Participants are expected to honor the rules and regulations of the Colorado Pro Photographer Showdown 2026, a competition centered on creativity.

Contestants are encouraged to embrace the ‘spirit of this event’ by showcasing imagery that captures the spirit of Colorado and beyond. We value designs that reflect both creativity and stewardship, ensuring the integrity of the roles and regulations is upheld.

If selected as a finalist, all final submissions must be delivered by cutoff date to be determined. Late submissions will not be accepted under any circumstances.

Applicants must be 18 years of age or older at the time of application and must be a Colorado resident provable by a valid driver’s license.

Entries may be in the form of narrative, documentary, action or experimental work. The subject matter, or theme, is up to each photographer.

Technical quality may factor into the judges’ decisions.

All photography and editing must be completed by the registered photographer. However, participants may engage external collaborators for video production support.

Photographers must agree to not show any part of their presentation publicly prior to the event and understand that failure to comply with this role will result in disqualification.

Failure by the applicant to follow any of the rules and regulations may result in disqualification.

• I have read and understand all rules, regulations, and submission guidelines for the Colorado Pro Photographer Showdown. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in immediate disqualification.

• I agree to abide by all decisions made by the Showdown judges and organizers in all matters related to the competition.

• I grant the Showdown organizers a non-exclusive right to use my name, likeness, and submitted images for promotional and publicity purposes, including but not limited to exhibitions, projections, webcasting, affiliated websites, and social media channels. I also grant the organizers the right to crop or format submitted images as needed for presentation.

• I acknowledge that I am solely responsible for securing and protecting any copyrights associated with my submitted work. The Showdown organizers assume no responsibility for copyright protection.

• I agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Colorado Pro Photographer Showdown, its organizers, sponsors, judges, and partners from any and all claims, damages, losses, or liabilities arising from my participation or submitted work.

• I agree to attend all required participant meetings and events as outlined in the official Colorado Week of Photography event schedule.

• I agree not to publicly display or publish submitted images prior to the official Showdown exhibition and understand that failure to comply may result in disqualification.

• I commit to conducting all photography activities in a safe, respectful, and lawful manner.

• I understand the photographer retains full ownership of all submitted images.

• I acknowledge that all submitted or used photographs comply with local, state, and federal laws, as well as any location-specific regulations or restrictions.

• To ensure fairness and safety, certain equipment or techniques (including but not limited to drones, if specified by event rules) may be restricted. Any prohibited or illegal use will result in disqualification.

• Applications must be submitted by (deadline). Late submissions will not be accepted under any circumstances.

• Must be 18 or older

• Must be a resident of Colorado verified by a valid driver’s license

• Only one entry per person/photographer

• No collaborate entries of more than one photographer

• All images must be made by the photographer entering

  • Must be provable if requested

• Must submit 20 images for review by a jury

  • Select images that showcase your ability and theme for your show if selected as one of the five finalists

  • Photos may be mildly post-processed and cropped, but graphics, special effects, heavy editing, color-grading, and composite images are not permitted.

  • May be black and white though not tonally extreme through editing

  • Images may be from the lawful use of a drone

  • Must be 1080 on the long edge and 72/300 dpi, no larger than 5MB each

  • Must be able to send a RAW file if ownership or editing is in question

• Each finalist must create and present a themed, high resolution, digital slideshow of their best work, set to a curated music track no longer than 10-minutes in length.

  • Important Note: if each image is shown for 3 seconds, that would require 160 images for an 8-minute show. Be aware, if you are selected as a finalist, you must know that you have enough qualifying images in your inventory for a complete video presentation no longer than 10 minutes before applying. Do not apply if you do not have enough images to create a strong presentation.

• Presentations should highlight the diversity and creativity of regional photographers, featuring stunning landscapes, the human condition, action shots, wildlife, and cultural imagery that capture the spirit of Colorado and beyond.

• Submit a portrait image for use on website and social media

• Submit a short biography for use on website and social media

• Must be able to attend the week of photography events?

• Must be able to attend the DAC reception…the night before the show?

• Each photographer selected to compete will be provided with an honorarium of $### to prepare their program and twenty guest tickets for the performance.

• A panel of expert judges will determine which photo presentation is “Best in Show.” The audience will vote for “People’s Choice” using a mobile app. A $#### prize is offered for both categories.

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