2010 Backyard Photo Contest

The entry deadline is July 1, 2010, for the 14th annual Birds & Blooms Backyard Photo Contest, and photos already are coming in. To enter, find your favorite photograph that fits into one of these four categories:

• Blooming Beauty. Garden scenes or flowers that brighten up your backyard.
• Feathered Friends. Photographs of your favorite backyard birds.
• Flying Flowers. The butterflies or moths that flutter through your yard.
• Just Kiddin' Around. Children having fun in their backyards.

As in past contests, the Birds & Blooms staff will choose the four finalists in each category, based on the photos' originality, quality and personality. Then readers will vote for their favorites. All category finalists will receive $50 cash, and the category winners receive an additional $100 cash prize. After readers have selected each category winner, we'll again ask you to pick the best photo (no later than the June/July 2011 issue) for the Grand Prize of $1,000 cash!

Backyard Photo Contest Official Rules

1. Eligibility: Contest is sponsored by Reiman Media Group, Inc., the Publisher of Birds & Blooms and a subsidiary of The Reader's Digest Association, Inc. Contest is open to all U.S. and Canadian (excluding the Province of Quebec) residents who at the time of entry, have reached the age of majority according to the law of the state, the province or territory in which they reside. Employees of The Reader's Digest Association or their affiliated or subsidiary companies, and their immediate family members, are not eligible to enter the contest or participate in voting. Contest is governed by the laws of the USA. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply (in the U.S. and Canada). Void where prohibited by law.
2. To enter: Send us an unmounted color print size 4 by 6 inches or larger. Entries are limited to six photos per person. On a separate piece of paper, print your name, street address, daytime telephone number and a few details about the photo: where and when you took it, why the scene caught your eye, a humorous or unusual story behind it, etc. Tape the paper to the back of the photo. Please do not write on the photograph-this could ruin it. We cannot accept photos via e-mail for this contest. No purchase is necessary to enter.
3. All entries become the property of Reiman Media Group, Inc. We don't return contest entries, so be sure to keep the negative or original file for your photograph, or send a duplicate slide or print. If you'd like us to consider using your photos in other projects, simply give us permission by signing the paper attached to the back of your photo. This grants Reiman Media Group, Inc., its parent company, subsidiaries, affiliates, partners and licensees use of the submission, including your name, hometown and state. We reserve the right to modify, reproduce and distribute the material in any medium and in any manner or appropriate place.
4. Entries must be postmarked by July 1, 2010. Send them to "Backyard Photo Contest," Birds & Blooms, 5925 Country Lane, Greendale WI 53129. Include the name of the category on the front of the envelope. If submitting for multiple categories, clearly label entries and send them in a single envelope.
5. Judging: The Birds & Blooms staff will choose four finalists in each category, based on the photos' originality (20%), quality (60%) and personality (20%). All entries will be judged using the criteria stated above. Judges' decisions are final. After the contest close date, members of the public will be invited to go to birdsandblooms.com and review and vote for their favorite finalists, one category at a time. All voting will be held between August 2010 and July 2011. Voting for each category will occur consecutively and last approximately four weeks for each category. Once the four category finalists are picked, a final vote will be held for the Grand Prize in or around May 2011. Guidelines for voting will be posted on the Web site. The Finalist submission to receive the most votes during the final voting process will be the Grand Prize winner. Limit one vote per e-mail address for each round. In the event of technical difficulties, voting dates are subject to change without notice.
6. For the 14th annual contest, the following prizes will be awarded to 16 category finalists, four Grand Prize finalists and one Grand Prize winner (as outlined in the contest description on page 60): 20 $50 cash prizes; four $100 cash prizes; and one $1,000 cash prize.
7. The total number of contestants anticipated nationwide is 7,000.