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AWAI Photo Challenge FAQ
Logging into your account
1. How do I log-in?
To log-in to the photo challenge, please visit our homepage at http://www.thephotographerslife.com and scroll down to the middle of the page, where you will see a picture representing this month’s theme.
Existing Users: If you are an existing user and have already created a log-in for yourself, click on “Existing Users: Login Here” directly below the photo challenge picture. Then enter your username and password on the next page and you will be logged in, ready to upload a photo. (See below for instructions on how to upload your photo.)
New Users: If you are a new user, and have never entered the photo challenge before, please click on “New Users: Register Here” directly below the photo challenge picture. Then agree to the registration terms and submit your username, password, and email. You will receive an email with your log-in details and an activation link. To activate your account, please click on the link in that email. It will take you back to our site and let you know your account has been activated. (It might be a good idea to save this email with your log-in details or write them down somewhere so that you can remember them each month that you would like to enter the photo challenge.) See below for instructions on how to upload your photo.
2. I’m having trouble logging into my account. What could be the problem?
There are several reasons why you might be having trouble logging into your photo challenge account:- Make sure that you are entering your log-in information in the correct area. Use this link if you’re not sure: http://www.thephotographerslife.com/contest/memberlogin.php. Note: The sign up box at the top right of our homepage is NOT the photo challenge log-in box. That box is for people who want to sign up for our free e-letter. The photo challenge sign-in box is here: http://www.thephotographerslife.com/contest/memberlogin.php.
- Your log-in is case sensitive and should not contain spaces. Please enter your username and password in the appropriate case. Use whichever case you did when you created your account.
- If when you registered as a new user you did not activate your account by clicking on the link in the email that was immediately sent to you, then you will not be able to log-in. An email titled “Register at The Photographer’s Life, Photo Challenge” should have been sent to you when you originally signed up. Either click on the activation link in that email to activate your account, or you can email us at lori@thetravelwriterslife.com and we will activate your account for you.
3. What should I do if I forget my password?
If you forget your password, we do have a “Lost Password” link the sidebar on our site. Underneath “Photo Challenge” in the right brown sidebar on www.thephotographerslife.com, click on “Lost Password.” Submit your email address and you should receive an email with a new password. Use this password to log into your account. Once you are logged in you can edit your password to whatever you choose. Simply scroll to the bottom of the page and click on “Control Panel.” On the next screen, scroll down to where it says “change password.” Enter the old password you were just emailed, and enter and confirm the new password you would like to use, then click “change password.”4. What if I want to change my log-in details?
The only thing that you can change in your log-in details is your password. Please follow the steps outlined above to change your password. If you would like to change your email, you will need to create a new account with a different email address. And if you would like to change your username, you will need to email us at lori@thetravelwriterslife.com.Uploading your photo
5. How do I upload a photo?
Once you log in, a “Categories” page should come up. You can read about the current theme and see examples of photos on this page. Either click on the purple underlined category at the top of the page or click on the link that says “Submit your photos” underneath the category description.
On the next page, there will be a small grey “Upload” button with a yellow arrow at the top right. Click on this button. On the next page, next to “Image File” hit the “Browse” button and browse your computer for the photo that you would like to upload for this month’s theme.
After you have selected your photo, enter the “Image Name” and “Description” in the next two boxes. Then hit “submit” and your photo should upload. If you have problems or you’re not sure that your photo correctly uploaded, please read below.
6. I’m having trouble uploading my photo. What could be the problem? There are several reasons why you might be having trouble uploading your photo:
- Your photo may be too big. See below for the size limit for photos and how to resize yours if it is too big.
- Your photo has the wrong file type. In order to upload your photo into the challenge, it needs to be a .jpg. If it is another type of file, then you will need to use a photo editing software, like Photoshop or Lightroom to change it into a .jpg. If you don't have photo editing software on your computer, you can download a free 30-day trial of Photoshop or Lightroom at www.adobe.com. Or, you can download Picasa, a free photo editing program by Google, at: http://picasa.google.com/. Here are the steps for converting a file type with Picasa: http://picasa.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=11306. Hope this helps!
- You are trying to upload more than one photo at a time. You are only allowed to enter one entry per monthly theme. If you attempt to enter multiple photos, they will be deleted.
- You are trying to upload a photo for a theme and the deadline for entries is over. Submissions for each month’s theme end the last Monday of that month. After the last Monday of the month, you will no longer be able to enter submissions under that theme.
7. What is the size limit for photos? How can I resize my photo if it’s too big?
The size limit for photos is one megabyte. If your photo is larger than this, you will not be able to upload it into the challenge and you will need to resize it. If you don't have a photo editing program like Photoshop or Lightroom to resize your picture, go to this site: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/shareit/instant.mspx and they'll explain how to do it through email.8. What should I do if I upload the wrong photo, or write the wrong image name and/or description for my photo?
If you upload the wrong photo, please upload the correct photo, then email us at lori@thetravelwriterslife.com, and let us know which photo you would like us to delete. Also, if you enter the wrong image name or description for your photo, please upload the photo again with the correct image name and/or description, then email us at lori@thetravelwriterslife.com and tell us which one you would like us to delete.
9. How can I be sure that my photo successfully uploaded into the challenge?
If you are not sure if your photo uploaded successfully, please log out of your account and then log back in. On the “Categories” page, click on the underlined theme at the top of the page and then scroll down to the bottom of the next page to see all of the photos that have been entered for that theme. If you do not see yours (there may be multiple pages so make sure that you click through all of them) then you may need to upload it again.
Eligibility/Winners
10. Who is eligible to enter the photo challenge?
The monthly Photo Challenge is open to all AMATEUR photographers, and there is no purchase necessary to enter or win. Professional photographers who enter will not be eligible to win.
11. Can I send in a photo by someone other than myself?
Any photograph that you submit should be your own work. However, if the photographer is deceased, and you hold the copyright to that photo, then you will be able to submit the photo in honor of that person.
12. How are the winning photos selected each month and who is eligible for the $2,000 grand prize?
Each month, the previous month’s winner selects the first place photo. Professional photographer, Shelly Perry (who you may know from the weekly Photo Tip articles) then selects the second and third place and honorable mention winners. Photos are judged not only on composition, but on relativity to the theme, and content/the story that they tell.
The first place winners from each month, as well as the monthly second and third place winners and honorable mentions are entered into the year's Hall of Fame. All photos in the Hall of Fame will compete for the yearly $2,000 Grand Prize in October.
13. Is it possible to look at entries from previous months’ themes?
Unfortunately, only entries from the current month’s theme are displayed on our site. You cannot go back and look through previous months’ entries. But you can see previous month’s winners on our Hall of Fame page, here: http://www.thephotographerslife.com/contest/categories.php?cat_id=36
14. How will I know if I win this month’s theme and/or this year’s $2,000 grand prize?
If you win first place, you will be contacted by email with your $30 e-bookstore gift certificate prize. Also, the first, second, and third place and honorable mention winners will be recognized in the Wednesday Photo Tip’s “Challenge winners e-letter” and receive beneficial critiques on their photos.
The $2,000 grand prize winner, chosen from the first, second, and third place winners and honorable mentions from previous months, will be recognized in a special e-letter announcement in October, as well as sent an email about their money prize. The Grand Prize winner will receive their check in the mail. Their photograph will also be displayed on one of our upcoming photography programs.