The 2020 Air Force Photo Contest is set to launch July 1, following a short delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We did a quick check of our program and revised the theme to better reflect what our Airmen and families are going through right now," said Darlene Johnson, community and leisure programs manager at the Air Force Services Center.
The theme for this year's contest, which runs July 1 - 31, is "We Are Family."
"This national health crisis reminds us what truly matters," Johnson said. "That's our people, our connections, our families at home and in the workplace, and we wanted a theme that reflected that."
People are experiencing sadness, joy, humor and, for some, great loss, said Johnson, and she encourages everyone to share their special family moments through the contest.
"In this time of together, yet apart, we're capturing those moments and the photo contest gives you a greater opportunity to share those human emotions with your Air Force family," Johnson added.
The contest highlights and celebrates photography created by Airmen and families and is open to anybody ages 6 and older, at the time of submission, in five categories:
Adult categories (18 Years or older):
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Novice: Individuals who are new or inexperienced in the art of photography
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Accomplished: Individuals who have higher levels of photography skills obtained through experience, training, or who operate as professional photographers
Youth categories:
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Teens: Ages 13 to 17
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Preteens: Ages 9 to 12
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Children: Ages 6 to 8
Starting July 1, photographers can submit up to two original images in JPEG format at https://airforcephotocontest.wishpondpages.com. Images must be between 3 and 9 megabytes. As part of the Air Force's Arts and Crafts Program, the contest is open to all authorized patrons of Air Force morale, welfare and recreation programs.
The new Air Force Photo Contest Facebook page offers Air Force photographers the latest contest information, news, photographic tips and photo challenges.
"The photo contest itself is a small part of our overall goal, which is to support and connect our Air Force photographers with each other," Johnson said.
When the contest closes, July 31, expert photographers will evaluate each entry based on impact, creativity and technical excellence. Winners will be announced a few months later with the top three photographers in each category winning Amazon gift cards of $500 for first place, $400 for second place and $200 for third place.
