General

1.1. This photography competition is conducted by Flywheel Forum & Festival Inc trading under FFF or Flywheel Festival or Flywheel ("the Promoter").

1.2. Information on how to enter and on prizes form part of the Terms and Conditions. Entry into this competition deems acceptance of these Terms and Conditions.

1.3. To the extent of any inconsistency between these Terms and Conditions and any other reference to this competition, these Terms and Conditions prevail.

1.4. This is a non-acquisitive photography competition governed by these Terms and Conditions. All instructions relating to the competition on this website also form part of the Terms and Conditions.

1.5. The Promoter reserves the right to amend these Terms and Conditions. The Promoter may also cancel or suspend this competition if an event beyond the control of the Promoter corrupts or affects the administration security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this competition. The Promoter will disqualify any individual who has tampered with the entry process or any other aspect of this competition.

Who can enter?

2.1. Flywheel Forum & Festival ("FFF") is open to persons anywhere in the world.

2.2. FFF is open to established photographers, emerging photographers, students and enthusiasts.

2.3. There is no age limit on entering FFF. For participants under 18 years of age, a parent or guardian consent is required. The consenting guardian is then bound by these Terms and Conditions.

2.4. Employees, participating retailers, sponsors and partners of the Promoter, and their immediate families are not eligible to enter the competition.

How to enter

3.1. Entries will be accepted from 1 October 2023 to 31st December 2023. No entries will be accepted after this

3.2. Entrants must follow the instructions provided online at www.flywheelfestival.org. In the case of any inconsistency between these Terms and Conditions and the Flywheel Forum & Festival instructions, these Terms and Conditions shall prevail.

3.3. Entrants must choose the appropriate category for their image. The same image can be uploaded multiple times and entered into different categories. The entrant may enter as many images as they like into the competition into one or multiple categories.

3.4. Each entry will attract a separate fee.

3.5. Each entry must comply with these Terms and Conditions, including the Submission Guidelines specified below and category-specific rules.

3.6. Entries must meet the Technical Specifications as follows:

3.6.1. Images must be saved as a high-resolution JPEG.

3.6.2. Must be larger than 1500px on the longest side.

3.6.3. Both Adobe RGB (1998) and sRGB accepted.

3.7. An entry fee (schedule of fees in Picter and range from USD $10 to $45 per entry) must be paid for each entry submitted (each image uploaded). All entry fees are to be processed via Picter through Stripe online payments. Any applicable currency conversions will be in accordance with Stripe's policies, and the Promoter accepts no responsibility for any loss or damage that may be incurred as a result of currency conversion.

3.8. The Promoter is not responsible for any misdirected, late, or incomprehensible entries in the competition.

3.9. The categories ESTABLISHED PHOTOGRAPHER - Your work is known to a larger audience, including fellow photographers, curators, critics, and the general public. You have built a reputation over a significant period of time and are often associated with a distinct style or body of work.

EMERGING PHOTOGRAPHER- An emerging photographer is an individual who is in the early stages of their professional photography career, often showing promise and potential but not yet widely recognized or established in the industry.

DROP DOWN 1

GRANDEUR - Capture the overwhelming beauty and wonder of the natural world, emphasizing its magnificence and significance in the face of climate change risks.

CAUSES - Explore and reveal the intricate forces driving climate change, including human activities, industrial pollution, and more. Use visual metaphors creatively to represent these complex concepts.

EFFECTS - Document the tangible impact of climate change on environments, communities, and life itself, from rising sea levels to extreme weather events. Highlight resilience, adaptation, and struggles.

SOLUTIONS - Showcase innovative and inspiring sustainability initiatives, emphasizing the human aspect behind them. Cover renewable energy, green architecture, and more, offering hope and practical solutions.

GEOGRAPHIC SPECIFIC - We encourage local storytellers to intimately capture climate change's impact on your region. Share your firsthand experiences, local beauty, and solutions, offering a unique perspective.

DROP DOWN 2

WINGS - Unveil the charm of these enchanting creatures, from soaring through the skies to the cozy comforts of home. This category also celebrates winged insects.

AQUATIC LIFE - Dive into a captivating world of aquatic creatures, including mammals, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates like corals and jellyfish.

TERRESTRIAL LIFE - Explore land-dwelling creatures worldwide, from mammals to reptiles, amphibians, and non-flying insects. Capture their untamed spirit in various habitats.

LANDSCAPES & FLORA - Capture wild places through a unique perspective, from vast landscapes to hidden ecosystems within plants. Your lens paints a vivid tapestry of nature's grandeur.

HUMAN & ANIMAL - Explore the intricate interactions between humans and the natural world, from scientists' efforts to conservationists' dedication. Depict the impacts, positive and negative, humans have on the environment.

THE ART OF NATURE - Blur the boundaries between art and science, unveiling the hidden wonders of life in abstract and extraordinary forms. Explore unconventional angles, patterns, and the microcosmic world, including black and white photography.

3.9.6.1. If you are currently a student at high school, college or university (or similar), you are eligible to enter the Student Award.

To enter you must complete a paid submission in the Student category.

3.9.7. Junior

Submission guidelines

4.1. Entries that have been submitted into Flywheel Forum & Festival in previous years will not be considered for judging.

4.2. Entries that have been submitted into other award programs will be considered for judging.

4.3. Each entry must be comprised of an original photograph produced entirely by the entrant or with permissions and credits when featuring archival/collaborative works.

4.4. AI/Computer Generated Imagery is not eligible for entry in any category of FFF and will not be considered for judging.

4.4.1. Entrants agree to provide original camera RAW files and/or documentation of film negatives where requested by the Promoter for any reason.

4.5. All details provided by the entrant must be true and accurate.

4.6. The entrant is responsible for determining the appropriate permissions or model releases for their entries if required. FFF does not request model release forms with entries. The entrant is solely liable for any disputes regarding permissions.

4.7. Images submitted with watermarks or branding on them will not be considered for judging and will be disqualified.

4.8. Entries that are found to breach these Terms and Conditions will be considered invalid and, if awarded a prize, that prize must be returned to the Promoter. The winners may be required to sign a statutory declaration regarding the originality of the entry. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Promoter reserves the right to take legal action against anyone found to have breached these terms. The Promoter reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual who the Promoter has reason to believe has breached any of these conditions, or engaged in any unlawful or other improper misconduct calculated to jeopardize the fair and proper conduct of the promotion. The Promoter's legal rights to recover damages or other compensation are reserved.

Deliberation

5.1. The initial review of images, shortlisted to approximately 200 images per category, will be completed by a panel of committee members from the Flywheel Forum & Festival administration. Shortlisted semi-finalists will not win a prize as a result of being determined shortlisted.

5.2. The second round of the deliberation process will be decided by the Promoter's Jury through a scoring system.

5.3. The top 20 highest scoring images from each group will be deliberated and discussed further by the Jury.

5.4. If any of the shortlisted images are found to be in breach of these Terms and Conditions, the Promoter reserves the right to disqualify.

5.5. There will be no correspondence between entrants and committee throughout this process.

Prizes

6.1. Each category will have winners associated with the multiple of drop-don identifiers. The Jury is instructed to not limit the number of winners but rather judge on the merit of the photographer to achieve his or her vision.

6.2. Prize recipients must be agreed upon by the committee.

6.3. Winners will be announced at the Flywheel Forum & Festival 2024 award ceremony in or about June 2024, and through the FFF website, newsletter, and social media. Earlier as FFF deems appropriate.

6.4. All decisions from the Jury are final.

6.5. Any prize recipients subsequently found by the Promoter to have breached these Terms and Conditions must return any awarded prize within 30 days of a request to do so. The Promoter will have the final decision on what to do with the prizes.

6.6. The Promoter will not be responsible for any costs associated with winning or delivery of the prizes unless specifically stated in these Terms and Conditions.

6.7. Prizes are not transferable or exchangeable and, with the exception of cash prizes, cannot be taken as cash. Vouchers need to be fulfilled within the terms and conditions from the providers. Prizes will be sent to the winner's nominated address.

Rights

7.1. Copyright remains vested with the photographer or entrant.

7.2. Flywheel does not claim ownership or rights to any image submitted to the competition.

7.3. Should Flywheel display any images on its website or social media channels, the photographer or entrant will receive due credit. Entrants grant permission for such use unless they specify otherwise.

7.4. By participating in the awards, entrants grant Flywheel permission to showcase credited images on Flywheel's platforms to promote Flywheel and its associated initiatives, including at the Festival in exhibition form.

7.5. If at any point an entrant wishes their image not to be used, Flywheel will respect this decision.

7.6. Flywheel is not responsible for third-party misuse of photographs.

7.7. Each participant understands that Flywheel has no mandate to feature their submission.

7.8. Should the competition be delayed by up to six weeks, no entry fees will be refunded. Once Flywheel resumes the competition, previous entries will be automatically reinstated.

7.9. In the event the competition is canceled, all entry fees will be fully refunded.

Website Use

8.1. Users are prohibited from using Flywheel's website content for unauthorized reproduction, publishing, modification, or any form of commercial exploitation.

8.2. It's forbidden to transmit unsolicited advertising, harvest personal data from Flywheel's site or upload third-party personal data.

8.3. The continuous functionality of Flywheel's servers isn't guaranteed. Users may encounter interruptions or difficulties. Flywheel isn't liable for any related losses or technical issues associated with the competition.

8.4. Flywheel assumes no responsibility for unauthorized access, theft, or distribution of competition entries.

Automatic Data Collection

9.1. Server logs automatically record the IP addresses of site visitors for statistical purposes. Such logs help improve the user experience by highlighting popular site areas.

9.2. IP addresses, typically non-personal in nature, are analyzed in aggregate. Reports on this aggregate data may be periodically presented in Flywheel's internal meetings.

Cookie Policy

10.1. Some sections of Flywheel's website use cookies to maintain session continuity. These cookies help with site navigation but do not store personal information. Users can adjust their browsers to block or alert them about these cookies. Disabling cookies might affect website functionality.

External Platforms Used by Flywheel

11.1. Google Analytics assists Flywheel in analyzing user activity on the site. No personally identifiable information is collected by Google through cookies from this website.

11.2. Google Adwords aids in online advertisement and tracking, utilizing cookies to serve ads based on users' past visits.

11.3. Facebook provides online advertisement services and tracking.

11.4. Picter serves as the platform for the entry submission process.

External Links and Social Networks

12.1. Flywheel's site contains external links. Flywheel is not liable for the privacy practices of these external sites. Additionally, Flywheel is active on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. Users should be aware of each platform's privacy terms before engaging.

Privacy Statement

13.1. By participating or voting, individuals agree to receive promotional messages from Flywheel. Opt-out options will be provided in all messages.

13.2. Flywheel and its associates collect personal data for competition management. Entrants' data might be shared with regulatory bodies or agencies involved in prize distribution. Flywheel's comprehensive privacy policy is accessible on their website.

Liability and Jurisdiction

14.1. These Terms and Conditions respect statutory consumer guarantees under United States and California laws. If a breach of these guarantees occurs, Flywheel's liability is limited to appropriate remedies like prize replacement or repair.

14.2. Flywheel disclaims responsibility for technical issues, unauthorized breaches, or any associated liabilities except for those which can't be lawfully excluded.

14.3. Prize recipients are urged to seek financial counsel regarding any tax implications.