Shorelife Festival Photography Competition Ts & Cs

 Terms and Conditions 2026

1. Competition Overview

Ards and North Down Borough Council invites amateur photographers to enter the Shorelife Festival Photography Competition 2026.

The competition celebrates the theme ‘Shorelife’, capturing the landscapes, wildlife, people, heritage and coastal experiences that make the Ards and North Down coastline unique.

The competition opens on 10 October 2026 and closes at 5pm on Wednesday 18 November 2026

Selected entries will be exhibited at Ards and North Down Borough Council and Partner Venues at Mount Stewart and WWT Castle Espie.

2. Eligibility

1. The competition is open to amateur photographers only.
   • Amateur photographer: A photographer who does not earn the majority of their annual income from photography. Anyone who derives more than 50% of their annual income from photography is considered a professional photographer and is not eligible to enter.
2. Professional photographers are not eligible to enter.
3. Employees of Ards and North Down Borough Council, elected Members, festival partners, judges and their immediate family members are not eligible to enter.
4. Entrants under the age of 16 must have the consent of a parent or legal guardian.

3. Theme and Location

1. All photographs must clearly reflect the theme "Shorelife".
2. Images must be taken within Ards and North Down Borough.
3. Images should not include people and should feature coastal, marine, shoreline, wildlife, heritage or community-related subjects.
4. Photographs must have been taken on or after 1 January 2026.
5. The judges reserve the right to determine whether an image meets the theme and location requirements.

4. How to Enter

1. Each entrant may submit a maximum of four photographs.
2. Entries must be submitted digitally through the method outlined on the competition webpage.
3. Each entry must include:
   • Photographer's name
   • Contact email and telephone number
   • Photograph title
   • Location where the photograph was taken
   • A brief description (optional)
4. Images must be submitted in JPEG format.
5. The Council reserves the right to request original image files for verification purposes.

5. Prizes

• Will be awarded to winners of the under and over 18 category winners. A winner and a runner-up will be awarded in each category.

Over 18yrs old category

1st prize over 18yrs old – tbc

2nd prize over 18yrs old – tbc

Under 18yrs old category

1st prize under 18 yrs old – tbc

2nd prize over 18yrs old – tbc

6. Image Requirements

1. All photographs must be submitted in landscape orientation.
2. Photographs must be the original work of the entrant.
3. Images must not contain watermarks, logos or identifying marks.
4. Colour and black-and-white photographs are accepted.
5. Images generated wholly or partly using artificial intelligence (AI) are not permitted.
6. Composite images created from multiple photographs are not permitted.

7. Image Editing

1. Basic adjustments such as cropping, exposure, colour correction, contrast and sharpening are permitted.
2. The content of a photograph must not be significantly altered.
3. The addition, removal or replacement of elements within an image is not permitted.
4. Entries deemed to be excessively manipulated may be disqualified at the judges' discretion.

8. Wildlife and Permissions

1. Entrants must ensure that photographs of wildlife are taken responsibly and without causing disturbance, harm or distress to animals or habitats.
2. Photographs must be taken safely and lawfully. Entrants must not trespass, enter restricted areas, or place themselves or others at risk in order to obtain a photograph.
3. Entrants must ensure that photographs do not infringe the rights of any third party.
4. Photographs that demonstrate unsafe, harmful or illegal behaviour may be disqualified.

9. Copyright and Usage Rights

1. Photographers retain copyright of their submitted images.
2. By entering the competition, photographers grant Ards and North Down Borough Council a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to:
   • Display photographs as part of the competition exhibition;
   • Use photographs in Shorelife Festival publicity and promotion;
   • Use photographs in Council marketing, visitor information, social media, websites, publications and exhibitions related to tourism, heritage, culture and the natural environment.
3. Where reasonably possible, photographers will be credited when their images are used.
4. No payment will be made for the use of submitted photographs.

10. Judging

1. Entries will be judged on:
   • Relevance to the theme
   • Creativity and originality
   • Composition and technical quality
   • Visual impact
2. Judging will be undertaken by a panel appointed by Ards and North Down Borough Council.
3. Judges' decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into.

11. Exhibition and Awards

1. Selected entries will be exhibited at Ards and North Down Borough Council and Partner Venues at Mount Stewart and WWT Castle Espie.
2. Prize categories and awards will be announced on the competition webpage.
3. Selected entrants may be contacted prior to the exhibition for additional image files or information.

12. Liability

1. Ards and North Down Borough Council accepts no responsibility for entries that are lost, corrupted, incomplete or received after the closing date.
2. Ards and North Down Borough Council accepts no responsibility for entries not received due to technical issues.
3. Entrants participate at their own risk.
4. Ards and North Down Borough Council reserves the right to disqualify entries that do not comply with these Terms and Conditions.
5. The Council reserves the right to cancel, amend or suspend the competition where necessary.

13. Data Protection and Publicity

1. Personal data supplied as part of the competition will only be used for administering the competition and contacting entrants.
2. Personal information will be processed in accordance with UK data protection legislation and the Council's Privacy Notice.
3. By entering the competition, entrants agree to the processing of their personal data for these purposes.
4. Winners may be announced on websites, social media channels and promotional materials.

14. Acceptance of Terms

By entering the Shorelife Festival Photography Competition, entrants confirm that they have read, understood and agreed to these Terms and Conditions.

15. Promoter

The promoter of the competition is:

Ards and North Down Borough Council
City Hall
The Castle
Bangor
BT20 4BT

For further information, visit:

www.visitardsandnorthdown.com/Shorelife