inFOCUS

The Atomic Museum is excited to announce its first “In FOCUS” atomic photo contest this September! With the theme of technology, amateur photographers from adult, teen, and youth categories will receive exclusive access to photograph noteworthy museum artifacts. Top contestants will earn premier prizes and the distinctive opportunity to have their images temporarily displayed inside the museum following the contest.

• Adult Photo Session (Ages 18 and up): Thursday, September 12 from 6 to 8 p.m.
• Youth Photo Session (Ages 8 to 12): Saturday, September 14 at 10 a.m.
• Teen Photo Session (Ages 13 to 17): Saturday, September 14 at 12 p.m.

Participants will enjoy exclusive photography access under the supervision of the Atomic Museum team.

Adult Category:

• 1st Place: Private guided tour and lunch for the winner and up to nine guests with a museum docent and former Nevada Test Site worker, a plaque, $50 Visa gift card, framed print, t-shirt, and four museum passes.
• 2nd Place: $25 Visa gift card, framed print, t-shirt, and four museum passes.
• 3rd Place: Framed print, t-shirt, and four museum passes.

Teen Category:

• 1st Place: Private guided tour and lunch for the winner and up to nine guests with the museum curator, a plaque, $50 museum store gift card, framed print, t-shirt, and four museum passes.
• 2nd Place: $25 museum store gift card, framed print, t-shirt, and four museum passes.
• 3rd Place: Framed print, t-shirt, and four museum passes.

Youth Category:

• 1st Place: Private guided tour and lunch for the winner and up to nine guests with the museum director of education, a plaque, $50 museum store gift card, framed print, t-shirt, and four museum passes.
• 2nd Place: $25 museum store gift card, framed print, t-shirt, and four museum passes.
• 3rd Place: Framed print, t-shirt, and four museum passes.

The top three contestants from each category will have their winning images temporarily displayed to the public inside the Atomic Museum’s main gallery. Contest winners will also have their works shown at the Spring Valley Library this fall.

• Open from Monday, September 2 through Wednesday, September 11 at atomicmuseum.vegas. Space is limited to 50 photographers in each category.
• Participants must be Nevada residents. Teen and youth participants must have one adult chaperone age 18 or older to accompany them.
• The entry fee is $20 per adult or chaperone. While the teen and youth sessions are free, they require one adult chaperone in attendance per teen or youth.

• Photo contest participants must submit the photograph of their choice between Thursday, September 12 and Friday, September 20 at 12 p.m. on the Atomic Museum’s website.
• Only photographs taken at the Atomic Museum and of the museum’s exhibits and artifacts by registered participants will be considered for the contest.
• The top three finalists in each category will be required to re-submit their winning images at a resolution that will enlarge to an 18-inch by 24-inch print.

• Registration opens on Monday, September 2, and closes on Monday, Wednesday, September 11.
• Participants must register via the Atomic Museum webpage. Each category is limited to 50 registrants.

• The contest is open to amateur photographers who are residents of Nevada.
• Categories:
  • Adult Category: Ages 18 and up
  • Teen Category: Ages 13 to 17
  • Youth Category: Ages 8 to 12

• Adults: $20.00 (includes admission to the adult event).
• Teens and Youth: Free (with paid adult admission to the teen and youth event).

• Adult Event: Thursday, September 12 from 6 to 8 p.m.
  • Exclusive access to photograph select artifacts under the supervision of the Atomic Museum team.
• Youth Event: Saturday, Saturday, September 14 at 10 a.m.
• Teen Event: Saturday, September 14 at 12 p.m.

• Please submit photographs and requested information online through our website (submission link will go live Thursday, July 11th). You may submit one photograph per person. In order to be displayed in our online gallery without being stretched or distorted, photographs must be submitted in .jpeg, .jpg, or .gif format, edited for web in sRGB color space, at least 2,000 pixels wide and no larger than 10 MB.
• We do not accept photographs submitted through the mail and do not accept more than one contestant per e-mail address. High-quality scans of non-digital photographs are acceptable. Digital photographs should be taken at the highest resolution possible.
• Finalists must be prepared to submit an original, unedited digital file or an original negative, print, or slide. Original negatives, prints, or slides will be returned to finalists. The Atomic Museum reserves the right to disqualify incomplete entries and/or contestants who are unable to submit, upon request, a high-resolution photograph of at least 300 dpi at 3,000 pixels on the longest side or an original photo negative, print, or slide. Mobile photographs are exempt from this size requirement but must be submitted at their highest resolution upon request.
• The Atomic Museum may collect a photograph’s metadata upon entry.
• You retain your rights to your photograph; however, by entering the contest, you grant the Atomic Museum (and those authorized by the Atomic Museum) a royalty-free, worldwide, perpetual, non-exclusive license to publicly display, distribute, reproduce, and create derivative works of the entries, in whole or in part, in any media now existing or later developed, for any purpose, including, but not limited to, advertising and promotion of the museum and its website, exhibition, and commercial products (this includes any sales of products utilizing the photograph), including but not limited to Atomic Museum publications. Any photograph reproduced will include a photographer credit as feasible. The Atomic Museum will not be required to pay any additional consideration or seek any additional approval in connection with such uses.

• Submission period: Thursday, September 12 through Friday, September 20 at 12 p.m. PDT.
• Entries must be digital and submitted online on this page (photo submission link will go live Thursday, September 12).
• Only registered participants are eligible to submit photographs.

• Each entrant may submit one digital photograph based on the theme: Technology.
• Photographs must be taken at the Atomic Museum and feature the museum’s exhibits and artifacts.
• The Atomic Museum reserves the right to disqualify any submissions deemed inappropriate or offensive.

• To be eligible for any category, a photograph must have been shot by the entrant during the designated event dates. This date applies to all images in a composite. The contestant certifies that they are the sole creator and copyright owner of the submitted photograph.
• Cropped photos are eligible in all categories. Minor adjustments, including the removal of sensor dust or scratches on scans of negatives, dodging and burning, sharpening, contrast, toning, slight color adjustment, and conversion to grayscale are acceptable for all categories. The addition and subtraction of objects is not permitted. If the judges determine that a photographer has altered their photo beyond normal photojournalism best practices, they reserve the right to disqualify the photo. Image composites, including HDR and stitched panoramas, are permitted but must adhere to the guidelines stated above. Images generated using Artificial Intelligence (AI) are not permitted.

• Entrants are encouraged to share their entries and any other photos taken during the events on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
• Please tag the Atomic Museum on your chosen platform.

• The top three contestants from each category will be required to re-submit their winning images at a resolution suitable for 18″ x 24″ prints.

• Photo entries will be judged based on creativity, quality, originality, responsiveness to the prompt, and overall impact.
• The Atomic Museum will select a first, second, and third place winner for each category. Winners will be notified of their status and their photos will appear on our website in the fall of 2024.
• The Atomic Museum will notify winners via the contact information provided at the time of entry. The Atomic Museum may disqualify anyone who fails to respond to the notification within five business days.
• Please do not contact us about the status of entries or judging.

• One gift card prize per person; winners may receive additional non-cash prizes.
• Winners must sign a release and license, as well as a declaration of eligibility, and will be responsible for paying any fees or taxes associated with the prize.
• All prizes are awarded “as is” and are non-transferable.
• In case applicable law prohibits the Atomic Museum from awarding a gift card or any non-cash prize, the Atomic Museum may award the prize in name only.

• By entering the contest, participants grant the Atomic Museum the right to use submitted photographs for promotional purposes, both online and in print, without additional compensation.
• Participants retain the copyright of their images.
• The Atomic Museum is not responsible for any technical issues or failures that may affect the submission or judging process.
• The Atomic Museum reserves the right to modify or cancel the contest at any time.

• Participation in the contest requires the collection of your name and email address.
• By entering this contest, you consent to the use of your name and email address for further communications regarding this contest.
• To access our privacy statement, click here.

• All entrants hold the Atomic Museum and their respective directors, officers, employees, and volunteers (the “Indemnified Parties”) harmless from and against all claims of any nature arising in connection with the entrant’s participation in the contest and acceptance or use of a prize.
• The Indemnified Parties are not liable for any costs, damages, injuries, or other claims incurred because of entrants’ participation in the contest or winner’s acceptance and usage of a prize.
• The Indemnified Parties are not responsible for incomplete or misdirected entries, technical or network malfunctions or failures, or causes beyond their control.
• Entrants are solely responsible for their entries. Entrants may not submit materials that introduce any software viruses, worms, or other programs designed to damage software, hardware, or telecommunications equipment; or are off-topic, partisan-political, contain advertising, nudity, personal attacks, or expletives; or are otherwise abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, discriminatory, libelous, obscene, false, sexually explicit, or that infringes on the rights of any third party.
• The contest is void where prohibited or restricted by law.
• The Atomic Museum reserves the right to cancel the contest or modify these rules at its discretion. In the event of a dispute regarding the winners, the Atomic Museum reserves the right to award or not award the prizes at its sole discretion.
• The Atomic Museum reserves the right to disqualify any entrant whose entry or conduct appears in any way to: inhibit the enjoyment of others; tamper with the competition; violate these rules or other applicable law or regulation; infringe on the rights of third parties; or act in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner.
• Decisions of the Atomic Museum are final and binding.

• The Atomic Museum may select photos for highlight on its website or display in a publicly accessible contest archive. Such selections will be made at the Atomic Museum’s sole discretion.