Annual True North Calendar Photo Contest

1. Must be an Alaskan resident age 18 years or older.
2. There is no cost to enter.
3. Entrants are limited to no more than seven images.
4. Photos will be submitted at: https://bit.ly/4tWlsHD no later than 11:59 p.m. July 31, 2026.
5. By entering, entrants agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless TNFCU, its officers, directors and employees, from any and all third party liability for any injuries, loss, claim, action, demand or damage of any kind arising from or in connection with the contest, including without limitation any third party claim for copyright infringement or a violation of an individual’s right to privacy or publicity right.
6. Image Quality:
   1. Digital manipulation that changes the content or meaning of a photograph is not allowed.
   2. Minor adjustments to brightness and color are acceptable.
   3. Submission needs to be no less than 600x800 and no more than 1200x1920.
   4. If your photo is selected, you will be required to submit file size 13000x16000 (must work for a 22”x28” poster).
   5. TIFF or JPG file only.
7. Photos must have been shot within Alaska.
8. Photos that have been previously published, accepted for publication, or are under consideration by other publications are not eligible.
9. Photos must have been taken on or after July 1, 2025 and no later than July 31, 2026.
10. If photos include people, entrant is responsible for obtaining the necessary releases from the individuals depicted, and must be able to provide copies of those releases to TNFCU upon request.
11. Finalists may be asked to submit original materials for publication; these originals will be returned.
12. TNFCU reserve one-time rights to publication of winning photos, as well as rights to reprint and use photos on our website, in our newsletter, annual report or advertising for editorial and promotional purposes. Photo credit line included.
13. Photographers retain all rights to their photographs.
14. Entrants agree that TNFCU has the right to publish photo entries without compensation.
15. Prizes will be awarded to the winners in the following way:
    1. First Place photo will be utilized for the 2027 TNFCU Calendar and the winner will receive a $500 check.
    2. Second Place winner will receive a $300 check.
    3. Third Place winner will receive a $150 check.
16. Void where prohibited by law.
17. Winner(s) will be responsible for submitting an Affidavit of Eligibility, Publicity Release Form and will be subject to all applicable federal, state and local income taxes resulting from the acceptance of the prize.
18. Winners will be announced on or near October 15, 2026. Images will be judged on originality, composition, and artistic merit. TNFCU shall determine contest winners in its sole and absolute discretion. All decisions made by TNFCU are final.
19. The winner’s list will be displayed on www.TrueNorthFCU.org when the winners are determined. A winners list can also be obtained by writing and sending a SASE to:
    True North FCU
    2027 Photo Contest Winners List
    2777 Postal Way, Juneau, AK 99801
20. Employees and their immediate family members (parents, siblings, and children) are not eligible to participate.

Download the Official Rules

John has some tips to help you as you take or choose photos to submit to the True North FCU Calendar Photo Contest.

• Acceptable subjects for the contest include any landscape or wild animal photographed in Alaska.
• Any season, any mood, any place.
• A broad coverage of different subjects and areas of the state are encouraged.
• Please limit your submission to seven photos that you feel portray the best of your photographic accomplishments.
• We all love our pets but this isn’t the place for you to share those photos, the contest is open only to wild animals and wild lands.
• If a landscape contains any human elements then the landscape itself must be the dominant subject.

The technical stuff:

1. To get the best out of your camera and to provide the best quality files please take into account the following:
2. Take all photos at the highest resolution your camera is capable of. Basically any camera that can produce a digital file of 12 megabytes or more is sufficient. These days most cell phone cameras even fall within that range.
3. Record your photos in “raw” format (the best choice) or as “jpg” or “tiff".
4. If you format them in jpg use the setting for the largest or best jpg file (the one with the least amount of compression), this will provide the best results.
5. Do not crop photos more than 5%.
6. Do not enlarge them to a larger size than the resolution your camera provides.
7. Do not make extensive adjustments to the color, exposure, contrast, and sharpening.
8. Make sure the photos are sharp and well composed.

Other considerations:

• Strive to capture a sense of place. Landscapes are the obvious candidate for this but photographs of animals in a landscape can also achieve this goal.
• Try to capture decisive moments in the lives of your subjects that portray actions, behaviors, and interactions between the same species as well as with others. Portraits that depict personality, character and attitude can all result in compelling images.
• Decisive moments also occur when capturing the beauty of a landscape. Fleeting moments where the light breaks through the clouds, the forest, or rises or dips below the horizon are examples of brief moments that come and go within minutes or even seconds.
• Basically any photograph that speaks of the lives of your subjects in the wilds of Alaska or of your experiences outdoors soaking up the beauty of our 49th state are all acceptable.
• Strive to obtain images that tell a story in a single photo.
• Always try to make your work say what you want it to in your own way. Make it your personal interpretation, not one you think others might expect.
• It’s not likely that a subject which has won or been used in the past 5 years will be chosen as the winning image. Review those that have won recently and concentrate your submission so it represents "new” coverage of the True North!

When submitting your entries:

1. If you are able to, please size the digital files to 1920x1280 pixels (HD quality). This size is sufficient to judge the quality of the photographs but easy to email.
2. Save them as jpgs at the #8 compression setting.
3. Make sure to save the original high resolution camera files so you can provide them at a later date if requested.

Above all -- HAVE FUN!