances of such that may impact your final placement.  You are better off submitting a fully completed entry!

Deadlines/Submission of Entries: 

• MAIL-IN ENTRIES should be postmarked by January 26th and must be received by JANUARY 31, 2025 11:59 CDT.
  • Please contact Melissa Lehew at [email protected] for mailing address.
  • All mail-in entries must be properly packaged and include return labels and postage if you will not be at the show to pick them up.
• DIGITAL SUBMISSIONS:  If you are submitting a graphics file/digital image, it must be emailed to Melissa Lehew at [email protected] and received by January 31, 2025 in the following digital format:
  • A long dimension of at least 3,300 pixels and be saved at 300 dpi (around 10" or larger) jpeg, with a file size not larger than 10 megabytes.  
  • Images may be color profiled in sRGB, Adobe-1998 or later, or not color-managed. 
  • As noted, TXOLAN will print and mat digital submissions, but will not be responsible for nuances of such that may impact your final placement.  You are better off submitting a fully completed entry!
• IN-PERSON SUBMISSIONS:  If you are bringing a printed, matted entry, please submit it at the check-in table with an attached note:  ATTN: Melissa Lehew by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 13.  Youth who will not arrive until Friday, February 14th, may submit at check-in on that day as soon as possible.

AWARDS:

• If there are 3 or more entries in a specific category, ribbons for 1st through 3rd in each Adult division and 1st through 3rd in each Junior division will be awarded.  Otherwise, only a first place ribbon will be awarded
• One Judge's Choice Adult Division and one Judge's Choice Junior Division ribbon will be awarded.

CATEGORIES (Separate Adult and Junior divisions will be judged for each category):

• Alpacas and Friends
• Alpaca Close-ups
• Black and White
• Crias
• Farm Scene
• Humor

DEFINITION OF CATEGORES

• Alpacas and Friends: Photos of alpacas interacting with their friends.  Friends may be other alpacas, other 4-legged creatures, or even 2- legged creatures!
• Black and White:  Black and white photos of alpacas saved in the grayscale color space.
• Crias: Photos of those loveable, huggable alpaca babies.
• Alpaca Close-ups:  Portraits of Alpacas.
• Farm Scene: Scenic photos of alpacas and where they live.
• Humor:  Photos of alpacas doing what makes us laugh.

JUDGING CRITERIA

• Focus: Distinctness or clarity of an image rendered by the camera.
• Depth of Field: Range of acceptably sharp focus in front of and behind the distance the lens is focused on.
• Exposure: Light striking a sensitized material (film or paper emulsion).
• Lighting:  Distribution of light on an object or figure in the photo.
• Composition: Placement or arrangement of visual elements in photo, as distinct from the subject in that photo.
• Rule of Thirds: Guideline which proposes that an image should be imagined as divided into nine equal parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical lines, and  important compositional elements should be placed along these lines or their intersections; thus creating more tension, energy and interest in the composition than simply centering the subject would.

TERMS, CONDITIONS AND AGREEMENT

• Each submitted 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 he or she has full power and authority to enter the photograph, and that the photograph does not infringe any copyright or violate any other intellectual property rights. The entrant agrees to indemnify TXOLAN Alpaca Association and the TXOLAN Sweetheart Spectacular and any parties working on behalf of  TXOLAN Alpaca Association from any and all third party claims arising from the photograph.
• If the Photograph includes other people, you must be prepared to provide a signed written personal release from all persons who appear in the Photograph submitted, authorizing use of the Photograph. If you are unable to provide a personal release, upon request by TXOLAN Alpaca Association and TXOLAN Sweetheart Spectacular  and in the form provided by TXOLAN Alpaca Association and the TXOLAN Sweetheart Spectacular  then your entry may be disqualified. While you are not need required to send the release with your entry it can be included to insure no issues.
• The entries will be judged in accordance with the Judging Criteria, as defined..  The photograph must not, in the sole and unfettered discretion of TXOLAN Alpaca Association and the TXOLAN Sweetheart Spectacular, contain obscene, provocative, defamatory, sexually explicit, or otherwise objectionable or inappropriate content. Photographs deemed inappropriate will be disqualified.
• Online 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.
• While TXOLAN will print and mount a graphic file entry, TXOLAN is not responsible for printing or mounting nuances that may affect your final placement.
• TXOLAN Sweetheart Spectacular reserves the right to display the photos at the 2024 event or as advertisement for subsequent TXOLAN shows or TXOLAN Alpaca Association events. Your images will not be sold by TXOLAN Alpaca Association or TXOLAN Sweetheart Spectacular without your permission and agreement. You retain the copyright to your photograph.
• All appropriate credits will be displayed with the photos if and when photos are used. 

THIRD PARTY RELEASES/LICENSES

Entrants authorize TXOLAN Alpaca Association and/or TXOLAN Sweetheart Spectacular to reproduce, distribute, display and create derivative works of the photograph entry, in any media now or hereafter in connection with the promotion of TXOLAN Alpaca Association and/or TXOLAN Sweetheart Spectacular 

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

By participating, entrants agree to release, discharge and hold harmless TXOLAN Alpaca Association and/or TXOLAN Sweetheart Spectacular , and each of their respective partners, affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising agencies, agents and their employees, officers, directors, and representatives from any claims, losses, and damages arising out of their participation in this Contest or any Contest-related activities and the acceptance and use, misuse, or possession of any prize awarded hereunder.

TXOLAN Alpaca Association and/or TXOLAN Sweetheart Spectacular assume no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, or delay in operation or transmission; communications line failure; theft or destruction of or unauthorized access to Contest entries or entry forms; or alteration of entries or entry forms. Alpacas of Oklahoma and/or Alpaca Blastoff is not responsible for any problems with or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer online systems, servers or providers, computer equipment, software, failure of any e-mail entry to be received on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any Web site, human errors of any kind, or any combination thereof, including any injury or damage to entrants' or any other persons' computers related to or resulting from participation, uploading or downloading of any materials related to this Contest.