Aviation Week Photo Contest Official Rules
1. Eligibility: The Aviation Week Photo Contest (“Contest”) sponsored by Informa Markets, a trading division of Informa Media LLC, dba Aviation Week (“Aviation Week”) is open to any photographer, amateur or professional who is at least 18 years of age and submits a photo to this Contest per the instructions below (any entry to the Contest will be referred to as an “image” herein). An independent panel of judges will select winning images that will appear in the Annual Photography Issue of Aviation Week and & Space Technology and on AviationWeek.com. The images will be (i) labeled as falling within one of five aerospace categories: Commercial, Defense, Space, General and Business Aviation (which includes hobby, sport, and warbird), Photo Illustration; and new this year, Air-to-Air; (ii) printed with the photographer’s name (photo credit); and (iii) and exposed to the global aerospace industry. Employees of Aviation Week, its affiliates, and their family members are not eligible to enter. Aviation Week and/or its affiliates shall have the right to publish, distribute, and display any image submitted for the Contest in any publication by Aviation Week and/or its affiliates related to the Contest, including any advertising and/or promotion related thereto, in any medium and/or format now known or hereafter devised, including without limitation print, online, mobile, digital or electronic formats.
2. Categories: Submissions must be entered within one of the following categories: Commercial, Military, Space, General and Business Aviation, and Photo Illustration. Images of any aviation/aerospace or airline subject, actual objects, events or people are acceptable. Images of paintings are not acceptable. No slides, transparencies or prints will be accepted. Contest administrators may move an image to another category if they believe the photographer has designated an image incorrectly.
3. Photos: Only photography shot on or after October 1, 2023, may be submitted. Images must be submitted in JPG format and be suitable for magazine-quality printing at high resolution. JPG submissions and captions must be uploaded to the Aviation Week Photo Contest website at aviationweek.com/photo-contest (“Website”). Each image submitted must have a caption that provides a full description of the subject or event, including the city, state/province and country where it was shot. It is permissible for images to have been previously published as long as they are accompanied by signed statements confirming that no copyrights will be infringed by use of the images by Aviation Week. Statements must be emailed to [email protected]. Images in the Commercial, General/Business Aviation, Defense and Space categories may not be manipulated, collaged or altered beyond minor retouching, such as minor changes to brightness and contrast and saturation to capture detail and color in shadows or highlights lost due to the limitations of the camera or, when used, photographic film. The Contest recognizes the work of individual photographers, so entries cannot be created or generated using artificial intelligence. Photos should not include watermarks or copyright messages; Aviation Week will request a version without watermarks or copyright messages or remove or crop them out before publishing photos.
4. Photo Illustration: Images entered in the new Photo Illustration category may be manipulated, collaged, or combined. An entry may be from a single image, multiple exposures on a single frame, or multiple images digitally assembled, modified, or visually altered from its original, unedited form to illustrate a story, subject, or event. All images that comprise an entry must have been taken by the photographer who is named as the entrant. Images from another source cannot be used. Any type of aircraft, spacecraft, or other aviation subject may be entered in the Photo Illustration category. For clarity, images digitally enhanced solely to capture detail and color in shadows or highlights lost due to the limitations of the camera or, when used, photographic film, should be entered into the appropriate editorial category. Photos should not include watermarks or copyright messages; Aviation Week will request a version without watermarks or copyright messages or remove or crop them out before publishing photos.
5. Entrance Fees and Entry Submissions: $5.00 (U.S.) per entry with a maximum of 25 entries per entrant. Payment will be accepted by credit card via PayPal. To enter, photographers must visit the Website and fill out the entry form, upload their image(s), and pay. By entering, photographers agree to abide by these rules. For a copy of the Official Rules, please visit https://aviationweek.com/aviation-week-space-technology/photo-contest/photo-contest-terms-conditions. The entry fee is hereby waived for any photographer who is a legal resident of the following U.S. states: Colorado, Maryland, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Vermont.
6. Deadline: The Contest entry period begins April 9, 2024 at or around 12:01 AM EST and closes April 30, 2024 at or around 11:59 PM EST and reopens July 22, 2024 at or around 12:01 AM EST and ends October 22, 2024 on or about 11:59 PM EST. All entries must be uploaded to the Website during the official entry period, and no entries submitted outside the official entry period will be eligible. Aviation Week may decide to extend the deadline at its sole discretion. On or after November 8, 2024, winners will be notified whether they are the recipient of a grand prize, first place, second place, or third place prize package via email and/or telephone, at Aviation Week’s discretion. Each winner will be asked to send Aviation Week a short biography, a color photograph of himself/herself and details of the winning image. Each winner will be required to sign and return within 15 days of receipt an Affidavit of Eligibility, Liability/Publicity Release, and any other relevant banking and tax forms as may be required. Publication of a photographer’s image(s) may be contingent upon receipt of any required documents by Aviation Week. If a winner cannot be reached, or if a winner does not comply with the Contest rules, their prize will be forfeited and, at Aviation Week’s sole discretion, an alternate winner may be selected.
7. Judging: An independent panel of judges will select winning images that will appear in the Annual Photography Issue of Aviation Week & Space Technology and on AviationWeek.com. The panel of judges will be made up of top professionals in aerospace and photography. Photographers’ names will not be provided to the judges, but descriptions of the images that accompany entries will be made available. Winning images will be selected purely on the basis of skill, as opposed to chance. Judges will base their selections according to the following criteria: (i) technical quality, (ii) composition, and (iii) originality. Judges have the option not to select a winner in any particular category. The decisions of the judges are final. Odds of winning are dependent on the number of qualified entries.
8. Prizes: First, second, and third place winners will be selected in the Commercial, Defense, Space, Business and General Aviation (including hobby, sport, and warbirds), and Photo Illustration categories. In addition, a grand prize (“Best of the Best”) winner will be selected. There will be sixteen (16) prize packages offered. Prize package for all third place winners will include: (i) a one time, $75 prize; (ii) publication of the winning image in Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine along with the winner’s portrait and biography, (iii) five copies of the December 9-22, 2024 issue of Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine (to be mailed directly to winner), and <br />(iv) recognition on aviationweek.com. Prize package for all second place winners will include: (i) a one time, $100 prize; (ii) publication of the winning image in Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine along with the winner’s portrait and biography; (iii) five copies of the December 9-22, 2024 issue of Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine (to be mailed directly to winner), and (iv) recognition on aviationweek.com. Prize package for all first place winners will include: (i) a one time, $250 prize, (ii) publication of the winning image in Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine along with the winner’s portrait and biography, (iii) five copies of the 9-22, 2024 issue of Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine (to be mailed directly to winner), and (iv) recognition on aviationweek.com. Best of the Best prize package will include: (i) a one time, $500 prize,<br /> (ii) publication of the winning image in Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine, along with the winner’s portrait and biography; (iii) fifty (50) copies of the December 9-22, 2024 issue of the Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine (to be mailed directly to winner), and (iv) recognition on aviationweek.com. Monetary prizes will be delivered to the winner via ACH, wire transfer, or a check, at the sole discretion of Aviation Week.
9. By entering the Contest, the photographer represents and warrants that he or she has the power and authority to submit the images entered and to grant the rights herein, including, but not limited to, publishing the image in print or digital format in Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine or in any other publication owned by Aviation Week or its affiliates, posting the image on social media, or otherwise posting the image in any media now known or herein after devised, and that all images submitted shall not infringe any copyright, trademark, trade secret or invade or violate any right of any person, including without limitation any privacy or personality right, infringe any other proprietary right or contain anything libelous or obscene. Each photographer shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Aviation Week for any claim, loss, damage, or costs in relation to any infringement of third-party intellectual property rights or violation of applicable laws (including, but not limited to privacy laws). Prizes may not be transferred or assigned.
10. Release: Each photographer authorizes Aviation Week and its affiliates to use his or her name, likeness, biographical information and/or photograph, both online and in print, for the purposes of news and information as well as advertising, publicity, and promotional materials, without further consent required or additional compensation provided, except to the extent provided by law.
11. Limitations of Liability: Each photographer, on behalf of himself/herself releases and holds harmless Aviation Week and each of its affiliates, parent company, subsidiaries, and each of its respective officers, directors, employees and agents (collectively, the “Released Parties”) from any liability for any losses, damages, or costs of any kind whatsoever (“Losses”) arising out of or resulting from (i) his or her entry to the Contest, (ii) lost, misplaced, or destroyed entries, and (iii) any other error in the administration of the Contest, due to any cause, including, but not limited to, any technical malfunction, failure or interruption or defect of any network, equipment, software, or due to human error, or any combination of the foregoing, (iv) Aviation Week’s engagement of any third party contractor or platform in connection with the administration of the Contest (including, but not limited to, Judgify). Aviation Week reserves the right to cancel or postpone the Contest at any time, at its sole discretion. In the event of a delay or cancellation of the Contest, Aviation Week shall not be liable to any photographer for any Losses caused by such delay or cancellation. Each photographer further releases and holds harmless all Released Parties from any liability from any Losses arising out of (i) any determination by Aviation Week to disqualify a photographer for any reason, including but not limited to a violation of these Official Rules or applicable laws, (ii) the acceptance, delivery, receipt, possession, or use of a prize, (iii) any injury or damage to any computer or other device related to or resulting from a photographer’s participation in or downloading of any materials in connection with the Contest, and (iv) any conditions arising from events beyond Aviation Week’s reasonable control.
12. Privacy Notice: Winners who are U.S. residents may be required to give Aviation Week their Social Security numbers, legal name, age, current address and phone number. Aviation Week agrees to use such information in accordance with applicable law and with its Privacy Policy at https://www.informa.com/privacy-policy/.
13. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. Winners are responsible for all taxes on prizes. All federal, state and local rules and regulations apply. Entrants agree that all issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, participants’ rights and obligations, or the rights and obligations of Aviation Week in connection with this Contest shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules. By entering, entrants consent to the jurisdiction and venue of the federal, state, and local courts for New York County, New York. 14. For a list of the winners, visit the Website on or after December 6, 2024.