Oro Valley photo competition kicks off

The Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance and the town of Oro Valley are partnering up once again to capture the essence of Oro Valley life, animals, outdoor spaces, urban and residential life, and experience of life within the community, with the inaugural Oro Valley Community Photography Competition.

The 2023 competition will provide three main categories for submission, including major themes of people, places and nature, and animals and wildlife.

More information on these category descriptions can be found on the competition website, orovalleyphotos.com. Cash prizes will be provided in each of the categories for first, second and third places, and two honorable mention ribbons in each category. A special youth category has been established to encourage participation from entrants under the age of 18.

The community can submit up to seven entries in each category, through the orovalleyphotos.com website. Photographs will be judged on originality, technical excellence, composition, overall impact, and artistic merit from a panel of both emerging and established professional artists and editorial contacts.

Competition dates and rules

The deadline for submitting entries is 11:59 p.m. April 20.

All photographs must be taken in the town of Oro Valley.

Photographer does not have to live or work in Oro Valley.

Photographers of all ages are open to participate.

Photos should be submitted electronically as high-quality .jpg/.jpeg files that are at least 8-inch by 10-inch at 300 DPI, or 2400x3000 pixels at 72 DPI.

An online entry form must accompany the photograph submission/s. Only entries with complete and accurate information will be considered eligible.

All photographs should accurately reflect the subject matter and the scene as it appeared. Photographs that have been digitally altered beyond standard optimization (removal of dust, cropping, reasonable adjustments to exposure, color and contrast, etc.) will be disqualified.

If a photographer chooses to include people in her/his submission, s/he is responsible for obtaining the necessary releases from the individuals depicted and must be able to provide copies of those releases to upon request.

Images will only be accepted without watermarks.

Photographers may enter up to five photographs in any category.

Winning photographs will be published in the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance’s online newsletter, displayed on the SAACA website, posted to the SAACA Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter sites, among other uses permitted under these photo contest rules subject to the photographer’s rights noted previously.

The town of Oro Valley and the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance will host a collaborative winners’ presentation award ceremony in spring. Details will be announced through the website at a later date.

More information about the competition is available at orovalleyphotos.com, as well as on the saaca.org website.