a person in a canoe fishing on a lake at sunset
FLMS water lily logo
a sandhill crane standing on the shoreline of a lake

FLMS Photo Contest FAQs

When is the deadline to submit photos?

Submission Deadline is Friday, October 31 2023, 5:00 p.m. EST.

What is the purpose of the photo contest?

The contest is a way to engage the public and raise awareness for Florida’s natural aquatic resources, particularly its lakes. Submissions may be used to generate funding to support grants and for future social media posts.

Photo Eligibility

Submitted photos must have been taken in Florida within the last two years.

Photo subject must encompass the natural lakes and other natural aquatic resources of Florida. Subjects highlighting interaction of humanity with the environment, emphasis of science/scientific processes, and environmental sustainability practices are also considered. 

Photos must be appropriate for posting on a public website or print media available to the public. Obscene, provocative or otherwise questionable content will not be considered. FLMS retains sole discretion as to what constitutes inappropriate content. 

Who can enter? 

Anyone living in Florida except FLMS employees, board members, and their immediate family members, is eligible. “Immediate family” includes spouse, parents, siblings, and children.

How much does it cost to enter?

Free entry, limit 5 photos per submission.

How will submissions be judged?

A committee of FLMS members will prescreen submissions for quality control. Submissions that make the pre-screening cut will be judged by active FLMS members.

What do I win?

First prize photo wins $400

2nd and 3rd place photos win recognition and FLMS swag.

Even if your submission does not make the top three, we may feature your work and your name on our various social media accounts.

Where can I see the winning photos and videos?

FLMS will post all social media accounts.

Follow us on

Instagram @FLMS87

Facebook @FloridaLakeMgmtSociety

LinkedIn @FLMS

Twitter @FLMS16

Rules

  1. The contest is open to all people living in Florida except FLMS employees, board members, and their immediate family members. “Immediate family” includes spouse, parents, siblings, and children.
  2. Submissions must include entry forms and release as applicable.
  3. By sending us a submission, participants authorize the unlimited use of their submissions (with credit and without financial compensation) for the promotion of the FLMS mission.
  4. Photo: All formats and sizes are okay. Limit 5 photos per participant.  
  5. Model Release. Photos where people appear need to include a signed, model release form.
  6. Original photographers must submit entries to the contest. Original photographer is the individual who created the photo and must be the sole owner of the copyright of submitted photo. Your submission of photo(s) and accompanying entry form guarantees you are the author and copyright holder of the photo.
  7. Image Modification: Minor digital enhancement is permitted. Images with significant modification and an unnatural appearance are not permitted. Below details provide specification. 

Permitted Modifications:

  • Images may be cropped and rotated as necessary as long as the rectangular format is maintained.
  • Images may be resized as long as the aspect ratio is maintained so prints are 8.5 x 11 inches.
  • Red-eye removal and spot editing.
  • One-step enhancement (such as “AutoFix”, “QuickFix”, “Auto Levels”, etc.)
  • Use of filters to sharpen, soften, blur, despeckle, or remove noise.
  • Use of corrective functions to improve the natural appearance of the image, such as levels, contrast, brightness, curves, intensity, tone, hue, saturation, lightness, value, color balance, and tint. Corrective functions must be used on the entire image, not individual portions of image. 

Not Permitted:

• No borders or frames may be added to images.

• No watermarks, signatures, or copyright notices may be added to images.

• Adding or replacing elements in an image is not permitted.

• Artistic filters are not permitted.

Submission Deadline is Friday, October 31, 2023, 5:00 p.m. EST.

Selected Entries

Judges select a first, second, and third place photo. Judges select nine honorable mention photos.

Selections will be announced online in September 2023 following the FLMS 33rd Annual Technical Symposium. First place receives $600 and second and third place winners will each receive a gift from FLMS by mail. Selected photos will also be posted to FLMS’ Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts as well as the FLMS website.

ADDITIONAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

FLMS is not responsible for computer system, hardware, software, or program malfunctions or other errors, failures, or delayed computer transactions or network connections of human or technical origin. Furthermore, we are not responsible for: (i) lost, misdirected, misplaced, illegible, unintelligible, incomplete, or late entries or (ii) any act, failure to act, or delay regarding the transmitting or processing of entries. FLMS reserves the right, in their sole discretion, to cancel or suspend all or any portion of this contest without notice if factors beyond their control, including technical difficulties, disrupt or corrupt the fair or secure administration or operation of the contest. Void where prohibited. FLMS is entitled to interpret these rules as needed. All decisions are final. FLMS reserves the right to disqualify any entrant where there is reason to believe work is not original or does not meet the contest rules. If a winner is disqualified or determined to be ineligible, an alternate winner will be selected using the same judging criteria. Alternate winners are subject to all requirements set forth in these Official Rules. By participating in the contest, you agree to release and hold harmless FLMS and its employees, members, affiliates, exhibitors, advertising and promotional agencies from any and all damages, injuries, claims, causes of actions, or losses of any kind resulting from your participation in this contest, including infringement of intellectual property rights. FLMS and its employees, members, affiliates, exhibitors, and advertising and promotional agencies assume no responsibility or liability for any damages, injuries, claims, causes of actions, or losses of any kind arising in whole or in part from this contest.

CONTEST ENTRY FORM