The photo contest is now closed. Thank you to the CEPF grantees who submitted images. We will be announcing winners on International Day for Biological Diversity, 22 May.

The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) invites current and former grantees to enter our 2019 Digital Photo Contest. 

Before submitting photos, you must read the following rules and legal conditions (“Official Rules”). By submitting an entry, you agree to the Official Rules and warrant that your 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.

RULES

WHO MAY ENTER

The CEPF Digital Photo Contest (the “Contest”) is open to all CEPF grantees, except employees of Conservation International and the immediate families of such employees. THE CONTEST IS VOID IN CUBA, IRAN, SYRIA AND WHERE PROHIBITED.

WHAT TO ENTER

We are looking for striking digital images that show how our support enables people to protect hotspot species and critical ecosystems, and participate in sustainable livelihoods. 

Please do not include photographs of pets or domestic or captive animals; or images of biodiversity being harmed. Images with people should not involve nudity and the individuals depicted must have consented to being photographed. 

Photos should not be digitally altered, and should accurately reflect the subject matter and the scene as it appeared. 

Images that do not meet these requirements may or may not be judged at the judging panel's sole discretion.

HOW TO ENTER

All images must be submitted to CEPF via email at cepf@cepf.net. You must put in the subject line “PC2019” and include the following details:

• ​​Name of copyright owner, including how the image should be credited
• Name of grantee and project funded by CEPF
• Caption for the photo, including the subject of the image
• The location where the photo was taken​
• Each individual may enter no more than 10 images, and they must be your own work and must be submitted with all of the information outlined above.

ELIGIBILITY AND JUDGING

To ensure eligibility for the Contest all entries should submit the highest quality photo possible – ideally 300 dpi (2550 pixels wide by 3300 pixels tall), with a minimum of 150 dpi (1275 pix by 1650). Images should be between 5MB and 10MB in size. The preferred file format is JPEG, but TIFFs can also be submitted. 

The CEPF judges panel will determine winner eligibility in its sole and absolute discretion, with a winner in each of the two categories selected. The CEPF judges panel will select the winner based on technical excellence, composition, overall impact, artistic merit and quality. 

Images will also be judged by fans on CEPF’s Facebook page based on the number of likes received to determine a "People's Choice Award." In the case of a tie, the CEPF judges panel will select the winner. 

All decisions made by the judges are final.

DEADLINES

Entries can be submitted starting on 22 March 2019. Deadline for submitting entries is 11:59 Eastern Daylight Time on 30 April 2019.

Entrants may be asked to supplement their submission (such as a paragraph about their photo, the highest resolution version of their photo, or a watermark-free version of their photo) after submission). 

Public voting for the winners will be held for at least a one-week period, to end no later than 18 May 2019. Winners will be announced 22 May 2019, with winners notified via email by 21 May 2019.​

CEPF reserves the right to adjust any deadline(s) as the result of causes beyond its immediate control.

WINNING PHOTOS

The winning images will be featured on the homepage of CEPF’s website, with a link to a gallery featuring other entrant’s images as well. The winning images may also be featured in a CEPF blog illustrating your CEPF-funded project. All images will be reviewed for possible inclusion in the 2019 CEPF Annual Report or for placement on the CEPF website or in other forms of CEPF or Conservation International communication. 

All entrants featured in the annual report will receive a copy of the report.

YOUR RIGHTS

You will retain all rights to any photograph you submit -- including ownership if applicable. However, by entering images into the Contest, each entrant grants Conservation International Foundation (CI) (as the legal entity hosting the CEPF Secretariat) a perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, non-exclusive license, including all rights to sub-license, to exercise all rights of whatever kind or nature now and hereafter protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States of America and all foreign countries in and to the entered photographs and any accompanying descriptions. 

Each use of the entered photographs by CI will be accompanied by an appropriate credit line with the caption © NAME COPYRIGHT OWNER. 

QUESTIONS

Questions and inquiries about the Official Rules of the Contest can be emailed to mnelson@cepf.net.

Header images

Top left to bottom right: Release of Mauritius kestrel (Falco punctatus). © Jacques de Spéville - volunteer photographer - Mauritian Wildlife Foundation; Butterfly in Ecuador. © José María Loaiza - Fundación ALTROPICO; Hatchling green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas). © Photo Rodolphe Holler; Woman with food grown from her garden, Karekelang Nature Reserve, Indonesia. © IDEP Foundation/ Image by Gede Sugiarta; Red-and-blue lory (eos histro), Talaud, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. © IDEP Foundation/Image by Gede Sugiarta; Volunteers helping to eradicate an invasive cordgrass  on a mudflat in Guangdong, China. © Ye Zhi-ying; River Morača, Montenegro. © CZIP