Only registered Digital Image Cafe members may participate in our photo contests.

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Upload Policy

By submitting to Digital Image Cafe, you authorize Digital Image Cafe to publish the submission for display within our web site. Should an entry be selected as a Photo of the Day and other possible awards which may follow, the entry shall remain in our database for the term of this web sites existence or until it is removed due to aging and/or server space. Removal by request will not be granted with the exception of copyright infringement and/or content that violates our Terms of Use at our sole discretion.

For entries in photographic categories other than Digital Art (DA), the photo MUST have been taken by you. You agree that you are the owner of the photo. Under no circumstance are you allowed to submit an image that is copywritten by someone else even if those rights have been transferred to you.

For entries in the Digital Art (DA) category, the image MUST be your own creation but may also contain elements of which you own the rights. However, these elements should not comprise the entire image. Elements that are considered Public Domain are not allowed in whole or part in any category. For filters and elements that are supplied with software, consult that software manufacturers End User License Agreement (EULA).

You are not allowed to submit any images of a questionable nature. Digital Image Cafe reserves the right to delete any image submitted to us that we deem inappropriate. Any member that intentionally violates this policy will risk losing their membership, as well as any membership fees that may have been paid.

Contest Categories

Below apply to all Categories

With the exception of the Digital Art Category; Excessive Digital Manipulation, Selective Desaturation, Digitally added Frames (a 2px maximum border on edge of photo is allowed) and/or Text not allowed. Selective Blurring of items such as names and identifying marks for security and privacy purposes is allowed.

NOTE: No Watermarks or Signatures are permitted on ANY POTD submissions!

Though there is a separate category for B&W photography, members may enter a B&W or IR photo in any category as long as the content fits the subject guideline for that category.

You may submit photographic multi-framed entries, such as diptychs, triptychs, etc. to any category to which the subject matter applies. These entries must still comply with the Panorama upload sizing guidelines (see upload page for those details). Each photographic component contained must also meet the 2 pixels frame maximum as already outlined above. The entire non-photo background of the entry must be white, black or any shade of gray. The background may not contain any graphic element(s) except for optional non-stylized text below each framed component titling purposes only. All other rules will still apply for the contained components and if any or all of them do not comply with the category guidelines, the entire entry will be disqualified.

HDR processing, RAW processing, and global processes on the entire photo; do not constitute it being a Digital Art entry. The image must appear natural, otherwise it may be considered DA.

Entries must still appear natural otherwise they may be considered DA.

Photo of the Day selections are final with the exception of, but not limited to, copyright infringements and duplicate wins at the sole discretion of Digital Image Cafe. See Terms of Use for overall Member Content Restrictions.

Please remember that the entire judging process is done manually by real human beings, mistakes will be made from time to time. Digital Image Cafe will not respond to any inquiries or challenges in regard to winning images. All winning images are final with the exception of copyright infringement and/or content that violates our Terms of Use at our sole discretion.

Still Life/Other

Still Life is the type of work in which an arrangement of diverse inanimate objects, including items of food, plants and artifacts is depicted. This arrangement is often apparently random and is usually within a domestic setting. A “Still Life” is an arrangement of anything that does not move or is dead. Anything still living is not a “Still Life”.

Other Photography is an entry that does not appear to fit in any other category.

Scenic

Scenic Photography is Landscapes, Cityscapes, Seascapes and Skies. Broad or wide-angle views in which the main subject is the environment. Architecture is best suited, but not limited to this category.

People

People Photography contains people or a person. Can be Portraiture, Journalism or Candid, as long as there is a person or persons presented.

Digital Art

Digital Art, contemporary art in which computer technology is used in a wide variety of ways to make distinctive works. All components of the entry must be the entrants own photography and/or artwork. No base photography is required for Digital Art. Public Domain imagery is NOT allowed.

For entries in the Digital Art (DA) category, the image MUST be your own creation but may also contain elements of which you own the rights. However, these elements should not comprise the entire image. Elements that are considered Public Domain are not allowed in whole or part in any category. For filters and elements that are supplied with software, consult that software manufacturers End User License Agreement (EULA).

Macro/Abstract

Macro photography refers to close-up photography. Entries should be 1:1 or larger but not required. General Close-up photography will suit this category. Subject matter is not limited to anything in particular. You need not specifically use your Macro feature.

Abstract photography is having only basic or essential form with little or no pictorial representation or narrative content. Generally, if it is immediately recognizable as an object - it is not always considered an abstract.

Abstract in this category refers to the abstract quality of the photograph composition, not the abstract quality of the subject matter.

Black & White

Black & White Photography depicts any subject matter in a grayscale, sepia or monotone manner.

Animal

Animal Photography depicts Animals and Insects.

Theme

Rules and guidelines will be outlined within a week of the 1st of every month.

Panos

Panos can be submitted in any category, provided they fit the category content.

Photo of The Day

• Digital Image Cafe Upload Policy
  By submitting an image, you authorize Digital Image Cafe to publish it for display within our web site.
• For entries in photographic categories other than Digital Art (DA), the photo MUST have been taken by you. You agree that you are the owner of the photo. Under no circumstance are you allowed to submit an image that is copywritten by someone else even if those rights have been transferred to you.
  
  For entries in the Digital Art (DA) category, the image MUST be your own creation but may also contain elements of which you own the rights. However, these elements should not comprise the entire image. Elements that are considered Public Domain are not allowed in whole or part in any category. For filters and elements that are supplied with software, consult that software manufacturers End User License Agreement (EULA).
  
  You are not allowed to submit any images of a questionable nature. Digital Image Cafe reserves the right to delete any image submitted to us that we deem inappropriate. Any member that intentionally violates this policy will risk losing their membership, as well as any membership fees that may have been paid.

• You may submit one image in each category. Once you enter a category, you should not enter that category again until the next day. (Cutoff time is 11:59 PM EST).
• Your entry will stay active and be eligible for one week (7 days). Please do not resubmit a photo prior to the end of these 7 days after it's previous submission.
• Categories should be followed as closely as possible.
• All winning Photo of the Day images should not be entered into any of our contests again. The exception to this is our Photo of the Month contest, where all POTD's are automatically entered for that period. In the event that a previous winning image is selected as a POTD again, it will be disqualified once it has been discovered.

Photo of the Month

• All Photo of the Day winning images are automatically entered in our Photo of the Month contest.
• An image selected as a Photo of the Month may NOT be entered into any of our contests again, with the exception of an automatic entry into our Photo of the Quarter contest. All winning POTM images will always be available for viewing in our POTM archives.
• You must be a member in good standing at the time any prize is awarded.
• Picture of the Day (POTD) winners must be members with a Full Membership, in good standing for the Month awarded.
• Prizes are awarded to all categories in our Photo of the Month contest. Certain partners have agreed to sponsor a particular category, while others leave it to our discretion. Digital Image Cafe will not work out trades between members for prizes. Digital Image Cafe and/or MacMillan, Inc. are not responsible for the non-delivery of prizes due to Sponsors failure to comply with our agreements and other circumstances beyond our control. Any or all prizes may change at any time without prior notice. Prizes are subject to change at any time, without notice.

Critique Section - Photo of The Week

• All submitted images must be your own.
• Photo of the Week winners will be selected by the previous POTW winner.
• In the event that the previous winner is not available to make the selection, it will be made by Digital Image Cafe judges.

Prizes

Monthly winners may be responsible for any applicable federal, state, or local taxes, tariffs, or import duty fees that may result from the receipt of their prize. If local, state, or federal laws in your state and/or country of residence prohibit this contest, prize will not be awarded. We reserve the right to substitute prizes if any of the prizes become unavailable due to events beyond our control. Prizes shipped outside the US will be labeled as “gifts”, MacMillan, Inc, Digital Image Cafe and/or Shutterbugs will not falsify shipping documents for the purpose of avoiding import duties. In accepting any prize from Digital Image Cafe your contact information will be conveyed to the awarding Sponsor and you give them the right to contact you.