photo credit: The Yellow Trail by David Momot, 2022 photo contest submission
We’re excited to announce the launch of our annual photo contest sponsored by REI Co-op Princeton.
Now entering its eighth year, FOPOS’s beloved photo contest continues with a new name, an expanded geographic area to photograph and an extended timeline for 2023.
“There are several changes to the contest rules designed to encourage people to spend more time outdoors capturing photos of nature in Princeton,” said Fran McManus, long-time former board member and photo contest coordinator. “And, we’ve changed the name to Perspectives on Preservation, to better reflect the contest’s goals.”
The geographic range of the contest area has been extended to include the entire Greater Mountain Lakes Recreation Area, which is comprised of the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve, Mountain Lakes North/Coventry Farm Park, Community Park North, John Witherspoon Woods, Tusculum, and the boardwalk at Coventry Farm. Photos for submission can be taken at any time of year during the past three years as long as they have not been submitted in a previous FOPOS photo contest.
McManus explained, “Making the contest year-round will better showcase the beauty of the Mountain Lakes Recreation Area and the many ways the nearly 400 acres of preserved open space and farmland benefits our community by providing a place for recreation, creative inspiration and contemplation, as well as critical habitat for native flora and fauna.”
Photographers may submit up to three photographs. Twenty photos from the submissions will be selected for FOPOS’s annual photo exhibition in late 2023.
The photo contest was conceived as a local activity in support of REI’s annual Opt Outside initiative, which encourages everyone to skip the malls on the day after Thanksgiving and spend time in nature instead. REI Princeton is once again sponsoring the contest with gift card prizes.
SUBMISSION RULES:
Photographs must be taken in the following areas: Greater Mountain Lakes Recreation Area, (which is comprised of the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve), Mountain Lakes North/Coventry Farm Park, Community Park North, John Witherspoon Woods, Tusculum, and the boardwalk at Coventry Farm
Photos for submission can be taken at any time of year during the past three years as long as they have not been submitted in a previous FOPOS photo contest
Maximum of three photographs in JPEG format may be submitted per adult. One submission per 16 and under. Maximum of one prize per contestant..
Any aspect ratio is acceptable, but please size the file so that the longest dimension is 1500 pixels and set the quality to “high.”
Each photograph’s filename MUST include the photographer's name and the title of the image. For example: if your name is Mary Jones and you are submitting a photo of an oak tree, you might name your file: MaryJones-An Oak tree.jpg. DO NOT send a file with your camera's default filename
In order to ensure anonymous judging, please do not include any signatures or watermarks on the photo that would reveal the name of the photographer
When submitting to the contest, please provide an Instagram handle if you have one
Entries must be submitted by midnight on April 22, 2023, via email to photos@fopos.org, with “2023 Photo Contest” in the subject line
COPYRIGHT: The photographer retains full copyright to their images. However, with participation in the contest each contestant agrees to give Friends of Princeton Open Space permission to use the photographs without compensation on FOPOS’s website, in news releases, promotional print material, social media, for the purpose of publicizing a future contest or the FOPOS organization in general. Friends of Princeton Open Space will always include the photographer's name when using a photograph for any purpose.
Photo Contest Prizes:
First Prize: $100 REI gift card
Second Prize: $50 REI gift card
Third Prize: $25 REI gift card
Twenty photos from the submissions will be selected for FOPOS’s annual photo exhibition in late 2023.
Young photographers, aged 16 and under, are encouraged to enter for a chance to win a gift card to a local business.
For questions about the photo contest, please contact photos@fopos.org.
A special thanks to REI for their continued support of this contest by donating prizes for contest winners.