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Terms & Conditions

1. The Scottish Landscape Photographer of the Year (“the Competition”) is an annual photography competition owned and run by Breeze Media Ltd (“the Organiser”), whose registered office is at Terrygowan Croft, Aberdeenshire AB51 7QT.

2.  Eligibility:

Entry is open to anyone from the UK and overseas. All amateurs, professionals, clubs and online groups are welcome to enter.

3. Dates: 

The competition opens on 23rd April 2024 and closes on 1st June 2024

4. Entry: 

Route to entry for the Competition is via https://competition10.slpoty.co.uk

  • 4.1 After the closing date no further entries to the Competition will be permitted.
  • 4.2 No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason

5.  Categories & Awards: 

The Competition comprises of 4 main categories and 5 special awards derived from those categories.

  1. The Portfolio category(Grand Title & Overall Winner)
  2. Landscape Category
  3. Seascape Category
  4. Urban Category
  5. Creative Award
  6. Environment Award
  7. 4 Seasons Award
  8. Monochrome Award
  9. Weather Award
  • 5.1   The overall winner “Scottish Landscape Photographer of the Year” shall be awarded to the entrant who, in the opinion of the judges, has achieved the highest scoring portfolio of 3 images.
  • 5.2 The winners of the Landscape, Seascape & Urban Landscape shall be awarded to the entrant who in the opinion of the judges has achieved the highest scoring single image in each category.
  • 5.3 The winners of all special awards are awarded to the best single image in each catgory and are judged externally by sponsors & judges.
  • 5.4  Entrants may enter only once up to a maximum of 20 images.

6. Accolades & Prizes:

The Competition comprises the following:

6.1 Accolades

  • Overall Winner (Portfolio)
  • Runner Up (Portfolio)
  • Highly Commended (Portfolio)
  • Commended (Portfolio)
  • Category Winner (Landscape, Seascape & Urban Categories)
  • Category Runner Up (Landscape, Seascape & Urban Categories)
  • Highly Commended (Landscape, Seascape & Urban Categories)
  • Commended (Landscape, Seascape & Urban Categories)
  • Winner (Special Aawards)
  • Runner Up (Special Awards)
  • Highly Commended (Special Award)
  • Commended (Special Awards)
  • 6.2 Prizes – TBA Please see the prizes page and/or social media for details and updates.
  • 6.3 Sponsor prizes – all sponsor prizes will be provided by the relevant sponsor.
  • 6.4. The Organiser is not responsible for inaccurate prize details supplied to any entrant by any third party or sponsor connected with this Competition.
  • 6.5. No cash alternative to the prizes will be offered. The prizes are not transferable. Prizes are subject to availability and we reserve the right to substitute any prize with another of equivalent value without giving notice.

7. Cancellation:

The Organiser reserves the right to cancel or amend the Competition and these terms and conditions without notice in the event of a catastrophe, act of God or any actual or anticipated breach of any applicable law or regulation or any other event outside of the promoter’s control. Any changes to the Competition will be notified to entrants as soon as possible by the Organiser.

8. NOTIFICATIONS

  • 8.1 OVERALL WINNER – The overall winner is notified by telephone and email prior to the official results.
  • 8.2 Category winners and runners up – all category winners, and runners up will be notified by email prior to the official results.
  • 8.3 Commendees – a list of commendations will be published on the main website on the day the official results are published. 
  • 8.4 Shortlisted entrants – during the judging phases, the Competition will publish the shortlist on the website and on social media. If an entrant’s name is not on the list, they have not made it through to the next round.
  • 8.5 High resolution and RAW files – entrants will be notified by email to supply their high res or RAW files.
  • 8.6 It is the responsibility of the entrant to monitor their email, spam folder and official website during the judging phases up till the official results announcement.
  • 8.7  It is the responsibility of the entrant to respond to email requests for high resolution and RAW files and ensure they are provided on time.
  • 8.8 The Organisers cannot be held liable for any emails, sent by the Competition, that do not arrive due to the entrant’s email spam settings, security settings or other restrictions placed by their ISP or any other reason.
  • 8.9 No entries or image uploads will be accepted after any deadline has passed.
  • 8.1.0  Proof of electronic submission is not held as proof of receipt by the Organisers.
  • 8.1.2  The Organisers cannot accept liability for any hurt feelings, disappointment, loss, damage or injury incurred as a result of participation in, or other involvement with, the Competition.
  • 8.1.2  The Organisers cannot be held responsible for damage to any computers or other technical equipment relating to, or resulting from participation in the Competition or from the download of materials connected to the Competition.

9.  JUDGING PHASES

The judging phases begin one day after the closing date. Judging is a triple blind process. i.e. each stage is judged anonymously. The stages are:

Preliminary round: – First viewing followed a second viewing then a yes/no for the second round

Secondary round (shortlist) – successful images from first round viewed and awarded scores by the judges.

  1. Each image given score by judges.
  2. Highest scoring images through to final round.
  3. Lowest scoring images removed and held in reserve
  4. Request sent for RAW files and/or original hi Res files.

Final round integrity checks

  1. RAW and/or original files and checked for compliance with the rules
  2. Images that pass are put forward for a prize or commendation.
  3. Files that do not pass are eliminated
  • 9.1 Successful entrants should not disclose their success to any party, friends, family or post on social media until AFTER the official results have been published.

10. Obligations of the Overall Winner and Category winners.

  • 10.1 The Competition provides extensive promotion opportunities for the overall winner and category winners. The Competition relies on social media, links from websites and press coverage for the sales of the official book, which fund the awards and the prizes offered. The Overall Winner and Category winners, accept their awards on the condition that they will carry out basic promotion of the Competition in return. Specifically, they must place the following on their website or social media pages :
  1. Thanks to the sponsors
  2. A link to the competition website

11. Copyright

The Copyright of each image entered is retained by its respective photographer. Each entrant confirms and warrants that:

  • i) they own the copyright and all IP rights of each image submitted to the competition;
  • ii) they are the sole author of each entry and it is their own original work;
  • iii) they have obtained all necessary permissions from the owner(s) of any property, structures and/or buildings included in their images for usage rights required by the competition and will indemnify the Organisers and/or Sponsors against any claims made by any 3rd parties in respect of such infringement.
  • iv) they have not licensed images or disposed of any rights that would conflict with publicity and/or promotion of the Competition
  • 11.1 Each entrant acknowledges that entry into the Competition does not grant them any rights in any intellectual property of the Competition. Each entrant agrees not to use any names, titles, logos or other intellectual property rights to make any public statement that may mislead the public or bring the Competition, and/or its Sponsors into disrepute.

12. Publicity, promotion, media, image usage & reproduction.

  • 15.1 Entrants agree to the use of his/her name, contact details, website and image(s) in any post publicity material of the Competition without compensation. Entrants agree to their contact information being shared with Sponsors for purposes of notification/delivery of prizes, notification of special offers/discounts exclusive to the Competition. Entrants grant the Organisers and its sponsors a non-exclusive, irrevocable licence to publish, reproduce, enlarge and/or exhibit, on any media, the images for any purpose connected with the Competition. This may include, but is not limited to:

i) publicity in press, promotional and marketing materials in hard copy or digital media;
ii) inclusion in the Competition book, calendar & postcards in hard copy or digital media;
iii) on the Competition website and on the websites of sponsors;
iv) on display at public exhibitions, public electronic displays;
v) on social and print media used by the Organisers & sponsors;
vi) promotional merchandise, products in official shops endorsed by the Competition.

13. Copyright, intellectual property & permissions (The Competition and Organisers).

  • 13.1  Usage of branding, Awards, Commendations and Titles. Logos and term “The Scottish Landscape Photographer of the Year” is the intellectual property of the Competition. All Awards, Commendations and Titles thereof are also the intellectual property of the Competition. Entrants may use, and are encouraged to use their awards to promote themselves.
  • 13.2 Commercial use. Entrants may use their awards and commendations for commercial use on their own websites and promotional materials. 
  • Entrants may not allow their employers or any 3rd party to use their awards to promote their company and generate profit for themselves. 
  • 13.3 Any third party using the Competition’s intellectual property without permission from the Organisers shall be in breach of UK Copyright laws and be liable for our commercial usage fees.

14. By entering this Competition, an entrant is indicating his/her/their agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions. It is the responsibility of each entrant to ensure that they have read and will abide by the Rules of the Competition.  By submitting an entry, each entrant agrees to the Rules, that their entry complies with the Rules, and that they will be liable to the Owners and their licensees in respect of any damages or losses incurred as a breach of the Rules by the entrant.

16. The Organisers reserve the right not to award prizes and to disqualify and remove any image or photographer from the Competition that it feels may breach the rules, laws and/or bye-laws, offers inducements, offers services, collude with judges, bring the Organisers, other entrants, the Competition, or any of its sponsors into disrepute. Such entries will be deemed as void and any fees paid will not be refunded.

17. The Organisers reserve the right to retrospectively disqualify, annul and/or revoke the titles and/or commendations of any entrant that breaches the rules, partakes in unauthorised commercial use of the Competition’s intellectual property, makes threats, offers inducements, offers services, collude with judges, bring the Organisers, other entrants, the Competition, or any of its sponsors into disrepute or any activity that brings the organisers, judges, sponsors or other entrants into disrepute.

18. In the event of any entrant’s award, commendation or title being annulled, revoked or disqualified, the Competition reserves the right to seek reimbursement of any/all prizes. In addition, the disqualified entrant must remove all awards and/or titles from their personal endeavours, websites, social media accounts etc. The disqualified entrant may not trade or make any claims to any award that has been revoked and to continue to do so will constitute an infringement of the competition’s intellectual property and copyright, and therefore a breach of UK copyright laws.

19. The Scottish Landscape Photographer of the Year Competition is a conservation based competition, and all entrants are expected to abide by the Scottish Outdoor Access Code when capturing images in the outdoors. The Organisers reserve the right not to award prizes and  disqualify any image(s) that appear to exhibit damage to the landscape, trees, flora & fauna, property, commit trespass and/or violate the terms and conditions of any local by-laws and/or the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. Such entries will be deemed as void and any fees paid will not be refunded.

20. The Organiser’s decision in respect of all matters to do with the Competition will be final and no correspondence will be entered into for whatever reason.

21. The Competition and these terms and conditions will be governed by Scots law and any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Scotland.

22. These Terms and Conditions are subject to change, review and/or update at any time.