The 2019 Washington Post Open Call for Photographers

Terms & Conditions

• SPONSOR
  The sponsor is The Washington Post, 1301 K St NW, Washington, DC 20071, USA ("Sponsor").
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• THEME
  Visual stories depicting daily life including, but not limited to, climate change, environment, gun control, the human condition, politics, and culture - from anywhere in the world. We are particularly interested in the visual stories you are photographing where you live.
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• TERM
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• The '2019 The Washington Post Open Call' is a resource provided by Visura.co, where The Washington Post hosts, a unique merit-based competition exclusively for Visura’s Annual Members with an active Standard, PLUS, PRIME or GUILD annual membership (the “Contest”). The Washington Post ("TWP”), will appoint expert judges to select a winner based on the evaluation of the entries against objective judging criteria. The judges are not obligated to choose a winner.
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  The Contest begins October 28, 2019, at 8:00:00 a.m. US Eastern Daylight Time (“EDT”) and ends on November 28, 2019, at 11:59:00 p.m. EDT. Information on how to enter and prizes form part of these official rules ("Official Rules"). By submitting an entry, each entrant agrees to the Official Rules and warrants that his or her entry complies with all requirements set out in the Official Rules. This is a merit-based contest and chance plays no part in the determination of winners.  Odds of winning depend on the number of entries received and the skill of entrant.
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• WHO MAY ENTER
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• The Contest is open only to individual photographers who are Visura Annual Members with a Standard, PLUS, PRIME or GUILD annual membership, who have reached the age of majority in their jurisdiction of residence at the time of entry, and who do NOT reside wherein prohibited by the US Federal Government (Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, or Syria). Employees of FotoVisura Inc, The Washington Post, and their subsidiaries and affiliates, and their immediate family members (spouse, parent, child, sibling and their respective spouses, regardless of where they live) or persons living in the same households of such employees, whether or not related are not eligible. CONTEST IS VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.
  
  HOW TO ENTER
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• Each entry consists of a project entry form, a series of photographs, a project summary, and a first-person narrative related to the work. The entry is free of cost to all Visura members with an active Standard, PLUS, PRIME or GUILD annual membership. Non-members are unable to submit. To enter, 1) sign into entrant’s Visura account, 2) visit the Open Calls page, 3) select 2019 The Washington Post Open Call, 4) select the Submit My Project button, 5) select the appropriate project and 6) confirm entrant’s submission.  Each submission will include access to the entrant’s Visura profile with the required information, including the entrant’s name, current location, nationality, bio, CV, contact information, email address, and captions for the entry.
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  Please know that any changes made to an entrant’s entry after submitting will be reflected in the entrant’s submission for judges to see; entries may be disqualified if changes are made after the deadline.
  
  ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: 
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• Each entry must meet with the following requirements:
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• * Two entries per person. 
• * Each entry will include a minimum of 15 and up to a maximum of 30 photographs.
• * Each entry must include a personal narrative between 100-400 words, written by the entrant that describes the background and origin of the project.
• * All entries must be submitted and received by November 28, 2019, at 11:59:00 p.m. EDT.* 
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• Photographs must be in digital format. The photographs need not be taken with a digital camera; scans of negatives, transparencies, or photographic prints are acceptable. All digital files must be under 20 megabytes, must be in JPEG or JPG format, and must be at least 1600 pixels wide (if a horizontal image) or 1600 pixels tall (if a vertical image).
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• *  At least 50% of photographs must have been taken within 18 months of entry and may not have been published within the last year.
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• *  Photographs must not be manipulated. Digitally enhanced or altered photographs (beyond the basics needed to achieve realistic color balance and sharpness) are unacceptable. Sponsor values authenticity. Deceptive images will be disqualified. The sponsor will ask the winner for the RAW files, if available, to be submitted for review.
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• *  Only minor burning, dodging and/or color correction is acceptable, as is cropping; any other changes to the original photographs are unacceptable and will render the photographs ineligible for a prize.
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• *  Photographs that include sculptures, statues, paintings, and other works of art will be accepted as long as they do not constitute copyright infringement or fraud; provided entrants must be prepared to provide a release form as described below in "Release.
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• "  When photographing the work of others, it must be as an object in its environment and not a full-frame close-up of another person's art.
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• *  Each photograph, in its entirety, must be original material taken by the Contest entrant. By entering the Contest, entrant represents, acknowledges, and warrants that the submitted photographs and project is an original work created solely by the entrant, that the photographs do not infringe on the copyrights, trademarks, moral rights, rights of privacy/publicity or intellectual property rights of any person or entity, and that no other party has any right, title, claim, or interest in the photograph.*  Each photograph must not, in the sole and unfettered discretion of Sponsor, contain objectionable or inappropriate content.
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• *  Each series of photographs must be accompanied by individual captions that are complete and accurate, sufficient to convey the circumstances in which each photograph was taken, and include the date taken and place. Disguising or misrepresenting the origin of the content is cause for disqualification.
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• *  Watermarks are unacceptable. Unless the Sponsor receives non-watermarked versions of the photographs within ten (10) days following its request, the entry will be disqualified.
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• Proof of submission is not proof of receipt.
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  Sponsor reserves the right to examine the original photographs in order to confirm compliance with these rules.
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• JUDGING
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• The entries will be judged in accordance with the following Judging Criteria. Judging consists of three (3) rounds of evaluation. In round one, Visura’s Editorial Team (“Judges”) will select at least fifteen (#15) entries from among all eligible entries based on the following criteria ("Judging Criteria"): (1) originality of the concept and creativity of execution (30%); (2) photographic quality (40%); and (3) quality of the text narrative (30%). A previous publication will be a factor in the Judges’ decision and may have a negative effect on the final score (up to 100%) depending on the outlet and format in which the project has already appeared. Entries selected in round one will proceed to round two. In round two, the "TWP" editors will use the Judging Criteria to select the top five (#5) entries from among the fifteen (#15) entries selected from round one. In round three, the Judges will use the Judging Criteria to select at least one (#1) winner(s) from among the top five (#5) entries selected from round two. In the event of a tie, the tied entries will be re-submitted to the Judges for a re-judging between the tied entries alone. In the event that a tie remains after re-judging, the entry with the highest score in the creativity criteria will be declared the winner. The winner will be chosen on or around December 20, 2019, and notified by email. 
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• Decisions of the Judges are final and binding. If the Judges do not come to an agreed winner, "TWP" is not obligated to select a winner, in which case, it will be announced to the public that for this “Open Call”, no winner was selected.
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• RELEASES
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• If the photograph contains any material or elements that are not owned by the entrant and/or which are subject to the rights of third parties, and/or if any persons appear in the photograph, the entrant is responsible for obtaining, prior to submission of the photograph, any and all releases and consents necessary to permit the exhibition and use of the photograph in the manner set forth in these Official Rules without additional compensation. If any person appearing in any photograph is under the age of majority in their state/province/territory of residence the signature of a parent or legal guardian is required on each release.
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• Upon Sponsor’s and/or "TWP"’s request, each entrant must be prepared to provide (within seven (7) calendar days of receipt of Sponsor’s and/or " TWP "’s request) a signed release from all persons who appear in the photograph submitted, authorizing Sponsor, " TWP ", and their licensees (collectively, "Authorized Parties") to reproduce, distribute, display, and create derivative works of the entry in connection with the Contest and promotion of the Contest, in any media now or hereafter known, as provided in the license section herein. Failure to provide such releases upon request may result in disqualification at any time during the Contest and selection of an alternate winner.
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• Similarly, upon Sponsor’s and/or " TWP "’s request, each entrant must be prepared to provide (within seven (7) calendar days of receipt of Sponsor’s and/or " TWP "’s request) a signed written license from the copyright owner of any sculpture, artwork, or other copyrighted material that appears in the photograph entry, authorizing any Authorized Party to reproduce, distribute, display, and create derivative works of the entry in connection with the Contest and promotion of the Contest, in any media now or hereafter known. Failure to provide such releases upon request may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner.
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• Finally, upon Sponsor’s and/or " TWP "’s request, each entrant must be prepared to provide (within seven (7) calendar days of receipt of Sponsor’s and/or " TWP "’s request) a signed written license from the owner of any private property included in the photograph entry, authorizing any Authorized Party to reproduce, distribute, display, and create derivative works of the entry in connection with the Contest and promotion of the Contest, in any media now or hereafter known. Failure to provide such releases upon request may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner.
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• For the purposes of these Official Rules, the entrant will be deemed to be in receipt of Sponsor’s and/or " TWP "’s request or notification, (a) in the event that Sponsor and/or " TWP " sends the request by postal mail, five business days after the request was sent by Sponsor and/or " TWP ", or (b) in the event that Sponsor and/or" TWP " send the request by email, on the day that the email was sent by Sponsor and/or " TWP ".
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• PRIZES
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• At least one winner will be selected. The winner will receive an invitation from "TWP" to feature this project or a new project on The Washington Post’s In Sight photoblog.  The potential winner shall be required to:
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  1. 1.  Sign and return within ten (10) days following an attempted notification, an Affidavit of Eligibility and Liability Release, Warranty of Ownership and License, and Publicity Release in which the entrant warrants that he or she is the owner of all photographs (and all the intellectual property rights in the photographs submitted) and writing in the entry and grants to Authorized Parties the irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive license to reproduce, distribute, display, and create derivative works of the entry (along with a name credit) in connection with the Contest and promotion of the Contest, in any media now or hereafter known,  without additional compensation.
     
     
  2. 2. Supply "TWP" with digital photograph files that are at least 2000 pixels wide (if a horizontal image) or 2000 pixels tall (if a vertical image) for each photograph that "TWP" selects for publication (minimum of 8, up to a maximum of 20 images).
     
     
  3. 3. Sign "TWP"’s service agreement, if applicable.  
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• Failure to execute and deliver any required documents to Authorized Parties by the specified deadline may result in disqualification from the Contest and selection of an alternate potential winner.
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• NONCOMPLIANCE OR RETURN OF PRIZE NOTIFICATION AS UNDELIVERABLE, WHETHER BY REGULAR MAIL OR BY EMAIL, MAY RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION AND SELECTION OF AN ALTERNATE POTENTIAL WINNER.If the winner’s writing is published on "The Washington Post", then, the winner will be considered a “guest contributor” for purposes of this post and will be required to have a "TWP" profile.  No prize transfer, assignment, or substitution by winner permitted. If a prize (or part of a prize) is unavailable, Sponsor and/or "TWP", in their discretion, reserve the right to substitute the original prize (or that part of the prize) with an alternative prize to the equal specification, unless to do so would be prohibited by law.
  
  LICENSE
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• By entering the Contest, all entrants selected agree to grant an irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive license to (1) TWP to feature the winning work on "The Washington Post" InSight photo blog in any media now or hereafter known for a one-time payment of $350; (2) to Visura to feature the winning work on its website, and (3) to the Authorized Parties to reproduce, distribute, and display the entries (along with a name credit) in connection with the Contest and promotion of the Contest, in any media now or hereafter known, for no additional compensation (collectively, the “License”). Entrants consent to the Washington Post & FotoVisura Inc doing or omitting to do any act that would otherwise infringe the entrant’s “moral rights” in their entries. Display or publication of any entry on an Authorized Party’s website does not indicate the entrant will be selected as a winner. Except as otherwise provided herein, Authorized Parties will not be required to pay any additional consideration or seek any additional approval in connection with such use as authorized by the License. Additionally, by entering, each entrant grants to Authorized Parties the unrestricted right to use all statements made in connection with the Contest, and pictures or likenesses of Contest entrants, or choose not to do so, at their sole discretion, except where prohibited by law. "TWP" reserves the right to edit any writing chosen to be published in "The Washington Post".