Rules & Regulations

Registration Overview
  • PhotoArt is open to all residents of Halton Hills. Not a resident in Halton, but would like to participate? Simply pay the $5 non-residents fee on your registration form.
  • Entrants register online and submit digital photo images using the PhotoArt online registration link. 
  • A panel of certified judges/artists will be convened to score images across all categories and approximately 230 top scoring images will be selected for the gallery exhibition. All photos are judged anonymously. The 3 highest scoring images in each category will be awarded contest prizes at the awards evening. 
  • Winning images, honourable mentions, and selected high scores in both
    Adult and Youth categories will qualify for a coveted spot in our print
    exhibition and sale.
  • Qualifying entrants will be notified via email.
  • All qualifying images MUST be printed, mounted and submitted to the PhotoArt team during the scheduled drop off  (See mounting criteria here):​
  • Receipt of any Adult or Youth award is contingent upon receipt of a mounted print prior to the gallery exhibition opening.
  • ALL Children's entries will be printed and displayed courtesy of the PhotoArt committee. Children's entrants are not responsible for printing of their images.
​
Categories
Adult: 18 years of age or older
  • Lifestyle
  • Portraiture
  • Creatures & Critters
  • Flowers & Foliage
  • Objects & Abstracts
  • Scenery
  • Architecture
  • Creative
There is a maximum of 2 entries per category and a total of 10 entries per entrant. For a brief description of our competition categories visit our CATEGORIES page. PhotoArt reserves the right to change the category in which an image has been entered.

Youth: Grades 9 through 12 - Open Category
  • OPEN – Showcase your CREATIVITY! Any subject matter, any creatively conceived entry (including photographs taken on cell phones, as well as any images manipulated using apps or software such as Instagram or Photoshop).
  • There is a maximum of 6 entries per entrant.

Children's: Grades K-5 (Jr); Grades 6-8 (Sr) - Favourite Subject
  • OPEN – choose one (1) theme (for ex. family vacation, nature, people, pets, snow)
    & submit one (1) digital image (preferably 4x6 format) depicting that theme. 
  • ​All children who enter will receive a certificate of merit regardless of placing.

Registration Fees
  • All participants must register using the PhotoArt online registration link.
  • Adult Registration Fee ~ $5 per image (up to 10 images)
  • Youth Registration Fee ~ $2 per image (up to 6 images)
  • Children's Registration ~ No Fee ​

Prizes* (cash or gift in kind)
Adult & Youth Categories
First: $75
Second: $50
Third: $25

Children's (Jr & Sr)
First: $25 
Second: $15
Third: $10

All Categories
Best in Show: TBA
​Mayors Choice: TBA
People's Choice: TBA

*We reserve the right to update or alter these terms at any time.

Photo Submissions
  • There are no date restrictions on when the photograph was taken.
  • Photo entries may be uploaded using the PhotoArt online registration link at any time after registration opens on Monday, January 1st, and no later than 11:59 PM on Sunday,  January 27, 2024. Payment is due at time of registration.
  • If you are unable to complete online payment for any reason, please contact hh.photoart@gmail.com to arrange drop-off of cash or cheque prior to the entry deadline.
  • Each photo entry must be uploaded in JPEG format sized maximum 1920 pixels height or width, highest quality jpeg, in sRGB colour space. (max. file size 4MB). The objective is to maintain the highest image and presentation quality. Please title as follows... Image Title.jpg (ex. Blue Jay.jpg - Sentence Case).
  • Photos must be submitted exactly as intended to be judged. PhotoArt will make no alterations, rotations or adjustments to the photograph after submission.
  • Photos may not contain watermarks or any other features which might identify the maker to the judges. Photos with watermarks or other identifying marks will be removed from the competition without any notice to the entrant.
  • All images must be produced by the photographer entering PhotoArt.
  • Images previously entered into PhotoArt are not eligible.
  • PhotoArt reserves the right, in its absolute discretion, to refuse to display and/or remove from display any entry whose subject matter is deemed inappropriate for a community based competition.
  • Digital images entries submitted without payment by the end of the registration period, will not be valid.
  • If you have any questions please contact hh.photoart@gmail.com.
  • By submitting the entry form, entrants agree to allow HHCC to use their name and image(s) in advertising/promotion for current and future PhotoArt events, including HHCC website.

Judging of Photos
  • The jury for adult, youth and children's categories will consist of accredited photography judges or local artists who are not affiliated with PhotoArt.
  • The jury of judges will score the submitted anonymous digital images based on the following criteria: overall impact, creative and artistic merit, composition, and technical merit.
  • Selection of winning images, honourable mentions and selected high score images to be displayed will be based on the cumulated scores from the jury of judges.
  • The Judges' decisions are final.

Show and Sale
  • COVID RESTRICTIONS PERMITTING: Award winners are announced and prizes presented at the Awards evening on Thursday, March 7th, 2024 at the Halton Hills Cultural Centre, (viewing begins at 6:00pm, ceremony at 7pm). All PhotoArt participants, family and friends are invited to attend.
  • Prints are identified by a nameplate, showing the Photographer’s Name, Photograph Title, and Sale Price.
  • All displayed prints are offered for sale during the Gallery Exhibition at a price set by the photographer as indicated on the registration form. Alternatively, the entrant can choose to mark any image NFS - Not For Sale. Where no price is specified, we will use $30 as a standard value for sale purposes. Please note that the Town of Halton Hills takes a 20% commission (+ HST) on all sales. Please take this into account when establishing the price of your work.
  • Purchased prints are available for pickup at the end of the exhibition. Arrangements can be made for later pickup.
  • People’s Choice Award – All visitors to the PhotoArt Exhibition can vote via ballot at the Halton Hills Cultural Centre. Votes will be tallied on April 1, 2024 and the winner will be contacted via email and announced on the PhotoArt website.
  • Halton Hills PhotoArt Competition & Exhibition reserves the right to display digital copies of all submitted photos on the PhotoArt websites and for promotional applications, with full credit given to the photographer.

Return of Images:
  • All images will be returned at a specified date & location TBA. We are not responsible for lost or damaged entries without an official entry receipt. Liability is limited to replacement of materials.

Further Details:
  • ​Model Release: A signed model release form must be submitted for all pictures containing an identifiable person(s) as a primary subject unless taken at a public event, during which participants can expect to be photographed. Form is available in both printable or digital formats.
  • Best in Show Award: The award for Best in Show will go to the HIGHEST scoring image. In the event of a tie, the Judges will review the images and break the tie.
  • Mayor's Choice: Chosen by Mayor of Halton Hills after reviewing the prints displayed in the Gallery prior to the Awards evening.
  • For mounting & labelling criteria and advice visit our Mounting 101 Page

By submitting photographs to the PhotoArt Competition & Exhibition, you are declaring your understanding and acceptance of these rules.

Further questions about PhotoArt may be directed to hh.photoart@gmail.com