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Home / News / Deadline Extended: Planning Department Invites Public to Enter Bicycle Master Plan Photo Contest until October 31

Deadline Extended: Planning Department Invites Public to Enter Bicycle Master Plan Photo Contest until October 31

Bicycle Photo Contest BannerWinners will receive gift cards and their photos will become part of the Bicycle Master Plan or other Planning Department documents

SILVER SPRING, MD – The Montgomery County Planning Department, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, invites the public to enter its Bicycle Master Plan Photo Contest, to be held until October 31 at 4 p.m. The winning images will become part of the master plan document and other publications produced by the Planning Department.

The contest provides the opportunity to showcase cyclists in urban, suburban and rural settings in Montgomery County. Action shots, staged shots and photos showing the joy of being on two wheels can be submitted in the following categories:

Categories of photos

  1. Best family
  2. Best commuter
  3. Best recreational
  4. Best kid shot
  5. Other (errands)

Participation is free and open to the public. Each person can enter up to five (5) photos, which must be submitted electronically. The contest will begin on Monday, September 12, 2016 and the submission period will end on Monday, October 31 at 4 p.m. For more details, consult the online contest page.

Semifinalists will be selected by a jury of professional planners and photographers and the winner will be selected by the public in an online poll. The photos with the most votes in each category will receive $100 in gift cards and will be promoted on social media. All photos will be eligible to be included in the Bicycle Master Plan.

Sign up for the Bicycle Master Plan e-letter

Follow the team on Twitter: @MCBikePlan

What to enter

High quality digital images capturing the best of cycling in Montgomery County (see categories listed above) can focus on people running errands, commuting, cycling for exercise and fun, family cycling and group rides, among others. All photos must be original, not copies of existing images.

For some examples, check out these photos that have been a part of previous documents for the Bicycle Master Plan. See the Bicycle Master Plan Framework Report.

If you choose to include people other than yourself in your submission, you are responsible for obtaining the necessary releases from the individuals depicted and must be able to provide copies of those releases to M-NCPPC upon request. Entrants must not submit images that infringe on the rights of any other photographer or person.

Technical rules

All photographs should accurately reflect the subject matter and the scene as it appeared. Photos that have been digitally altered beyond standard optimization (removal of dust, cropping, reasonable adjustments to exposure, color and contrast, etc.) will be disqualified. Multiple exposures that have been combined to produce a single “High Dynamic Range” image are acceptable. Images that do not meet these requirements may or may not be judged at the judging panel’s sole discretion.

Photo captions must accompany all submissions, and should include:

Please clearly label all photos to assist judges in determining eligibility.

All photographs will be credited with the caption “Photo by Person’s Name.” M-NCPPC has final approval of any language that appears on its website with any of the photos and will not promote or endorse third-party products or services.

The Montgomery County Planning Department Bicycle Master Plan Photo Contest is open to ANYONE at least 18 years of age. The contest is open to all participants as long as the laws of their jurisdiction allow participation. M-NCPPC employees, board members and photographers currently paid by M-NCPPC and the immediate families of such individuals, regardless of residence or citizenship, are NOT eligible.

Your submission of any photographs to the Montgomery County Planning Department for the Bicycle Master Plan Photo Contest is subject to the Terms and Conditions listed on the online contest page.

About The Montgomery County Planning Department
The Montgomery County Planning Department, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, aims to improve quality of life by conserving and enhancing the natural and built environment for current and future generations. The Planning Department creates great communities by developing master plans, reviewing applications for development and analyzing various types of information to help public officials plan for Montgomery County’s future. The Department comprises 140 staff members and provides recommendations, information, analysis and services to the Montgomery County Planning Board, the County Council, the County Executive, other government agencies and the public. Visit www.montgomeryplanning.org.

Accessibility
The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission encourages the involvement and participation of all individuals in the community. In accordance with the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M‑NCPPC) will not discriminate against individuals with disabilities in its services, programs or activities. M‑NCPPC works to make its facilities and materials accessible and to hold public meetings in locations that are, likewise, accessible. M‑NCPPC will generally provide, upon request, appropriate aids and services and make reasonable modifications to policies and programs for persons with disabilities (e.g., large print materials, listening devices, sign language interpretation, etc.). For assistance with such requests, please contact the M-NCPPC Montgomery County Commissioners’ Office, at least a week in advance of a meeting or event, at (301) 495-4605 or at mcp-chair@mncppc-mc.org. Maryland residents can also use the free Maryland Relay Service for assistance with calls to or from hearing or speech-impaired persons; for information, go to www.mdrelay.org/ or call (866) 269-9006. Residents may also call the TTY number, (301) 495-1331, for assistance.