2025 CONTEST DETAILS
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The 2025 Sahuarita Photography Competition invites you to uncover the Everyday Wonders that make our town extraordinary. From the quiet beauty of a desert sunset to the vibrant energy of community gatherings, this year’s competition celebrates the spirit, creativity, and connections that define Sahuarita. Whether capturing the everyday or the extraordinary, let your lens tell the story of Sahuarita’s Everyday Wonders.
Amateur and professional photographers are invited to enter their best images in the third annual photography contest in Sahuarita, Arizona. The Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance and the Town of Sahuarita are partnering to encourage creativity and exploration through this special project collaboration. |
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EXHIBITION DETAILS
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Send in your best photos for a chance to win!
1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place winners will be awarded in six categories.
All winning photos will be featured in a yearlong printed exhibit at Town Hall beginning in June and recognized before the Town Council in the Fall. After the exhibit concludes, winning photographers will be invited to pick up their printed photos. All submitted and winning photos will be showcased on the competition website, and category-winning images may also be featured in local media. Entries will be open to submitting February 15, 2025 – May 15, 2024. IMPORTANT DATES 📅 Submission period: February 15 – May 15, 2025 ⏳ Deadline: May 15, 2025, at 11:59 PM 🏅 Winners announced: Early June via email and social media What Makes a Winning Photo? A great photograph goes beyond sharp focus and balanced composition—it tells a story. Judges will look for images that combine technical excellence with originality, artistic impact, and an eye for the unexpected. |
CATEGORIES
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Category 1: Nature's Inspiration
Celebrate the beauty of Sahuarita’s natural world. From vibrant plant life and majestic wildlife to serene lakes and desert blooms, capture the moments and details that make nature unforgettable. Let your lens bring Sahuarita’s landscapes to life. |
Category 2: Heart of Service
Capture the spirit of those who keep Sahuarita thriving. From teachers shaping young minds to nurses, firefighters, and park staff, showcase the dedication and impact of public service in action. Highlight their stories, their moments, and the heart of their service. |
Photographer: Steve Piepmeier
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Photographer: Aubrey Prestwich
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Category 3: Shadows, Light and Night
Explore the dramatic effects of Sahuarita’s light and shadows in its landscapes, buildings, or within the community. How does light shape our town in the daytime, and when the skies go dark? |
Category 4: Joyful Moments
Celebrate the smiles and laughter that light up Sahuarita. From kids at play and pets in motion to the excitement of community celebrations, capture the fleeting moments that reflect the joy of life. |
Photographer: Joseph Retsky
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Photographer: Tyler Rushing
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Category 5: On the Go
Show us how Sahuarita moves! From cycling and commutes to the thrill of local sports, show the energy and motion that keep our community alive. Let's see movement through your lens. |
Category 6: Youth
Entrant/photographer must be under the age of 18. Photos taken in Sahuarita can reflect any subject matter the entrant wants to submit. |
Photographer: Paul Livingston
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Photographer: Brooke Bowman
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JUDGING & WINNING PRIZES
Photos will be evaluated based on technical quality, composition, creativity, and alignment with the contest theme. Winning images will stand out not only for their clarity and craftsmanship but also for their ability to capture unexpected, compelling moments that bring Sahuarita’s Everyday Wonders to life.
Vintage/Historic photos (photos taken prior to 1980) can be submitted for consideration in any of the above categories. These photos may be submitted as a print instead of digital or can be scanned and submitted digitally.
A panel of professional artists, photographers, and editorial experts will evaluate entries. Winners will be officially announced in June 2025.
Winning Photographs will be published in the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance’s online newsletter, displayed on the SAACA website, posted to the SAACA Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter sites, among other uses permitted under these Photo Contest rules subject to the Photographer's rights noted below. Other Contest Photograph(s) may also be published inside SAACA's annual magazine and/or Sahuarita Parks, Recreation, and Community Services annual publications.
Vintage/Historic photos (photos taken prior to 1980) can be submitted for consideration in any of the above categories. These photos may be submitted as a print instead of digital or can be scanned and submitted digitally.
A panel of professional artists, photographers, and editorial experts will evaluate entries. Winners will be officially announced in June 2025.
Winning Photographs will be published in the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance’s online newsletter, displayed on the SAACA website, posted to the SAACA Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter sites, among other uses permitted under these Photo Contest rules subject to the Photographer's rights noted below. Other Contest Photograph(s) may also be published inside SAACA's annual magazine and/or Sahuarita Parks, Recreation, and Community Services annual publications.
PHOTO COMPETITION RULES
- Submit your photos and entry form online. Maximum size of image 4MB; entire submission cannot exceed 25MB.
- A maximum of 10 images can be submitted per photographer into the competition, with a limit of 7 photos into any particular category.
- All Photographs must be taken in the Town of Sahuarita.
- Photographer does not have to live or work in Sahuarita.
- Photographers of all ages are open to participating.
- Photos can be taken from any point in time (photos do not need to be taken in this calendar year).
- Photos should be submitted electronically as high-quality .jpg or .png
- Drone photography will be accepted.
- An online entry form must accompany each submission. Only entries with complete and accurate information will be considered eligible.
- All photographs should accurately reflect the subject matter and the scene as it appeared.
- If a Photographer chooses to include people in her/his submission, s/he is responsible for obtaining the necessary releases from the individuals depicted and must be able to provide copies of those releases upon request.
- Images will only be accepted without watermarks.
- Photos that have previously been awarded a prior year prize in the competition should not be re-submitted.
- Photographers may enter up to (10) Photographs total for the competition.
PHOTOGRAPHER RIGHTS
Photographers retain full copyright to their submitted photographs. However, by entering the Sahuarita Photography Competition, participants grant the Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance (SAACA) and the Town of Sahuarita a non-exclusive, worldwide, perpetual, royalty-free license to use their submitted photographs for non-commercial purposes. These may include publicity, education, community engagement, tourism promotion, and other initiatives that showcase life in Sahuarita.
Permitted Uses Include (but are not limited to):
In connection with the competition, SAACA and the Town of Sahuarita may include the Photographer’s name, city, state, and country of residence in promotional materials. SAACA and the Town of Sahuarita will archive submitted photographs in digital formats, ensuring proper credit is given wherever the images are used. All published images will include the caption: "© [Photographer's Name]."
LIABILITY & ENTRY DISCLAIMER
SAACA is not responsible for late, lost, damaged, or misdirected entries, nor for any miscommunications, transmission errors, or technical issues affecting submissions. By participating in the contest, photographers release and hold harmless SAACA, the Town of Sahuarita, and their respective employees, directors, and representatives from any claims related to the use of submitted images.
Permitted Uses Include (but are not limited to):
- Print & Digital Media – Websites, social media, newsletters, brochures, postcards, and magazines.
- Public Exhibitions – Displaying contest entries and winners in community spaces.
- Promotional Materials – Non-commercial campaigns highlighting the town and SAACA’s mission.
In connection with the competition, SAACA and the Town of Sahuarita may include the Photographer’s name, city, state, and country of residence in promotional materials. SAACA and the Town of Sahuarita will archive submitted photographs in digital formats, ensuring proper credit is given wherever the images are used. All published images will include the caption: "© [Photographer's Name]."
LIABILITY & ENTRY DISCLAIMER
SAACA is not responsible for late, lost, damaged, or misdirected entries, nor for any miscommunications, transmission errors, or technical issues affecting submissions. By participating in the contest, photographers release and hold harmless SAACA, the Town of Sahuarita, and their respective employees, directors, and representatives from any claims related to the use of submitted images.