PHOTO CONTEST
JOSTENS NORTH AMERICA PHOTO CONTEST
Picture This
Thousands of talented student photographers from across the country annually submit amazing photography to the Jostens North America Photo Contest.
Enter and you could have your photo published and win up to $1,000 and more!*
To be eligible for the contest**, each photo will need a model release form signed by anyone who is personally and substantially identifiable in the photo. It is required that all recognizable subjects sign the release prior to entering your photo in the contest.
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Submit Your Photo
Upload your photos to the contest any time between January 1 – March 1.
Contest Categories
MIDDLE SCHOOL
// Middle School Open Category – Choose any school-related topic. Student photographers must be a legal resident of the fifty (50) United States, the District of Columbia, or Canada (excluding Quebec); age 13 years or older, and a middle school or junior high student, grades 6-8.
HIGH SCHOOL
High School students may submit up to 3 PHOTOS per CATEGORY, a total of 27 PHOTOS.
HIGH SCHOOL 9 CATEGORIES:
// ACADEMICS & COMMUNITY SERVICE
Show students learning, in or out of the classroom.
// GRADUATION
Capture the emotion, color and vibrancy of graduation day. Photos can be from the 2020 graduation as long as the photographer is enrolled in high school for the 2020-2021 school year.
// LANDSCAPE
Landscape photography shows spaces within the world, sometimes vast and unending, but other times microscopic. Landscape photographs typically capture the presence of nature but can also focus on man-made features or disturbances of landscapes.
// PHOTO ILLUSTRATION & MANIPULATION
Photos in this category can be posed or electronically enhanced to illustrate a topic or idea.
// PORTRAIT
Capture facial qualities, expression or mood and environment of your subject as the main focus.
// SPORTS: ATHLETES IN ACTION
Wherever they are, we’re looking for athletes in action.
// SPORTS: SIDELINES & SCHOOL SPIRIT
Show moments that capture school pride in all its forms.
// STUDENT LIFE & TRADITIONS
Capture student life in a way that showcases school culture and tradition.
// YEARBOOKERS IN ACTION
Go behind the scenes and capture the making of the yearbook. Photos of staff selling yearbooks, engaging in team building activities and traveling to workshops, in addition to working in the classroom, are all welcomed.
What are the judges looking for?
// STORYTELLING
The photo should tell a story relevant to the high school, junior high or middle school experience.
// QUALITY
Winning photos are free of problems with exposure, sharpness or noise.
// SHOWSTOPPERS
Judges will be stopped by powerful images. Look for pictures with good actions, reactions and emotions, interesting lighting, peak action, unusual and different situations and storytelling moments.
// ORIGINALITY
Photos that are only slightly different from previous winners won’t be chosen.
// THOUGHTFULNESS
Sending multiple copies of the same image or similar images is not a successful technique. Send us your single best image of a subject. Crop your photo for maximum impact before submitting.
* PRIZES
One Grand Prize of $1,000.00 awarded in the form of a check (ARV: $1000) and a camera (ARV: $750).
One first place prize in each category, consisting of (i) $500, awarded in the form of a check (ARV: $500), and (ii) photography accessories (ARV: $90).
OFFICIAL RULES
WINNERS
Previous photo contest winners can be viewed on issuu.com.
New for 2024, Canada and U.S. contest have merged into one Jostens North America Photo Contest.
Photo Release Form
To be eligible for the photo contest, each photo requires a model release form, including landscape photos and illustrations. Each photo will need a release form signed by anyone who is personally and substantially identifiable within the photo (including crowds and large groups). For any photo that does not include an identifiable person (landscape & illustration), please submit a release form with the top section filled out.
Download your release forms here, print out in as many multiple copies as needed, have everyone from the photo sign, then upload with your photo submission.
Release forms can be uploaded in any format – pdf, jpg, png etc.
**NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Entrants must be, as of the date of entry: (A) a legal resident of the fifty (50) United States, the District of Columbia, or Canada (excluding Quebec); and (B) a current middle school, junior high school, or high school student; and (C) 13 years or older (regardless of school grade). To clarify, for the criterion (A) above: (i) U.S. and Canadian citizens living abroad (i.e., not in their home country of the U.S. or Canada) meet this criterion; and (ii) foreign exchange and international students living in the U.S. and Canada, but who are not U.S. or Canadian citizens, do not meet this criterion and are not eligible. Anyone between the ages of 13 and 17 or who is under the age of majority in their state, province, or territory of residence (a “Minor”) must obtain the permission of his/her/their parent or legal guardian (“Guardian”) to enter. Entrants who are high school students may enter in all categories except the “Middle School & Junior High” category. Entrants who are middle school or junior high school students may only enter in the “Middle School & Junior High” category. The Jostens Photo Contest begins January 1 and ends at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on March 1.
Sponsored by Jostens, Inc.