Attention, shutterbugs! We’re looking for your best photos of creatures big and small at the Potawatomi Zoo to be featured in our 2019 members’ calendar and in other print and web-based projects. Please read the guidelines below for more information, and we look forward to seeing your work!

Process
Step 1: Enter a digital photo following Submission Guidelines (below) in one or all categories listed below between July 20, 2018, and August 20, 2018. You do not have to be a Zoo member to enter.

Step 2: Four finalists from each category will be posted on the Zoo’s social media accounts on August 21, 2018. Vote for your favorite finalist photos from August 21 to 4 p.m. on September 8.

The finalists’ photographs will be posted in separate albums on the Zoo’s Facebook fan page and in separate posts on Instagram and Twitter. All of our fans can vote for their favorite photo by using the “like” feature on each photo on Facebook and commenting their favorite picture on Instagram and Twitter. The photos with the most votes in each category will be our winners.

Step 3: Winners from each category will be announced September 14, 2018, on the Potawatomi Zoo’s Facebook page. The winning photos will be featured in the Zoo’s 2019 calendar.

[In case of a tie in votes, the winner may be determined by the four executive officers of the Potawatomi Zoological Society Board of Directors.]

Photo Categories
1. Africa
2. Primates
3. Cats
4. Zoo Scenery
5. Camel, Takin, Okapi
6. Zoo Farm
7. Australia
8. The Americas
9. Birds
10. Reptiles (excluding American alligators), Amphibians and Invertebrates
11. Ambassador Animals
12. Small Mammals

Submission Guidelines
1. All photos must be submitted via e-mail to PZSphoto@gmail.com or mailed on a CD to the Potawatomi Zoological Society, PO Box 1764, South Bend, IN 46634, between July 23, and by 4 p.m. on August 20, 2018. Due to the number of submissions received, we will not be able to respond to each message or submission.
2. Submissions must include your name, mailing address, daytime phone number, and your age (if under age 18). Those 18 and under must include a parent or guardian’s contact information for permission to enter. Current Potawatomi Zoo staff, consultants, volunteers, and docents and their families may not participate.
3. You may enter one photo per category, for a maximum of 12 photos. Photo resolution must be 300 dpi when viewed at full-page size (11” x 8.5”). Landscape/horizontal images are preferred for use in the calendar.
4. Subject matter details:
– Photos must be taken at the Potawatomi Zoo within the last year. Photos should not include animals no longer living at Potawatomi Zoo.
– You will be asked to provide a signed model release form for any entries that show an identifiable person or persons. A form is available by emailing PZSphoto@gmail.com with subject line “Model Release Form Request.”
5. Do not enter photos that you didn’t take or that infringes upon anyone else’s copyright.
6. We reserve the right to disqualify photos for any reason.

Prizes
The 12 winners from each category (those receiving the most votes) will receive a copy of the 2019 calendar. The photo which receives the most votes overall will be considered the Grand Prize Winner. The winner will receive a one-year membership to the Potawatomi Zoo and a copy of the 2019 calendar.

Permission to Use Submitted Photos by Potawatomi Zoo and Zoological Society.
By submitting any photos into the contest, you give Potawatomi Zoo and Potawatomi Zoological Society permission to use them now and in the future for purposes of publication, including but not limited to marketing and promotional materials, educational materials, printed materials, television broadcasts, web sites, internal communications and signage. You will not be compensated for such use outside of prizes awarded as described above at the discretion of the Potawatomi Zoo. However, where reasonable, we will give you credit for the photos. By entering the contest, you agree to all of the above. As a non-profit entity, the Potawatomi Zoological Society relies heavily on donations from the community, including in-kind services and goods. This photo contest is an example of that – we are seeking donated photos of our animals to help promote the Zoo. In addition, our contest rules are similar to many other photo contests, including National Geographic’s (www.nationalgeographicexpeditions.com/photocontest/2010/rules).
We truly appreciate all submissions for our contest, and we hope it will serve as a fun and exciting way to showcase the Potawatomi Zoo and promote civic pride in this unique community amenity.