2006 Celebration of
Guatemalan Adoptions Calendar
Photo Contest

The 2006 Celebration of Guatemalan Adoptions calendar is sponsored by Guatadopt.com. 50% of the profits will be reserved for an organization/charity dedicated to improving lives of children born to poverty in Guatemala. The organization(s) will be announced when we open PRE-ORDERING for the calendar.

By mid-November, we hope to have the calendars ready for order and delivery (a preview of the calendar will be published on the site). To see a previous calendar (2005), click here.

Photo submissions will be used for the 2006 calendar which may be purchased by the general public. Submitted photos will NOT be used for any commercial purposes other than the calendar.

* The cutoff for all submissions is October 10th, 2005 *

(Contest ends October 15th)

Please read the entire page before submitting photos.

How it works:
There are two types of picture submissions, FEATURE submissions and GENERAL submissions. There will be 1 - 2 feature photos and no more than 12 general submission photos per month.

Monthly format

Feature Photo Contest

The 2005 will have 1 - 2 feature photos per month. The Guatadopt.com Photo judges will choose the photos based on:

• Artistic appeal
• Originality
• Creativity
• Color and Clarity

Feature Photo Submissions MUST meet these Requirements:

• Rectangular shaped photos only. Do not alter with digital techniques.
• Pictures should be proportional to standard photo size and print without space or distortion on an 8 x 10.
• Each picture should have *space* around the main subject so that if lightly cropped, it will not affect the picture's content. Please do not crop photos to odd sizes.
• Picture must have excellent resolution (printing an 8 x 10 should be perfect)
• Picture should be about 350kb or more in size
• Picture should be perfectly clear (unless using an obvious visual effect).
• Pictures must be in a JPG or GIF format. JPG is typically recommended for photographs.
  

Rules

• The child submitted in photo has been adopted from Guatemala.
• Adoption has been finalized.
• The submitter must have custody of the child or submit written permission from the parent.
• Due to time constraints, photos must be submitted electronically through the form or via email.
• We cannot accept photos taken by a professional lab due to copyright issues.
• You may only submit 1 photo to the contest.

Suggestions

Each year we try to add something special to the calendar. Generally, pictures should reflect the spirit of adoption and family. So, this year we are opening up the feature requirements to include other family members, friends, school, support groups (with the child, of course).  Please note that these photos can ONLY be used for Feature photos.  Therefore, if you are submitting this type of photo please also submit a single shot of just your child for the General submission. As always we encourage:

• Creative use of light and color
• Candid, non posed
• Happy, laughing pictures
• Interesting settings (beach, Antigua, mountains, sunsets, etc.)
• Unique props (big hats, grown up clothes, streamers, etc.)
• Avoid typical shots (birthday cake faces, Spaghetti shots, etc.)

"Captions" can also be used as dedications (so long as they are not too long).

General Submission Photos:
General submission photos will be displayed along the sides and/or bottom of each month. We will have to limit the number of submissions we can take so that the pictures are reasonably sized for display. In the case of General submission photos, we will take the best 120 photos that meet all the requirements. One photo per child please. You will be asked to record a tracking number when you submit a photo. The tracking number is not indicative of the number of photos accepted, so please do not hesitate to enter a photo. If your photo does not meet the requirements, we will notify you explaining the problem. If your photo is rejected, you may resubmit a photo as long as the deadline has not passed. We reserve the right to reject photos based on content presentation.

Photo Requirements:

• Rectangular shaped photos only.
• Pictures should be proportional to standard photo size and print without space on 5 x 7.
• Pictures should have good resolution (if you can print a clear 5 x 7)
• Picture should be at least 50Kb in size
• Each picture should have *space* around the main subject so that if lightly cropped, it will not affect the picture's content. Please do not crop photos to odd sizes.
• Picture should be perfectly clear.
• Pictures must be in a JPG or GIF format. JPG is typically recommended for photographs.
• If the child is far away, can the photo be cropped so that there is a clear, close picture of the child?
• There is a limited amount of activity or props around the child (if so, consider sending a higher resolution for feature photo).
  

Rules:

• The child submitted in photo has been adopted from Guatemala.
• Adoption has been finalized.
• The submitter must have custody of the child or submit written permission from the parent.
• Due to time constraints, photos must be submitted electronically through the form or via email.
• The photo was taken by you or you have exclusive rights to the photo.
• We cannot accept photos taken by a professional lab due to copyright issues.

Privacy:
Your family's privacy is very important to us. Guatadopt.com will not share any personal information with any other organization or individual. The following information will not be published on the calendar nor released:

1. Your Name (required for entry)
2. Child's Full Name (required for entry)
3. Email Address (required for tracking and notification)
4. Phone Number (optional form of contact)

The following information will be published with the picture:

1. Submitted Photo
2. FIrst Name or Nickname
3. City and State (optional)
4. Descriptive Region (optional)
5. Caption (optional) - Feature photos only
6. Credits (optional) - Feature photos only

Announcements:

We will announce the feature winners and the placement in the calendar early November. Please watch the site for announcements and pre-order information.

* CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT A PHOTO *