Is there a limit to the number of photos I enter?
No. Entry fees are per photograph and you may enter as many as you like.
What are your categories?
Subject matter is open, and we have no categories. You must indicate for each photo entered whether it is a black-and-white photo or color; however, the judges and publisher may move it from one color to the other for judging and, if chosen, for publication in the hardcover book.
Do you accept photos shot with a digital camera, or digitally manipulated?
Yes. We accept both digital and traditional film photography. Digitally manipulated photos are also acceptable.
What about copyright?
Rights remain with photographer. By entering this contest, you understand that we have one-time rights for publication of all finalist photos in the hardcover book "Best of College & High School Photography" (for the College & High School Contest) or "Best of Photography" (for the Spring Contest). First through Fourth Place winners will also be published one time in "Photographer’s Forum" magazine.
Who are the judges?
To determine the Winners and Honorable Mentions, we employ a panel of three judges, changing judges with each contest. Our judges are always professional photographers who are also college-level photography instructors.
Do my photos need to have been shot with a sponsor's equipment?
No, you may use any camera/equipment for any of our contests.
Who can enter the SPRING Contest?
The Spring Contest is open to all amateur photographers, both student and non-student, in the United States, Canada and worldwide. There is no age limit. (If you make your living as a professional photographer, you may not enter.)
Who can enter the COLLEGE & HIGH SCHOOL Contest?
The College & High School Contest is open to all high school, college, and university students in the United States, Canada, and around the world. Both full-time and part-time students may enter. You are also eligible if you have graduated within the past six months.
(If you are an amateur photographer but not a student, you may enter our Spring contest. Please watch for it beginning in January of each year. )
I entered the 33rd College & High School Photography Contest. When will the finalists, winners and honorable mentions be notified, and how?
Finalists were notified by letter prior to January 25, 2013, via regular US Postal Service mail. We do not mail to every contestant, only to those who were selected as a finalist. The notification letters to the winners and honorable mentions was mailed in mid-February, 2013. All finalists, winners and honorable mentions can be viewed online in our Winners Gallery, after the winners have had time to receive their notification letters (on or before February 22 each year.)
Will I or my school automatically be sent a copy of the book if my picture is in it?
No. Each instructor or school that would like to have the book must also place an order. About a month after notifying the finalists, we send a notification letter and order form directly to their instructors. Therefore, it is important that you fill in your instructor’s name and the complete name and address of your school on your entry form.
I want to enter online. What are the image specifications?
• Image Size: Image must have a long dimension of at least 1000 pixels and less than 3000 pixels
• Save file as (JPG) with maximum quality.
• Color Space: Adobe1998, sRGB or untagged color space.
• File Size: The file should be no more than 4 Mb
I paid for my entries online just now but I do not see the page to upload my photos.
There may be a delay with your entry fees reaching our account. Until the funds are in our account, the system will not accept your upload. Most of the time, this is instant. However, sometimes there is a short delay between your payment into the system, for which you receive a receipt from PayPal, and the funds arriving in our account. Please wait 24 hours and try to upload again.
This is especially common on deadline days. To avoid this, please try and enter several days prior to a deadline. If this is a deadline day and you are running into this problem, please let us know by emailing us at admin@serbin.com.
I paid for my entries and was taken to a page that has buttons that say SUBMIT IMAGE and codes next to them. Does that mean some photos are already in those slots?
Ignore the codes; they are simply our internal codes that will be assigned to your photos once they are uploaded. To begin the upload process, click on a SUBMIT IMAGE button and you will be taken to the page where you will upload your photo(s).
Do I have to go through the registration process again if I have already paid and want to upload additional photos?
No. If you have already paid and registered FOR THIS CONTEST you may bypass the registration process. Look for the line that says “ [ALREADY REGISTERED? Click here.] ” To get to the upload area, you must use your user name and password, so be sure to write them down when you first register. Please note: Each of our contests is maintained in a separate database. If you have entered previous contests of ours, you WILL need to register again from scratch the first time you want to get into the current contest.
I am getting an error message when I try to upload my photos. What can I do?
First be sure that your files conform to the Image Specifications. If they are too large (4 Mb file or larger, or one side with 3000 pixels or more) or too small (less than 1000 pixels on any one side), the system will not be able to take them and you will see a "Run-Time Error" message. However, this is easily solved: just re-size them and try again.
If you do not know how to use your image software to re-size your photos, consult your program's "help" function, or the manual that came with your software. You can also google the question "How do I resize my photos in [name of your software, such as iPhoto]?" You do not have to register again; please simply log in as an “already registered” contestant.
I uploaded my photos but did not receive an email confirmation. How can I be sure you received them successfully?
You can simply log back in to the contest and see your photos. If you can see them, then we have them.
I will be sending my prints and slides by mail. How large do they have to be?
For details about how to submit prints or slides, please download the manual entry form. Just go to DOWNLOAD MANUAL ENTRY FORM on the pulldown menu under PHOTO CONTEST on our home page at www.pfmagazine.com.
Will I get my photographs back?
If you are entering prints or slides, we will return them only if you include a STAMPED, self-addressed envelope large enough to contain them and with sufficient postage on it. Keep in mind that U.S. postal rates may change between the time you submit your photos and the time we will send them back, so you may wish to consider putting on extra postage. All photos not returned after six months of the closing of the contest will be destroyed.
Do you accept photos from photographers in foreign countries?
Yes. You may enter online or mail in prints or slides. If sending prints or slides that you would like to have returned, please include a self-addressed envelope and an international postal coupon for return postage. Funds for payment of entry fees must be in U.S. dollars. If you would like to have us charge the return postage and are paying your entry fees with a credit card, please include a note on the entry form that asks us to add the cost of return postage to the amount we are charging for the entry fees.
How can I pay for entering my photos if I am a foreign entrant and unable to obtain U.S. funds?
We accept credit card payments, checks in U.S. dollars, and international money orders in U.S. dollars. If you are unable to use any of those methods and are entering online, you may use the PayPal system that handles our online payments. If mailing prints or slides, please include credit card information on your entry form. We do not accept Western Union, debit cards, or wire transfers.
