41st Annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Photo Contest

Wisconsin State Journal photographer Steve Apps is the winner of the Dave Boss Award of Excellence for his entry in the 40th Annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Photo Contest. His photo, titled “First Down," was deemed the Photograph of the Year for the 2007 NFL Season.

General Rules | Announcement of Winners | Eligibility | Awards | Presentation Suggestions

General Rules For All Entries
1. Entered photographs must have been taken during the 2008 National Football League season, as defined in the “Eligibility” section below (“Photographs That Are Eligible”).

2. For digital photo submission, FTP and required specifications are available at: www.profootballhof.com/photocontest. Digital photo entries may be submitted beginning January 2, 2009 and will end on April 6, 2009. Each digital photo submission must be between 1-3 MB.

3. The contestant’s name and address, plus the date of the picture, the location of the game, and the category in which the photograph is entered, must be included with each digital submission.

4. The maximum number of entries any photographer may submit is limited to 12.

5. All entries are placed in the permanent archives of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Copyright privileges, however, remain with the photographer.

Announcement of Winners
The judging for the For the 41st Annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Photo Contest will occur in early April. Winners will be notified after the judging panel has made its decisions. Public announcement will be made soon thereafter.

Eligibility
Photographers Who Are Eligible
All professional photographers who make photographs for general circulation newspapers and magazines, who make still photographs for television use, or who are assigned to game coverage by a professional football team are eligible to compete. Publication is not necessary for entry.

Photographs That Are Eligible
Pictures made of activity ON or OFF the playing field during the progress of any regularly scheduled 2008 National Football League game, including preseason, regular-season, and playoff games, are eligible. Also eligible are pictures taken during Super Bowl XLIII on February 1, 2009, and the Pro Bowl, the NFL’s annual all star game, on February 8, 2009. In the feature category, the term “during the progress of” shall be interpreted to include activity just before or just after the game (such as locker-room scenes, coin tosses, etc.).

Categories of Competition
There will be two categories of competition:
1. Action
2. Feature
Both black-and-white and color entries are eligible for either category. The categories are considered to be self-descriptive terms, and it shall be left to the discretion of each photographer as to which class he/she wishes to enter. As a matter of clarification—PORTRAITURE AND EXPERIMENTAL PHOTOGRAPHY will be considered feature entries. It also should be noted that the panel of judges reserves the right to reclassify any entry if, in the opinion of the judges, such a reclassification would be logical and appropriate and in the best interest of the photographer. See PRESENTATION SUGGESTIONS for more specific guidelines.

Awards
Canon Sponsors Pro Football Hall of Fame Photo Contest
Canon U.S.A. Inc., manufacturer of Canon Cameras, is the sponsor of the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Photo Contest. Canon is the photographic consultant to the National Football League and is the official camera of the Super Bowl, Pro Bowl, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Photograph of the Year-Dave Boss Award of Excellence
The top individual prize of the 41st Annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Photo Contest will be awarded to the individual category winner the judges deem to be the outstanding entry of the entire contest. The judging panel first will select the two individual category winners and, from those, will designate the “Photograph of the Year” award. The winning photographer also will receive the Dave Boss Award of Excellence. The extensive prize list that goes with this award is detailed in the “Schedule of Awards” section.

Awards in Each Category
First-, second-, and third-place photographs will be selected in both the action and feature categories. In addition, an unspecified number of honorable mention awards will be made in either or both categories when entries merit such recognition. All first-place photographs will be on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame for an indefinite period (as available display space permits).

Schedule of Awards
CASH PRIZES TOTALING $8,000 WILL BE AWARDED AS FOLLOWS:
Photograph of the Year—A $1,000 cash prize, along with the $2,000 first-place award, a distinctive personalized plaque commemorating the award, and an all-expense-paid trip for the Dave Boss Award of Excellence recipient and a guest to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2009 Enshrinement Festival in Canton, Ohio, make up the prize structure. The enshrinement weekend will be August 8-9 with the formal induction of the Class of 2009 into the Pro Football Hall of Fame serving as the main event. The Dave Boss Award of Excellence winner will be officially honored and presented with the award as a part of the weekend activities.

NOTE: Coupled with the first-place cash award for winning an individual category, the total cash prize to the photographer of the year will be $3,000. FIRST-PLACE PHOTOS (in both action and feature categories)—$2,000 cash prize and a distinctive personalized plaque.

SECOND-PLACE PHOTOS (in both action and feature categories)—$1,000 cash prize and a distinctive personalized plaque.

THIRD-PLACE PHOTOS (in both action and feature categories)—$500 cash prize and a distinctive personalized plaque.

Presentation Suggestions
Judges often are asked why certain photographs are chosen over others. Presentation has a strong influence on the selection of a photo for final judging. Here are some suggestions for making your entries potential winners:
1. Use sound judgment in determining the correct category for the image you are entering. Be certain the photograph qualifies for the category.

2. Sensitivity and judgment should be utilized in cropping pictures. Proper cropping enhances a photograph’s impact.

3. Image quality should be of the highest standards. An image can be disqualified if the printing is less than professional.

See the winners of the 40th Annual Photo Contest

Action Photo Gallery | Feature Photo Gallery