The City of Toronto invited the residents of Ontario, Canada, to enter its third Snap & Share photo contest, led by Parks, Forestry and Recreation and presented by Nikon Canada.
The Contest Objective is to capture memorable moments and experiences in Toronto parks, urban forests, ravines and recreation facilities (the “Contest Objective”). These may be personal moments from the contestant’s experiences or experiences of others that illustrate how the City’s parks, urban forest, recreation programs, and/or facilities contribute to enhancing the quality-of-life for Toronto residents (“Contest Themes”)….
We’re seeking amazing photos from amateur and professional photographers that highlight Toronto life and activity in the spring and summer seasons. Photos should fit into one of the six contest categories:
- Our Common Grounds
- TO Canada with Love
- Hidden Gems
- City of Sport
- Toronto Blooms
- Toronto Photography Tour
We want photos that tell a story and show the greatness that is Toronto.
Photographs must be taken in the city of Toronto (or just “Toronto”) during the 2017 contest period of May 15 and July 31, 2017.
- The Contest entry period commences at 9:00 a.m. local Toronto time on Monday, May 15, 2017 and concludes at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, July 31, 2017 (the “Contest Period”).
- No purchase or participation fee is necessary.
Prizes
Prizing for this contest is provided by Nikon Canada and Nikon Canada Photographic Ambassador Neil Osborne and Taku Kumabe.
The following video presents Nikon D5600: Product Tour:
“Creativity runs through every angle and detail with the Nikon DX-format D5600. Designed with 24.2 effective megapixels and an ISO range of 100-25600, the D5600 delivers crisp and sharp details of your subjects, even in low lighting conditions.
The D5600 is also equipped with an intuitive touchscreen vari-angle LCD monitor, so you can show off your creative side by experimenting with interesting perspectives. Capable of capturing cinematic-quality videos up to Full HD 1080/60p and time-lapse movies in-camera, the D5600 allows you to explore your imagination like never before.
While you are shooting, the SnapBridge app will automatically transfer your still images to a compatible smart device via Bluetooth® for easy and seamless sharing with everyone.
Spread your creativity with the D5600”
Grand Prize:
- There will be one Grand Prize from all entries across all categories
Nikon D5600 kit with 18-55mm lens
Nikon D5600 with the AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR lens
“The Nikon D5600 offers superior low-light performance, compatibility with Nikon’s wide range of lenses, and easy sharing with SnapBridge, which automatically transfers photos to your smart device in the background using Bluetooth.“ MSRP: $1,049.95 (This prize may be exchanged for a Nikon product of equal value)
Category Prizes:
There will be one first place winner in each of the six categories. Category winner will receive a Nikon COOLPIX A10 with 5x Optical Zoom.
Nikon COOLPIX A10 with 5x Optical Zoom
“The COOLPIX A10 sports a 5x optical zoom lens with electronic vibration reduction, and conveniently uses AA batteries.“ MSRP: $119.95
- In each category there will be three (3) runners-up, each of whom will receive an honourable mention and a certificate from the City of Toronto, Parks Forestry and Recreation.
Special Winners:
There will be two (2) youth photographer winners chosen from entries where the participant has self- identified as a youth under the age of 24 (during the time of the Contest). Winners will receive a Nikon COOLPIX A10 with 5x Optical Zoom.
One People’s Choice winner, two social media winners (one Twitter, one Instagram) will receive a Nikon COOLPIX L840 with 38x optical zoom.
Nikon COOLPIX L840 with 38x optical zoom
- There may also be a number of honourable mentions for the People’s Choice, social media and youth categories.
- The top selection from each photo walk, as selected by the expert photographer who leads the walk, will each receive a one hour session with the expert photographer.
- There will be a total of eleven (11) weekly prizes awarded, consisting of a gift card valued at $25.00 CAD.
- Each contestant is only eligible to win a finalist prize once. Weekly winners are eligible for the top prizes.
Additional Prizing
Winning photos, runners-up and those that receive honourable mention will received a certificate from the City of Toronto and photos be will exhibited at City Hall and other civic centres.
Eligibility
- This contest is open to Residents of Ontario, Canada, except City of Toronto employees, sponsor employees and their immediate families.
- Any contestant under age 18 at the time of entering the Contest must provide the City with written permission, in a form and content acceptable to the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, to participate in the Contest from the contestant’s parent/legal guardian. Permission may be provided by email directly from the parent/ legal guardian to photocontest@toronto.ca.
- All photo submissions must be taken by and be the property of the contestant submitting the photo. Contestants must be the sole owner of all rights to the photos which they submitted.
- Submitted photographs may not have logos or identifiers.
Entry
- Photographers can enter by uploading photos to the contest website at toronto.ca/photocontest and/or by sharing them on Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #SnapShareTO and following @TorontoPFR
- There are two ways to enter the Contest. The main Contest requires contestants to upload their photos to our website. For more chances to win contestants may also participate in the Social Media Contest: Please see the details in the social media section of the Official Rules at https://parkscontest.toronto.ca/rules .
- Contestants may enter the Contest by creating an online profile and submitting their photos through the Contest Website submission application, at www.toronto.ca/photocontest (the “Contest Website”) along with the below items:
- The title of the photo
- The location and date where and when the photo was taken
- The name and email address of the photographer and (optional) address information.
- Category in which the photo(s) are being entered.
- A brief story behind the photo.
- A social media handle (optional)
- A signed City of Toronto photo release form if there are identifiable individuals in the photo. Photographic consent forms are available on the Contest website.
- Contestants who enter the Contest using this method of entry will be eligible to win the grand prize and category prize, and if applicable, the youth, people’s choice, and/or walking tour photos prize.
- Contestants may enter up to ten (10) photos in each category; however one photo cannot be entered into more than one category.
- The same photo(s) may be entered in the main Contest and Social Media Contest, however one photo cannot win twice.
- Contestants may enter using both website upload entry and social media entry to be eligible for all prizes. Contestants who enter using the website upload tool alone, will not be eligible for the social media prizes. Contestants who enter using social media alone, will not be eligible for the website upload prizes.
- Youth: All photographers 24 years of age and under are eligible to identify themselves as youth photographers. Youth photographers are eligible to win all prizes and will have an additional chance to win one of two prizes for youth photographers.
Multiple Ways to Win
- All photographs uploaded to the contest website will be entered for a chance to win a weekly prize, a category prize and the grand prize.
- These photographs could also become the People’s Choice winner; which will be awarded to the photo with the most votes after two rounds of voting.There will be one People’s Choice winner who will be selected based on popular vote. Starting August 1, 2017, people can vote for one photo each day by signing in and creating an account on the contest website at toronto.ca/photocontest. Anyone may create an account and vote for their favourite entry. The voting period will last two weeks.The 30 voted photos with the highest number of votes after two weeks will then be made public for a second round of voting that will last a total of 7 days. The photo with the highest number of votes will be declared the winner.
- Photographers who identify as a youth photographer (24 years and under) and/or enrolled in a photography program could also be eligible for one of two prizes.
- There will be three registered photo walks hosted by each of our expert judges. Registrants in these walks can enter their photos into the Toronto Walking Tour category for a chance to win that category prize, as well as for the top photo as selected by the individual expert judge.
- All photographs uploaded to the contest website can also be shared on social media. Photographers who following @TorontoPFR on Twitter and Instagram can share their photos with the hashtag #SnapShareTO will be entered to win one of two social media prizes (One for entries via Twitter and entries via Instagram).
Judging
- All category entries will be judged by City of Toronto employees with the assistance of the expert photographers/judges.
- All entries on Twitter and Instagram that include the hashtag #SnapShareTO will be judged by Toronto photographer and Instagrammer Taku Kumabe @Smaku.
- Entries by student photographers will be judged by City of Toronto employees and the two winners will be chosen by the expert judges
- All photo walk entries will be judged by the expert judge hosting the walk. The Toronto Photography Tours category is exclusively for participants of Nikon Canada’s three photography walking tours hosted by its expert photographers. Nikon Ambassador Neil Osborne as well as Taku Kumabe will guide photographers around a Toronto park or community recreation centre and provide tips and insights into taking great photography. Entries into this category will be judged by the photography experts based on the tips provided during the tour. Anyone can register. Limited space available.
- One People’s Choice winner will be chosen based on the number of votes received after two rounds of judging.
- All photos will be judged based on their relevance to the contest objective, of capturing memorable moments and experiences in Toronto parks, urban forests, ravines and recreation facilities and (if applicable) category theme. They will then further be judged based on whether the image:
- Tells a story or shows an experience
- Show originality
- Has artistic composition
- Connects parks, forestry and recreation to the Contest Objective and Theme and fits within the Contest Categories
- Adaptability for use in promotional purposes by the City
….If your photo contains identifiable individuals a City of Toronto photo release is required. Please email completed release forms to photocontest@toronto.ca. Your photos will be disqualified if the release form is not received…
…Winning photos may be used in future promotions and communications by the City of Toronto; no compensation provided, but credit will be given to the photographer….
…Copyright and Use of Photographs
- Photos must have been taken by the person submitting them to the Contest. The contestant must be the sole owner of all rights to the photos that the contestant submits.
- Photos entered must not have been previously published.
- Contestants retain copyright and any other intellectual property rights in their submitted photos. However, by entering the contest, all contestants are agreeing to give a royalty-free license to the City to display, distribute, crop and reproduce works of the contestant in any media now existing or subsequently developed including the Internet, for any lawful City purpose including, but not limited to, advertising and promotion. Such license is provided without any fee or other form of compensation, or any requirement for additional approvals. Photo credit will be given where possible.
- Contestants waive all moral rights in any of their winning entries.
- In the event that ownership of, or rights to, any photo submitted to the Contest is contested in any manner, the City retains the sole discretion to disqualify that photo from the Contest and discontinue use of the photo.
- CContestants will hold the City harmless from any infringement of any copyright or other intellectual property in the photos the contestant submits.
Privacy & Publicity
- All photographs submitted are considered to be part of a public record as defined by Section 27 of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. There is no expectation of privacy and photographers acknowledge that they have the consent of all persons appearing in the photographs.
- Any personal information collected in connection with this Contest, is collected under the authority of the City of Toronto Act, S.O. 2006, Chapter 11, Schedule A, s. 136 (c) and is intended to be used for the purposes of conducting and administering the Contest, including but not limited to contacting contestants, validating eligibility, the awarding of prize(s), and to comply with legal requirements.
Consent to Collection and Use of Personal Information
- Each contestant will be required to provide the City with his or her name and email address. Should a contestant’s entry reach the expert round of judging, or be declared a Social Media Contest winner the contestant will be required to provide additional information (address and phone number) for prizing purposes.
- Winners’ names and photographs may be published in promotional materials and may be publicized in any other reasonable manner the City considers appropriate for the purposes of the Contest. By entering the Contest, contestants consent to the posting of their names and/or social media handles on all media used by the Contest Sponsor.
- By entering the Contest and voluntarily providing personal information including, but not limited to, name, Twitter and/or Instagram handle, and email address, (the “Contestant Information”) each contestant grants permission to the Contest Sponsor to collect and use the Contestant’s Information for the purpose of administering the Contest and selecting and announcing the Contest winner(s)…..
For other important info, description of each category, judging details, and the complete Official Rules of the contest, please visit https://parkscontest.toronto.ca/rules and https://parkscontest.toronto.ca/faq (Photo Contest Frequently Asked Questions).
- If you have further questions, please feel free to contact them at photocontest@toronto.ca .
Good Luck! / Bonne chance!
NEWS RELEASE
City of Toronto launches photography contest celebrating our common grounds
The City of Toronto launched its third Snap & Share photo contest today, led by Parks, Forestry and Recreation and presented by Nikon Canada. From May 15 to July 31, 2017 shutterbugs are invited to snap and share photos of our common grounds, the parks, ravines and recreation programs where we come together as a community.
Contest categories include: Our Common Grounds, Hidden Gems, City of Sport, Toronto Blooms, TO Canada with Love, and Toronto Photography Tour. The expert panel of judges for the contest includes Nikon Ambassadors Kristian Bogner; and Neil Ever Osborne and a Toronto-based freelance photographer, Taku Kumabe. Osborne and Kumabe will also provide coaching sessions to the winners of the photography tour category of the contest.
Previous year’s entries have been featured on Toronto Transit Commission shelters, on the City’s social media feeds and website. Winning images will be exhibited at City Hall and other civic centres and featured on the City’s website and in City communication materials.
Judges will review short-listed photos and winners will be notified in September 2017. Prizes include a Nikon D5600 kit with body and an 18-55mm lens, three COOLPIX L840 cameras with 38x optical zoom, eight Nikon COOLPIX A10 cameras with 5x optical zoom and weekly prizes.
Those wishing to participate can get more information and submit their photos via toronto.ca/photocontest.
Toronto is Canada’s largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of about 2.8 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world’s most livable cities. In 2017, Toronto will honour Canada’s 150th birthday with “TO Canada with Love,” a year-long program of celebrations, commemorations and exhibitions. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/TorontoComms and on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/cityofto.
