Frequently Asked Questions

All entries are prescreened prior to showing in the gallery. We ensure all entries meet the guidelines for the competition before approving. The approval process can take up to five business days, so if you do not see your submission right away do not be alarmed.  

You will receive an email from [email protected] notifying you when your entry has been approved. Should you have any additional questions, you can reach out to the competitions team at [email protected] 

You can submit one entry per category―DSLR Lens Master, Smartphone Shots, Film Photography― for up to three total entries. All entries must be received during the Competition Entry Period. ordion Content

Parents or guardians of students under the age of 13 must submit entries on behalf of their student. 

Yes, your photo can be in .jpg, .jpeg, or .png format and should not exceed 50MB in size. Photo must be taken by you as the entrant, and can be in color or black and white, and should be uploaded in compliance with the competition requirements.  

By submitting your photo in the competition, you consent to assign and transfer all rights, title, and interest in and to the photo, including, without limitation, all copyrights to K12 (Sponsor). The Sponsor may publish and/or promote photo, or a portion of a photo. If a photo, or a portion of photo is selected for publication and/or promotional purposes, it does not imply that it is a winning photo in this competition. 

Winners will be announced in early January 2024 after the conclusion of our judging period. Winners will be notified by email, or telephone, and/or U.S. mail within 5 business days of the Winner Reveal and may be required to fill out some requirement paperwork within seven days of the date specified on notification, along with some sort of video testimonial about your competition experience, or an alternate winner may be determined. 

At the conclusion of the competition, a panel of judges will determine a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winner in each grade band (Kindergarten–2nd, 3rd–5th, 6th–8th, 9th–12th) in each category; DSLR Lens Master, Smartphone Shots, and Film Photography. Public voting will determine one People’s Choice winner across all categories in each grade band (Kindergarten–2nd, 3rd–5th, 6th–8th, 9th–12th). 

The best way to contact our competitions team is to email [email protected] 

Voting for the People’s Choice Award for the 2023 In Focus Photography Competition will open on November 1, 2023 after we have received all entries. Entries will go through an initial round of judging to ensure the photo has not been plagerized and meets the eligibility criteria. Once voting is open, to vote for a photo you will click ‘Photo Contest’ < 2023 Photo Contest Submissions and Gallery < hover over the photo you would like to vote for and select the vote for this photo option. Only one vote per person is permitted.

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