WASHINGTON (Aug. 6, 2012)—For more than 100 years, National Geographic has featured the work of some of the world’s foremost photographers in its magazine and other media products. Now, National Geographic is giving kids a chance to be the next Chris Johns, Joel Sartore or Annie Griffiths with its sixth annual International Photography Contest for Kids. The competition is conducted in partnership with the U.S. edition of National Geographic Kids magazine (also available in Canada) and 10 local-language NG Kids editions in Bulgaria, Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Slovenia, South Africa, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
Each country will select first- and second-prize winners in four categories: People, Animals, Scenery and Humor. All first-place winners will compete for the grand prize: a five-day, four-night trip to Washington, D.C., and a special tour of National Geographic headquarters.
The contest is open to kids ages 6-14. U.S. contestants may enter now through Oct. 31, 2012, by submitting one photo in any or all four categories. Photos can be black-and-white or color, and shot with a digital camera or with conventional film. Entries can be submitted online at http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids-photo-contest/ or via regular mail. Entry forms and official contest rules are found at http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/contests/photo-contest-rules/. Void where prohibited.
“Whether it’s documenting a moment shared between friends or an interesting angle of an everyday object or even a funny portrait of a family dog, a photograph has the magic to bridge barriers to communicate a message or feeling,” said Melina Bellows, International Photography Contest judge and National Geographic’s executive vice president and chief creative officer for Books, Kids and Family. “Through the National Geographic International Photography Contest for Kids, we hope to encourage kids from around the globe to use the power of photography to capture their world and share it with others.”
Each participating international local-language edition will submit its winning entries in each category to National Geographic headquarters to be judged alongside the winning U.S. entries by a panel of three National Geographic experts: Bellows; National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore (author of “Photographing Your Family” and “Rare: Portraits of America’s Endangered Species”); and Jay Sumner, photo director for National Geographic Kids Publishing and Media.
The judges will announce the winning entries in January 2013. Winning entries will be featured in the U.S. and international editions of National Geographic Kids magazine.
Note: 2011 National Geographic International Photography Contest for Kids winning images are available at http://press.nationalgeographic.com/downloads/IPC_Kids/2011_winners
(username: press | password: press).
About National Geographic Kids magazine
National Geographic Kids, a multitopic, photo-driven magazine for 6- to 14-year-olds, empowers its readers by making it fun to learn about the world. It covers animals, entertainment, science, technology, cultures and current events. Its numerous industry awards include Periodical of the Year in 2005 and 2006 from the Association of Educational Publishers. Published 10 times a year and in 17 local-language editions, National Geographic Kids has a circulation of 1.1 million and is available by subscription for $19.95 a year and on newsstands for $4.99 a copy. Its website is at kids.nationalgeographic.com.
###