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Amateur and professional photographers are invited to submit images that capture the essence of the Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area (KMTA) or speak to KMTA’s role in preserving, promoting and protecting the national heritage area.

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SUBMISSIONS
DUE DEC. 4TH, 2023

All photographs must be taken within the KMTA National Heritage Area which includes the communities of Indian, Bird, Girdwood, Portage, Whittier, Hope/Sunrise, Moose Pass, Seward and Cooper Landing, along with the wilderness in between them.

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CONTEST CATEGORIES

This year we're shaking things up with all new contest categories to encourage refreshed inspiration and creativity. Scroll down the page to learn more about each one.

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1. ON THE MOVE

As a historic transportation corridor, we understand the importance of getting where you need to go. We invite you to capture life in motion and the many different ways of getting from point A to point B. Whether it's by foot, boat, plane, bike, sled, or something entirely remarkable, we encourage you to use your camera lens to tell the captivating stories of mobility, connectivity, and the dynamic means that people use to navigate the many routes within our landscape.

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timeschangin

2. THE TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGIN'

In a world marked by constant flux and evolution, we invite you to pick up your camera and explore the profound concept of transformation. Transformation is all around us, shaping our communities, influencing our lives, decisions, and futures, and molding our environments. We find it in both subtle moments and profound shifts that redefine our world. In this category, we invite you to explore the multifaceted nature of change and document it in a way that is challenging, uplifting, or thought-provoking to the viewer. It's up to you to decide what story you want to tell.

timeschangin
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3. NIGHT OWL

When the world sleeps, night owls come alive. This category invites photographers to capture the beauty and intrigue that emerges after the sun sets. Night's canvas comes with its own palette of colors, textures, emotions, and energy. Step into that space, and shed light on the magical world that exists in the dark.

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4. GENERATIONS

The passing down of wisdom and tradition from one generation to the next is a profound part of the human experience. This category invites photographers to explore the interplay between age groups, timeless connections between the young and old, and the enduring bonds that bridge past and present.

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5. LANDSCAPES AND WATERSCAPES

From flora to fauna, mountains to rivers, and glaciers to forests, the natural beauty of our National Heritage Area is unparalleled. In this category, we invite you to celebrate the breathtaking lands and waters of the KMTA. Your photographs have the power to immerse viewers in natural wonders that they may never experience in person, to inspire stewardship of the delicately balanced yet powerful ecosystems that exist within our region, and to evoke a sense of pride of the richness of Alaska's environment.

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HOW TO ENTER & SUBMIT PHOTOGRAPHS

1. Complete our online entry form for your photograph(s). Photographers can submit up to EIGHT (8) photos total in the categories of their choosing. Any photo taken from Jan 2023-Dec 2023 in the KMTA region is eligible.

2. Submit model releases for all recognizable people in each image.

DETAILS ON FREE ENTRY TO CONTEST

Although there is no required fee to enter this photo contest, if you’re able to make a donation to help offset the costs of this event, we would be greatly appreciative. KMTA is a small non-profit 501c3 organization charged with stewarding Alaska’s very large and only National Heritage Area. This photo contest is one of the ways we engage with our community members while raising awareness of all that is worth protecting in this unparalleled landscape. It brings us a lot of joy to provide amateur and professional photographers alike with a platform to showcase their talent, creativity, and perspective. We’ve received a lot of positive feedback from past participants about the opportunity to showcase winning photos in-person at different contest display events. However, we have a modest budget, and it’s an expensive endeavor to make that possible, from the cost of printing, to travel, to refreshments, etc.
 
If it’s within your means to help support this contest so that we can continue offering you these opportunities, we would be deeply grateful. Thank you for considering and for your generosity. There is a space in the submission form to make a donation if you are able. 

HOW THEY ARE JUDGED

Entries will be judged on the basis of creativity, photographic quality, and effectiveness in conveying the beauty and/or unique character of the KMTA in one of the contest categories. Minor adjustments, including spotting, dodging and burning, contrast and slight color adjustment or the digital equivalents, are acceptable. If judges believe that a photograph has been significantly altered, they reserve the right to disqualify it.

PHOTO RIGHTS

Each photographer will retain all rights to any photograph submitted – including ownership if applicable – other than those rights licensed in the next sentence. By entering the contest, each photographer hereby grants to KMTA(i) a nonexclusive, worldwide, irrevocable, royalty-free license to reproduce, edit, distribute, publicly display the photographs submitted to the KMTA, and (ii) the right to use the photographer’s name, city and state of residence in promotions and other publications.

PRIZE INFORMATION

Winners will be notified and announced by the end of December 2023.

All winning photos will be printed professionally on metal and displayed at a handful of events in various locations throughout the KMTA region and Anchorage. The dates and locations of these photo displays is still being determined as we finalize conversations with partners, but we will update this page soon once all of the details are confirmed.

We will print the winning 1st-3rd place photos for each category along with the winning overall best in show photo. We will gift these prints to contest winners, who will be given the opportunity to sell them at our various photo displays after the contest, or keep them if they like.  We will also share the winning photographers’ social media accounts and portfolio information (if available) to promote their work.

Dimensions of winning prints will be determined based on the sizing that retains the highest photo quality. In some cases, a 1st place photo may be printed in a smaller size than a 2nd or 3rd place photo, though we will strive to adhere to the following:

  • Best in Show and 1st Place Photos- large size
  • 2nd Place Photos- medium size comparatively
  • 3rd Place Photos- small size comparatively

IMAGE GUIDELINES

  • Photographs should be taken at the highest resolution possible.
  • Images must be submitted digitally, labeled with the title, location, category, and artist, and the digital image size must be set at a minimum of 300 dpi and a uniform height/width of 8” by 10” or 8″ by 12″
  • Photographs must be in a .jpeg format.
  • Winners may be asked to provide photos in .raw format if available in larger dimensions such as 16” by 20” or 16” by 24”

Employees, KMTA Board of Directors or members of their immediate
families are not eligible to submit entries.

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