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Regional Photo Contest

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The Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG) is hosting a regional photo contest to gather photos that showcase the NVCOG region’s nineteen boroughs, towns, and cities through the eyes of its community members.

Towns We Serve: Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethlehem, Bristol, Cheshire, Derby, Middlebury, Naugatuck, Oxford, Plymouth, Prospect, Seymour, Shelton, Southbury, Thomaston, Waterbury, Watertown, Wolcott, Woodbury. 

Submit Your Photos

Click below to navigate to each section.

Eligibility

Who may participate 

Open to individuals aged 18 or older at the time AND high schoolers (Grades 9th through 12th) who reside in or photograph within any NVCOG member municipality listed above.  

Those in high school (Grades 9 through 12) will need to provide parent or guardian information alongside their submission, so they may be notified of contest updates and announcements. Access the fillable PDF Release Form to upload during submission process. Please download, complete, and upload when prompted in the ArcGIS/survey123 submission form.

Exclusions 

Contest jurors, members of the contest selection committee, and individuals directly involved in administering, judging, or producing contest materials are ineligible to receive prizes.

Protection of Personal Data  

By entering, Entrants consent to NVCOG’s processing of personal data (name, contact information, etc.) solely for contest administration, judging, crediting, notifications, and archival purposes. Personal data will be stored on NVCOG’s secure system (e.g., ArcGIS/survey123) and retained only as long as necessary for contest operations and lawful records management. NVCOG will not sell Entrant data nor share it with third parties. Entrants may request access, correction, or deletion of their personal data by contacting NVCOG.  

Theme: Life, Places, and Infrastructure of the Naugatuck Valley Region—images that capture municipal facilities (e.g., town halls, libraries, schools), public spaces (parks, trails, open space), mobility and infrastructure (train stations, crosswalks, stormwater features, energy installations), downtowns and main streets, events and culture, and aerial perspectives that illuminate land use and community character. These themes reflect the NVRPOCD’s five (5) Action Principles and planning topics that will be visualized by the contest’s photo submissions.  

Format: Open call for digital still photographs. Entries will be accepted online only via NVCOG’s designated submission form. A jury will evaluate eligible images and select winners and honorable mentions. 

Image Specifications & Technical Rules

File Format & Size:

  • Accepted formats: JPEG/JPG or PNG.  
  • Color is preferred; black and white is accepted  
  • Each file must be less than or equal to 5 MB  

Post-Processing & Authorship:

  • Global adjustments (exposure, white balance, contrast, color correction, cropping) are allowed.  
  • Panoramas are permitted if images are taken by the Entrant  
  • No watermarks or signatures on submitted files.

Restrictions on Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Generative Tools:

  • No AI-generated or AI – composited content (ex. fully synthetic scenes, AI sky replacement, AI object insertion, removal of objects)

Time Limits & Submission Limits:

  • Eligible capture dates: Images photographed within the last three (3) years prior to submission deadline. Photos taken between January 1, 2023 – July 31, 2026 are eligible.  
  • Photos submitted to other photo contests and won within the last three (3) years, will not be eligible for submission. 
  • Each Entrant may submit up to 3 images total.

Additional Rules:

  • Aerial images must comply with FAA Part 107 and all applicable local regulations (please refer to the FAA UAS Map for location restrictions); Entrants are responsible for lawful operation and permissions.
  • If a person can be clearly recognized in a photograph (for example, their face is visible and they are the main subject), the photographer must have that person’s permission to use or submit the image. For minors, written consent must be provided by a parent or legal guardian. 
  • Images that incidentally include minors at public events must avoid closeup, posed, or clearly identifiable representations and must comply with all applicable privacy requirements and event policies. 

Registration & Submission Process

  1. How to Enter: Complete NVCOG’s online submission form and upload images individually, including location, category, and brief caption information. The contest form will be hosted on NVCOG’s ArcGIS Online Cloud Environment.
  2. File Naming: Lastname_Firstname_Municipality_Category_0#.jpg (# refers to submission 1 of 3 submissions)
  3. Consent & Declaration: Entrants must agree to these Rules and the Copyright & Image Use section at submission.  

Deadlines

  1. Call Opens: March 23, 2026 
  2. Deadline Extended: July 31, 2026, 11:59 PM EST 
  3. Jury Review: August 2026 
  4. Notifications and Public Announcement: September 2026  

Evaluation Criteria & Jury Decision

Criteria (weighted equally):

  1. Relevance to Theme and Category (alignment with regional subjects and NVRPOCD use) 
  2. Technical Quality (lighting, composition/cohesion, clarity, detail) 
  3. Creativity (subject matter, location/landscape, colors)
  4. Impact (storytelling, originality, audience engagement, emotional response)

Finality of Decisions:  

All jury and NVCOG decisions regarding eligibility, selection, awards, disqualification, and category placements are final and binding.  

Notification of Results & Publication

  1. Method: Entrants will be notified via email or phone number using the contact information provided at registration.  
  2. Publications: Selected images (winners and honorable mentions) may be published on NVCOG’s website, social media, NVRPCOD materials, and in public presentations.  
  3. High – Resolution Files: NVCOG may request original high-resolution files to verify authenticity and to support publication quality. Failure to provide the requested files may result in disqualification.  
  1. Ownership: Entrants retain full copyright of their image 
  2. Image License Granted to NVCOG: By submitting, Entrant grants NVCOG a royalty-free, exclusive, perpetual license to use, reproduce, adapt, publish, display, distribute, and create derivative works from submitted images (including non-winning images) for the NVRPOCD and NVCOG communications, educational materials, reports, websites, social media, exhibitions, and other public interest publications related to NVCOG’s mission.  
  3. Use Restriction: NVCOG will not sell submitted images or license them to third parties for commercial purposes. Any third-party use will be limited to media outlets reporting on NVCOG projects, where NVCOG shares images for editorial coverage (non-commercial) with Entrant Credit.  
  4. Credits: NVCOG will credit the photographer as “[Name]/Courtesy NVCOG” where practicable and technically feasible. Entrants acknowledge that certain media channels or formats may not display credits.  

Participants’ Responsibilities

  1. Declaration of Rights: Entrant warrants they are the sole author and rights holder of the submitted images and that submission does not infringe any copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity, or other rights of any person or entity.  
  2. Necessary Permissions: Entrant is solely responsible for obtaining all property releases (e.g., interiors not open to the public), model releases (of identifiable persons), and event permissions (for restricted venues).  
  3. Disclaimer of Liability: Entrant acknowledges that photography may involve risks; Entrant assumes all responsibility for personal safety, equipment, and compliance laws. NVCOG is not liable for accidents, injuries, damage, or losses arising from participation.  
  4. Transparency for Exceptional Cases: If an image involves sensitive locations, restricted facilities, drone operations near critical infrastructure, or special circumstances, Entrants must disclose these details in a submission. NVCOG may request additional documentation or decline publication.  

Prizes & Recognition

  • Description of Prizes:
    • Winners

There will be one winning photo associated with each municipality for a total of 19 winners of the NVRPOCD photo contest. Winners will receive a gift card of twenty-five (25) dollars to an establishment in the respective municipality the winning photo is identified from. Winner Prize: $25.00 Gift Card

    • Honorable Mentions

A number of Honorable Mentions will be selected to recognize those whose work is of high quality, impact, and creativity in capturing the region.

  • Exhibition of Winning Works:

Winners and Honorable Mentions may be displayed on NVCOG platforms, printed in NVRPOCD, and showcased in regional presentations or meetings.  

  • Disqualifications & Reassignment:  

NVCOG reserves the right to disqualify entrants that violate these Rules and to reassign awards if a winner is later found ineligible or non-compliant.  

Modifications & Contest Cancellations

NVCOG may modify contest rules, categories, deadlines, or prizes, or cancel the contest in whole or in part if circumstances require (ex. Insufficient submissions, technical issues, public safety concerns). Material changes will be posted on the NVCOG public pages and sent via email to Entrants who have completed submissions.

Acceptance of Terms and Conditions

Submissions constitute Entrants’ full and unconditional acceptance of these Official Rules, the copyright & Image Use License, and any additional instructions or updates posted by NVCOG.

Conditions of Use & Unacceptable Behavior

Expected Behavior: 

Entrants must act lawfully, respectfully, and safely; obtain permissions; do not trespass; and respect community members and municipal staff while photographing public spaces, facilities, and events across the region (including downtowns, train stations, parks, and infrastructure listed in NVCOG guidance).  

Right of Exclusion & Consequences: 

NVCOG may remove or disqualify any Entrant or image for violations of rules, unsafe conduct, harassment, misrepresentation, or unethical practices. Repeated or egregious violations may result in permanent exclusion from future NVCOG contests. 

Additional Prohibitions: 

  • Content that is hateful, threatening, harassing, sexually explicit or exploitative, or that promotes illegal activity. 
  • Images obtained by trespass, deception, or dangerous drone operations. 
  • AI‑generated or materially AI‑altered content beyond permitted adjustments. 

Content Submitted by Participants: 

Entrant grants NVCOG the rights defined in Section 8 and acknowledges NVCOG’s discretion to edit captions, crop for layout, or adapt images for format while preserving the integrity of the work. 

Limitation of Liability: 

To the maximum extent permitted by law, NVCOG and its staff shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, or special damages arising from participation, submission systems, or publication. NVCOG’s total liability, if any, shall be limited to the value of the prize awarded to the affected Entrant. 

Final Decision: 

NVCOG’s determinations regarding rule interpretation, compliance, eligibility, and awards are final. 

Contact

Questions about eligibility, permissions, or submission issues: rpocd@nvcogct.gov.

Submission

You will be asked to provide basic contact information and contextual information regarding the photos submitted.  

Please click the link below to submit three (3) photos of your choosing with regard to the official rules, terms and conditions of the NVRPOCD Photo Contest.

if subject(s) in each of your photo(s) are under the age of 18, you will need parent/guardian permission. Please download/print, fill, and sign the Release Form. Upload the document(s) during the submission form where needed.

Submit Your Photos

Informational Flyer

Share this flyer with your peers and spread the word of our regional photo contest.