2012 Student Photo Contest Official Rules

SPONSOR

Sponsor is National Geographic Society, 1145 17th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036-4688 (“Sponsor” or “NGS”).

TERM

The 2012 National Geographic Student Expeditions Photo Contest (“Contest”) begins March 1, 2012 at 12:01am US Eastern Standard Time (EST) and ends March 31, 2012 at 11:59pm US Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). All entries must be received by March 31, 2012 at 11:59pm 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 skill-based contest and chance plays no part in the determination of winners.

WHO MAY ENTER

Eligibility: Contest is open only to legal residents of the United States who are in 9th through 12th grades at the time of entry, and who meet the Admissions Criteria for a National Geographic Student Expedition as described below in “Judging Criteria and Conditions.” You must have permission from a parent or legal guardian to enter the Contest. If selected as a Finalist, you will be required to provide your parent or legal guardian’s written consent to your participation, and if you fail to provide such written consent within three business days of the request then you may be disqualified. Employees of National Geographic Society and its affiliates and subsidiaries, and family members or people living in the same household with such individuals, are not eligible to participate.

HOW TO ENTER

All entries must be submitted in digital format through our online entry form. To enter, please go to our online entry form and follow the step-by-step directions on that page. Submit an original photograph, taken by you that captures the spirit of exploration and discovery – whether right in your backyard or farther afield (“Photograph”). Include a title for the Photograph, a written description (100 words or less) of the “moment” captured and how it reflects what exploration means to you (“Description”), the location where the Photograph was taken, and the names of any persons in the Photograph (if known).
Your entry must comply with the following requirements (the “Entry Requirements”):

• All photograph submissions must be 5 megabytes or smaller, must be in JPEG or JPG format, and must be at least 1,600 pixels wide (if a horizontal image) or 1,600 pixels tall (if a vertical image).
• Minor burning, dodging and/or color correction is acceptable. Hand tinting is acceptable, as is cropping. Fish-eye lenses are acceptable. High dynamic range images (HDR) and stitched panoramas are acceptable only if the combined parts are all made around the same time. Any changes to the original Photograph not itemized here are unacceptable and will render the Photograph ineligible for a prize.
• 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. 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.
• The Photograph and the Description, each in its entirety, must be a single work of original material taken by the contest entrant. By entering the Contest, entrant represents, acknowledges and warrants that the submitted Photograph and Description are original works created solely by the entrant and that no other party has any right, title, claim or interest in the Photograph or the Description.
• Though you retain copyright in each image submitted, the digital image file(s) submitted will not be returned or acknowledged.
• Obscene, provocative, or otherwise objectionable content will not be considered, and such determination is solely at the discretion of Sponsor.
• Each entrant may submit up to five Photographs and accompanying Description.

The entries will be judged in accordance with the Judging Criteria, as defined below.

All entries must be submitted and received by March 31, 2012 at 11:59 pm EDT. Proof of submission is not proof of receipt.

RELEASE

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, the entrant is responsible for obtaining 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. Where feasible, entrants should obtain a personal release from all persons who appear in the Photograph submitted, authorizing use of the Photograph in Sponsor’s promotional materials to feature the winning entry, without compensation, permission or notification, unless prohibited by law. Failure to provide such releases upon request may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner.

LICENSE

Each entrant retains the copyright to his/her Photograph(s) and Description(s), but explicitly grants Sponsor, its licensees, affiliates and their designees (collectively, the “Authorized Parties”) an irrevocable, nonexclusive license for the duration of copyright to use each Photograph and Description for advertising, marketing, and promotional purposes, in any and all media now known or hereafter created, including but not limited to publication in catalogs, brochures, blogs, and websites, at Authorized Parties’ discretion, without additional consideration, notification, permission to entrant or any third party.

CONTEST PRIZE

THE WINNER IS REQUIRED TO SIGN THE FOLLOWING: (1) AN AFFIDAVIT OF ELIGIBILITY AND LIABILITY RELEASE; (2) WARRANTY OF OWNERSHIP AND LICENSE; AND (3) PUBLICITY RELEASE, UNLESS PROHIBITED BY LAW, WITHIN 15 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF NOTICE IN ORDER FOR SPONSOR TO AWARD THE PRIZE. NONCOMPLIANCE OR RETURN OF PRIZE NOTIFICATION AS UNDELIVERABLE MAY RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION AND SELECTION OF AN ALTERNATE WINNER.

• One (1) Grand Prize Winner, one (1) Second Place Winner, and one (1) Third Place Winner will be selected. The Grand Prize is a National Geographic Student Expedition London Photography Workshop, including roundtrip coach air transportation between a major airport near the winner’s home and London, England; and accommodations, meals and activities as described in the catalog description of the ‘London Photography Workshop’, at http://ngstudentexpeditions.com/field-workshops/london/. The Grand Prize winner must meet the Admissions Criteria described below in “Judging Criteria and Conditions.”
• Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”) of Grand Prize is US$6,500. Winner must coordinate with Sponsor to select a mutually agreed upon departure date in 2012. If winner is unable to travel on the dates for this trip, the prize will be forfeited and Sponsor will select an alternate winner. Travel documents, taxes, personal expenses, and all other items not stated herein are the sole responsibility of the winner. No prize transfer or assignment by winner permitted. No cash equivalent will be provided. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute prize in the event of unavailability, in which case an alternative 2012 National Geographic Student Expedition will be awarded.
  Retail value of Grand Prize may vary depending on fare fluctuations and other variables. Any difference between actual retail value of prize and the ARV will not be awarded.
• Second Place Prize is a $250 gift certificate to the National Geographic online store (www.shopng.com). The ARV of the Second Place Prize is $250.Third Place Prize is a $100 gift certificate to the National Geographic online store (www.shopng.com). The ARV of the Third Place Prize is $100.
• Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received and skill of the entrant.

JUDGING CRITERIA AND CONDITIONS

The contest consists of two (2) rounds of evaluation. The judges will use the same Judging Criteria in each round. The top candidates in Round One will proceed to Round Two.
In Round One, a team of National Geographic staff with expertise in both photography and in the field of travel and adventure will evaluate the entries based on the following criteria, and will select the top entries by applying those criteria (“Judging Criteria”):

1. Photographic Quality (50%)
2. Extent to which the Photograph captures the essence of exploration and discovery (25%)
3. The quality of the Description and its relationship to the Photograph (25%)

Up to 30 top entries in Round One will be selected as Finalists and will proceed to Round Two. All Finalists will be contacted by Email and asked to submit a release form signed by a parent or legal guardian agreeing to the terms described herein. If Sponsor does not receive the signed parental release within three business days of Sponsor’s email request, the finalist may be disqualified, and may not proceed to Round Two.

In Round Two, a panel of National Geographic photographers, photo editors and travel professionals (“Judges”) will evaluate the top entries from Round One and select a potential Grand Prize winner based on the Judging Criteria. The potential Grand Prize winner must then complete the NG Student Expeditions application process (https://app.ngstudentexpeditions.com/) and demonstrate that s/he meets the Admissions Criteria for participation in an NG Student Expedition, as determined by Sponsor through its NG Student Expeditions application process (https://app.ngstudentexpeditions.com/): participants must maintain high standards of personal behavior. Because they are encouraged, within the context of our trips, to take leadership roles and to make some of their own discoveries, students whose parents require them to be under constant surveillance or who are likely to act irresponsibly; use drugs, alcohol, or tobacco; or behave in a disruptive manner are not eligible. Collectively, these standards are referred to herein as “Admissions Criteria.”

If Sponsor determines based on the application that the entrant meets the Admissions Criteria for an NG Student Expedition, the entrant will be declared the Grand Prize winner. If Sponsor determines that the entrant does not meet the Admissions Criteria, then the entrant will be disqualified and Sponsor will select an alternate Grand Prize winner. Once the Grand Prize winner is confirmed, the Judges will select a Second and Third Place winner based on the Judging Criteria. Decisions of the Judges are final.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

By participating, participants agree to release, discharge and hold harmless National Geographic Society and its partners, affiliates, subsidiaries, tour operators, agents and their employees, officers, directors, and representatives from any claims, losses, and damages arising out of their participation in this Contest or any Contest-related activities and the acceptance and use, misuse, or possession of any prize awarded hereunder.
National Geographic Society assumes no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, or delay in operation or transmission; communications line failure; theft or destruction of or unauthorized access to Contest entries or entry forms; or alteration of entries or entry forms. NGS is not responsible for any problems with or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer online systems, servers or providers, computer equipment, software, failure of any e-mail entry to be received on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any Web site, human errors of any kind, or any combination thereof, including any injury or damage to entrants’ or any other persons’ computers related to or resulting from participation, uploading or downloading of any materials related to in this Contest.

CONDITIONS

THIS CONTEST IS VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Entrants agree that this Contest shall be subject to and governed by the laws of the District of Columbia and the forum for any dispute shall be in the District of Columbia, United States of America. To the extent permitted by law, the right to litigate, to seek injunctive relief or to make any other recourse to judicial or any other procedure in case of disputes or claims resulting from or on connection with this Contest are hereby excluded and any entrant expressly waives any and all such rights. Certain restrictions may apply. Entries are void if the Sponsor determines the photograph to not be an original, or if the entries are illegible, incomplete, damaged, irregular, altered, counterfeit, produced in error, obtained through fraud or theft or do not meet the eligibility criteria outlined above.

Participants also agree (a) to be bound by these Official Rules; and (b) that the decisions of the Judges are final on all matters relating to the Contest. All federal, state and local taxes, fees and surcharges on prizes are the sole responsibility of the prize winner. In the event that the selected winner(s) of any prize are/is ineligible or refuses the prize, the prize will be forfeited and Sponsor, in its sole discretion, may choose whether to award the prize to another winner.

The trip may not be combined with any other offer. Regulations and conditions may apply. Grand Prize winner will be responsible for all necessary immunizations and other preventative measures, travel authorizations and for any travel insurance. By accepting the Grand Prize, Grand Prize winner represents that s/he understands and accepts the Responsibility statement, and the applicable Terms and Conditions, and the standards of conduct for a National Geographic Student Expedition (described under Expectations at: http://ngstudentexpeditions.com/about/) associated with the Grand Prize.

RIGHT TO CANCEL OR SUSPEND CONTEST

If for any reason the Contest is not capable of running as planned, due to infection by computer virus, bugs, worms, trojan horses, denial of service attacks, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes beyond the control of NGS that corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this Contest, NGS reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual(s) who tamper with the entry process, and/or to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend the Contest. If Sponsor elects to cancel or terminate the Contest, Sponsor will not retain any rights to the submitted photographs.

WINNERS LIST

For names of the winners and select Finalists, visit http://ngstudentexpeditions.com/photo-contest/ after April 16, 2012.

DATA PRIVACY

Entrants agree that personal data, especially name and address, may be processed, shared and otherwise used for the purposes and within the context of the Contest and any other purposes outlined in these Official Rules. The data may also be used by the Sponsor in order to verify the participant’s identity, postal address and telephone number or to otherwise verify the participant’s eligibility to participate in the Contest. Participants have the right to access, review, rectify or cancel any personal data held by Sponsor by writing to Sponsor at 1145 17th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036. Personal data will be used by Sponsor and its affiliates exclusively for the purposes stated herein.

NOTICE TO INDIVIDUALS: REMOVAL FROM MAILING LIST: Any individual (or other duly authorized person) may elect to exclude the name and address of that individual from all lists used by National Geographic Society to mail skill contests or sweepstakes. To elect to have an individual’s name excluded from all such lists, submit a removal request in writing to: National Geographic Society, Attention: NG Expeditions, National Geographic Society, 1145 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036-4688. This notification system may be used to prohibit mailing of all skill contests or sweepstakes by National Geographic Society to such individual.