Here are the rules and other info you need to know in order to create and submit your entry in the "My Air Force Life" Photography Competition

How it Works

There are 2 categories of competition: Youth: ages 12 to 17; Adult: ages 18 and up

• First, shoot your "My Air Force Life" photo(s). See the sections on Submission Criteria
• Shoot photos in highest resolution your camera will allow. However, to submit/upload the photo must be no larger than 1024x768 and in a .jpg format. The file size must not exceed 10 MB. NOTE: If you are the winner, you will be required to provide the high resolution file format at that time.
• Subject: The Air Force is a great place to live, work and play. Tell the story using photography of what that means to you and your family
• Two categories of competition: Adult 18 yrs and up; Youth ages 12-17
• Visitors to www.myairforcelife.com vote for their favorite. Tell your friends to vote, but remember, there’s only one vote, per day, per visitor, per category.
• The photos receiving the highest number of online votes become finalists
• Grand Prize winners in both categories will receive a Nikon D90 camera package to include a Nikon SB-900 Flash, Manfrotto Tripod, SanDisk 4GB Card, and battery charger, valued at $2,000!
• Grand Prize winner in both Adult and Youth categories will have their photos featured on the Air Force Gallery. And, the Adult Category winner’s photo will appear in the Year of the Air Force Family Gallery at the Pentagon.
• Grand Prize Adult category winner will receive one-hour of mentoring via Skype with professional photographer, Ansen Seale.
• Submissions must be received from May 24th, 2010 until 12 Midnight CDT, July 4th, 2010.
• Winners will be notified ONLY via the email address provided in the submission form. Please make sure you provide a valid email address.
• Confirmation of receipt of winning notification is required to receive prize awards.
• See Official Rules for complete details.

Your Reward

• GRAND PRIZE WINNERS: Winners in both categories will receive a Nikon D90 camera package to include a Nikon SB-900 Flash, Manfrotto Tripod, SanDisk 4GB Card, and battery charger, valued at $2,000!
• Grand Prize winner in both Adult and Youth categories will have their photos featured on the Air Force Gallery. And, the Adult Category winner’s photo will appear in the Year of the Air Force Family Gallery at the Pentagon.
• Grand Prize Adult category winner will receive one-hour of mentoring via Skype with professional photographer, Ansen Seale.
• Submissions must be received from May 24th, 2010 until 12 Midnight CDT, July 4th, 2010.

Submission Guidelines and Official Rules

1. Your submission theme can be from one of the following:
   1. What “Your Air Force Life” means to you
   2. Air Force is a great place to “live, work, and play”
   3. Simply show us your Air Force life depicted through photography
2. Shoot photos in highest resolution your camera will allow. However, to submit/upload the photo must be no larger than 1024x768 and in a .jpg format. The file size must not exceed 10 MB. NOTE: If you are the winner, you will be required to provide the high resolution file format at that time.
3. Description : Include 25 words or cutline describing what the photo represents, location taken, or other information to help viewers/voters understand your message
4. You must submit your entry on the website www.myairforcelife.com by 11:59 CST Sunday, July 4th, 2010.
5. Your submission should be something universally pleasing and suitable to be aired/viewed on military media.
6. You may submit up to three submissions, but they must be submitted as separate entries. Each must have a separate title. Do not include personally identifiable information within the photo, or title.
7. Your submission must be wholly original. The competition is for original photography only and all photos submitted must be taken by the person submitting. By submitting, you are guaranteeing that you hold rights to everything in it, and that it does not contain any copyright protected material.
8. Your submission must not be obscene or libelous, must not contain defamatory or derogatory remarks, must not use inappropriate language or slang, and must not violate any rights of any third party. Any submission violating these guidelines will be disqualified from the competition.
9. Judging Criteria : Photography will be judged on composition, quality, originality, and the ability to success fully convey the message. Online voting will determine finalists; however, final winner selection will be made by professional photographers whose judgments are final.

Eligibility Statement

To participate in the Year of the Air Force Family promotional contests, you must be an eligible patron of Air Force MWR programs (IAW AFI 34-262) and 18 years or older at the time of entry.

EXCLUDED CATEGORIES: Commanders, directors, deputies, branch chiefs, flight chiefs, operations officers of the following organization: A1S Staff, HQ Air Force Services Agency, MAJCOM Services, Force Support Squadron (FSS), and all HQ Air Force Services Agency Marketing staff, MAJCOM and FSS Marketing staff plus AFSVA personnel having any control of the competition, website or prize drawings.

Submission Agreement and Official Rules

• You must be 18 years or older to submit photos online. If you are ages 12-17 submitting in the Youth category, please have your parents and/or guardian submit on your behalf in the Youth Category section. Please submit using only first name, last initial to maintain privacy
• Entrant must first carefully read, review, and complete all the required fields of the Official Competition Submission Form.
• Any submissions not meeting the requirements will be ineligible.
• All entries must be submitted on www.myairforcelife.com. Submissions received via any other method are ineligible.
• Entrants may submit up to 3 entries, but must complete a Submission Form for each entry and have a different "title" for each entry.
• Online voting is limited to one vote, per day, per visitor. Any attempt to circumvent, fraudulently enter or garner votes through any other method will be automatically disqualified and your entry will be removed from the website and from consideration from the competition. Online voting will determine finalists; however, final winner selection will be made professional photographers whose judgment is final.
• All submissions become the property of the Air Force Services Agency (AFSVA) and may be used without restriction by AFSVA, including without limitation, rights to use throughout the world via worldwide web, broadcast, and print reproduction for the purposes of advertising and publicity, and for commercial production and sales.
• By submitting your entry you represent and warrant each entry is wholly original, does not incorporate or include any material that would require the consent of any third party; and does not violate any copyright, trademark, publicity right, privacy right, or any other right of any third party. Winning entries will require a signed affidavit confirming winner’s song is original and he/she holds rights to that song in its entirety
• AFSVA reserves the right to edit, composite, duplicate, or alter the Submission for any purpose which it deems necessary or desirable, without the need for any further compensation, and/or permission. Entrant irrevocably waives any and all moral and legal rights to any Submission. We reserve the right to make adjustments to the winning entry.
• To participate, log on to www.myairforcelife.com during the period commencing at 12:00 A.M. Central Standard Time ("CST") on May 24th, 2010 and ending at 11:59 P.M. CST on July 4th, 2010 ("Entry Term"). Entry into the Contest may only be made during the Entry Term. The Internet is the only method of submission. Any attempted form of entry other than as described herein is void.
• Entries will be judged by myairforcelife.com valid visitor votes. Final selection determined by professional photographers and verified by AFSVA. AFSVA reserves the right to review, qualify, and validate votes and entrants to determine final selection.
• PRIZE WINNER NOTIFICATION: Entrants will be notified via the email address provided on the Submission Form. This is the method of winning notification. If unable to reach via email, an alternate winner will be selected. The Winner is subject to verification, including without limitation, verification of eligibility, compliance with these Official Rules and execution of the Agreement (described below). All Entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decision of AFSVA, whose decisions are final and binding.
• AFSVA is not responsible for any Entry that is altered, defective, delayed, deleted, destroyed, fraudulent, improperly accessed, inaccurate, incomplete, interrupted, invalid, late, lost, misrouted, multiple, non-delivered, stolen, tampered with, unauthorized or unintelligible; or for lost, interrupted or unavailable network, server or other connections; miscommunications; failed phone, computer hardware or software or telephone transmissions; technical failures; unauthorized human intervention; traffic congestion; garbled or jumbled transmissions; undeliverable e-mails resulting from any form of active or passive e-mail filtering; insufficient space in Entrant’s e-mail account to receive e-mail; or other errors of any kind, whether due to electronic, mechanical or human error or other causes.
• Notified and confirmed winners will be required to provide their full name, shipping address, telephone number for distribution of prizes/awards.
• Prizes are not assignable or transferable.
• GRAND PRIZE WINNERS in both categories will receive a Nikon D90 camera package to include a Nikon SB-900 Flash, Manfrotto Tripod, SanDisk 4GB Card, and battery charger, valued at $2,000!
• GRAND PRIZE WINNERS in both Adult and Youth categories will have their photos featured on the Air Force Gallery. And, the Adult Category winner’s photo will appear in the Year of the Air Force Family Gallery at the Pentagon.
• Grand Prize Adult category winner will receive one-hour of mentoring via Skype with professional photographer, Ansen Seale.
• All taxes and reporting consequences thereof associated with the receipt of the Prize are solely the responsibility of the Winner who will receive an IRS Form 1099 reflecting the actual value of the Prize. Winners may be required to supply a Social Security or taxpayer ID number prior to the award of the Prize. Request for this information will be via email. If you are uncomfortable with sharing this information via email, you may provide this information to the Contracted Agency, RCCO, at 210-829-1953, or via FAX to 210-829-1973.
• No purchase or payment necessary to enter or win.
• The Winner’s (or parent or legal guardian) acceptance of the Prize constitutes the grant of an unconditional right to use the winning Entry, the Winner’s likeness, photograph, biographical and Prize information and/or statements about the promotion for any publicity, advertising and promotional purposes without compensation.
• The Winner must comply with all terms and conditions set forth in these Official Rules, and winning is contingent upon fulfilling all such requirements.
• PRIVACY ACT STATEMENT. Authority: In a letter dated 17 Jul 09, from the Chief of Staff, General Norton A. Schwartz and the Secretary of the Air Force, Michael B. Donley, announced the “The Year of the Air Force Family.” The Year of the Air Force Family encompasses the larger Air Force Family to include Active Duty, Guard and Reserve, civilians, spouses and children, parents or other family members. Purpose: To contact winners participating in web contests featured on www.myairforcelife.com and to add to the Air Force Services and FSS customer database for email notification of events, activities, and information. Routine Uses: This information will not be disclosed outside DoD. Disclosure/Effects: Disclosures is voluntary, however, you cannot participate in this contest without providing the contact information requested.
• By submitting you are agreeing to all contest rules.

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