How to Enter

Entering is easy:

1. Complete the registration form.

2. Pay the $25 entry fee.

3. Label & save each photograph with your full name + the title of the photograph example: "colleenthompsonlifeonwater."

3. Upload your 3 photos.

 

If you experience any difficulties uploading or entering your images, please contact editor@capefearliving.com for assistance.

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Fees

The non-refundable submission fee of $25 is for 3 digital images per entry. There is no limit to the number of images you may enter,

but you cannot change or remove images once they're submitted.

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Who Can Enter?

Cape Fear Living Photographer of the Year is open to professional and amateur photographers anywhere. The photographs entered must depict the Coastal Cape Fear Region and showcase, "Capturing Coastal Carolina Charm."

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Categories

There are 4 categories:

 

Landscape: From sunrise to sunset, enter your spectacular captures of beaches, forests, birdlife, wildlife, cityscapes & drone footage. 

Portrait: Showcase the faces of our region. It may be a spontaneous moment or a more traditional formal portrait.

Weddings: As one of the Top wedding destinations, we want to see your beautiful and captivating photographs.

NEW: SEA SCAPE PROPERTIES: LIFE ON WATER: Send us your work reflecting life on our waterways: Surfing, Kite Surfing, Sailing & Boating, Paddle Boarding, Kayaking and Diving.

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What is the deadline for the contest?

The competition closes on 30 June 2025 at midnight.

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Selection & Awards Process

• Submissions will be reviewed through a blind jurying process by a panel that includes acclaimed photographer T.J. Drechsel, Colleen Thompson, Editor-in-Chief of Cape Fear Living and an accomplished photographer in her own right, along with the team from Sea Scape Properties. To ensure fairness and integrity, jurors will not have access to the names of the photographers during the selection process.

• Please note: jurying is highly selective, and while we welcome all submissions, not every entry will be chosen for exhibition.

• From the selected works, one photographer will earn the prestigious title of "2025 Cape Fear Living Photographer of the Year."

• Two additional photographers will receive Honorable Mention awards.

• In addition to the overall winner, category winners will be named, and two Honorable Mentions will be awarded in each category.

• A total of 60 outstanding photographs will be showcased in a live exhibition at End of Days Distillery in Wilmington, NC (date to be announced). All selected works will also be featured in a permanent online gallery and shared across Cape Fear Living’s social media platforms, offering broad exposure to our engaged and photographic-loving community.

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Prizes

The 2025 Cape Fear Living Photographer of the Year will receive the following:

• The title: "2025 Cape Fear Living Photographer of the Year." 

• $500 in cash.

• The winning photographer will headline our homepage in the month of June-July, 2025.

• A feature story and interview with the winning photographer for Cape Fear Living.

• A Press Release announcing the winning photographer and showcasing the winning photograph..

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Photographer Agreement & Image Usage Terms

By entering the Cape Fear Living Photographer of the Year Competition, you acknowledge and agree to the following terms:

• Ownership & Rights: You affirm that you are the sole creator and owner of all images submitted. You retain all rights to your work; however, by submitting, you grant Cape Fear Living the non-exclusive right to use selected images for any and all marketing, promotional, and advertising materials directly related to the Cape Fear Living Photographer of the Year competition and exhibition. This includes, but is not limited to, use across social media, website, printed materials, and press.

• Content Responsibility: You take full responsibility for the content of your images, including securing all necessary permissions for the likeness of recognizable individuals.

• Authenticity: All entries must be original works created by the submitting photographer. Human-controlled digital editing is acceptable, but the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to generate or manipulate images is strictly prohibited.

• Exhibition Requirements: If your photograph(s) are selected for inclusion in the Cape Fear Living Photographer of the Year Exhibition, you will be required to supply a physical print of the image at your own cost. Specifications regarding print size and material (foam board mounted) will be provided upon selection.

• Liability Disclaimer: While every effort will be made to handle submitted prints with care, Cape Fear Living and End of Days Distillery are not responsible for any damage, theft, or loss during delivery, exhibition, or pickup. This includes but is not limited to scratches, bends, or tears.

• Delivery & Pick-Up: Photographers are responsible for delivering their printed photograph(s) to End of Days Distillery prior to the exhibition and retrieving them afterward.

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