"Shoot the Hills"
Frequently Asked Questions...
What is “Shoot the Hills”?
- An annual weekend photography event, featuring a unique
24-hour photography competition held in the Hocking Hills
State Park (Ohio). To date, an average of $7,000 in prizes
per year has been awarded its winners as a result of this
competition. Anyone eligible may register--amateur or professional,
adult or young person--by completing a registration form,
paying the registration fee, and agreeing to abide by competition
rules. Cameras are not included, but 35mm slide film and
processing are included in the registration fee. (Note:
At this time 35mm format cameras are needed to enter, but
a special Digital category may be added for future competitions.)
What is the mission of “Shoot the Hills”?
- Dedicated nature photographers and outdoor enthusiasts
are striving to build and maintain special viewing/photo
blinds and feeding stations in designated areas of the Hocking
Hills State Park and State Forest. We believe that when
people work together toward a common goal, there is a strong
sense of community pride and accomplishment. By supporting
Shoot the Hills Photography Competition, you are joining
efforts to make the Hocking Hills State Park a better place
for wildlife, while fostering education and setting high
standards of accountability for future generations.
Is “Shoot the Hills” a non-profit
organization?
- “Shoot the Hillls” is an official event under
the management of Friends
of Hocking Hills State Park (FHHSP), a 501 (c) (3) non-profit
organization. The annual event, however, is actually operated
by a governing board (made up of the event’s founders,
primary sponsors, and charter volunteers) to ensure that
its mission will be maintained. All monies are disbursed
under the strict management of the FHHSP and are expressly
used to benefit the Hocking Hills State Park as described
in its mission. Donations are gladly accepted by the FHHSP
and are earmarked for the viewing/photo blinds projects
or in other expressed ways by the donor. All contributions
are tax deductable. For more information about Friends
of Hocking Hills State Park, visit their website.
When is “Shoot the Hills” weekend?
- 2007 - April 20, 21, and 22
- 2008 - April 18, 19, and 20
- 2009 - April 17, 18, and 19
- 2010 - April 16, 17, and 18
(Note: You may expect the event to be held near the third
weekend in April on a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday [excluding
Easter weekend]. However, this timeframe should only be
used as a guide. We strongly suggest that you contact us
by phone before making final plans.)
Where is the contest held?
- The contest begins at the Hocking Hills Dining Lodge,
20160 SR 664 South, Logan, OH. This lodge is the official
starting and ending point of the competition. Film must
be picked up from and returned to the same location on the
specified dates and times. During the weekend, this is also
the site for a variety of photography programs, vendors,
and other related activities, including the Sunday awards
program.
How does the contest work?
- A single roll of 36-expsoure, 35mm color transparency
film (slide film), is given to each participant during registration
hours on the first day of the weekend event (Friday). This
roll is marked with a unique ID number that matches the
participant’s entry number. This same roll must be
returned to the registration area 24 hours later (Saturday);
and the shooting part of the competition is concluded. The
film is then processed by a reputable photo lab, and the
slides are returned to the lodge for pick up by the photographers.
Film must be picked up and edited, and entries made between
the hours of 7:30 a.m. through 10:00 a.m. on Sunday. A panel
of experienced judges and score aditors work to select winners.
Winners are announced and prizes are given during an awards
program on Sunday afternoon at the lodge. The program is
open to the public.
How are entries judged?
-
Each entry in the five main categories (excluding "Photographers'
Choice") will be marked with the appropriate photographer's
ID number. Names will not be marked on the entries to
ensure fairness and unbiased consideration.
-
Every entry will go through a pre-judging round through
a projection system to determine if the entry qualifies
for the "final round" of judging. Entries will
be pre-judged by a panel of at least three judges for
these qualities: 1) appropriate for category; 2) proper
exposure of image; and 3) an "in focus" image
(or determination if blur was intentional, as in "artistic
blur"). Numeric scores will not be given during this
pre-judging phase of the competition; rather, a determination
of whether an entry will advance to the "final round"
will be made.
-
During the "final round" of judging, a panel
of five judges (and up to two additional tie-breaking
judges if necessary) will work to evaluate and grade each
entry independently, based on its own merits. Each judge
will be using his own score sheets. During this phase,
judges will further evaluate the technical aspects of
the entries on a light table, using an 8x magnification
loupe.
- The following scoring system will be used to rate each
entry in five skill areas:
Composition (1-10 points)
Overall Exposure (1-10 points)
Originality (1-10 points)
Degree of Difficulty (1-10 points)
- Each judge may, therefore, award up to 40 points total
for each entry. Two "score auditors" will work
to tally the points as submitted by the judges. First, second,
and third place prize winners in each division will be identified
by these auditors as the top three scorers accordingly.
How are prizes awarded?
-
The images with the highest scores in each division (Adult
and Junior) will be named as the First, Second, and Third
place winners accordingly. As a result, there will be
a total of six "Division Winners."
-
"Category Winners" will be named for receiving
the highest scoring image in each main category (Landscape,
Flora, Wildlife, People in Nature, and Abstract)
regardless of division. Again, the judges' scores will
be used by the "score auditors" to make this
determination.
-
The "Photographers' Choice" Award will be judged
only by the photographers participating in the competition.
In order to ensure fairness, photographers will not be
allowed to vote for themselves. To ensure this, photographers
will be given a special ballot with their own ID number
printed at the top. Ballots will be checked to guarantee
that a photographer's ballot does not contain a vote for
himself or herself. Those votes that are not in compliance
will be void.
- The Shoot the Hills Photography Competition Committee
reserves the right to make substitutions in prizes, but
the committee will strive to maintain equal value of prizes
if such substitutions are made.
How is the Grand Prize selected?
- The Grand Prize winning image is the overall top scoring
entry, in other words, the entry with the most points after
judging.
How do I sign up for the event?
You may register for the competition in the following ways:
Pre-registration Sites (cut-off is on Friday prior
to the event):
- Hocking Hills Tourism Association Welcome Center, 13178
SR 664 South, Logan (checks only; no cash)
- Hocking Hills State Park Office, 19852 SR 664 South,
Logan (checks only; no cash)
- Ash Cave Cabins, 25780 Liberty Hills Road, S. Bloomingville
(checks only; no cash)
Register by phone (cut-off is on Friday prior to
the event):
- (740) 774-6243, Barbara Jividen, Event Coordinator
(MasterCard and VISA accepted)
- (740) 380-2039, Eric Hoffman, Equipment and Facility Coordinator (Mastercard and VISA accepted)
Pre-register by email through the website (cut-off
is on Friday prior to the event):
Pre-register by mail (cut-off is on Friday prior
to the event):
- You may also write to Friends of the Hocking Hills State Park,
Attn: Shoot the Hills, 19852 State Route 664 South, Logan, OH 43138,
(740) 774-6243. Note: if requesting
a registration form by mail, you must allow sufficient time
to receive the form and return it along with your payment
by the cut-off date. We suggest that you write to us no
later than 30 days prior to the event.
On-site registration (first day of event only)
- Hocking Hills Dining Lodge, 20160 SR 664 South, Logan
(cash, checks, MasterCard, and VISA accepted)
Who to contact for further questions?
- (740) 774-6243, Barbara Jividen, Event Coordinator
- (740) 385-3734, Jennifer Mitchell, Event Coordinator
- (740) 739-7310, Brenda Sams, Event Coordinator
- (740) 380-2039, Eric Hoffman, Equipment and Facility Coordinator
- (740) 385-6842, Chris Grupenhoff, Asst. Manager, Hocking Hills State Park
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