Announcing Garth Riley's FIRST EVER Silly Photo Contest

I LOVE contests!  And I LOVE to make people smile.  So I have decided to host a contest which will make people smile -- perhaps even laugh.  Plus I have a strong interest in promoting silliness in general because I believe it has a positive effect on the humans around us.

Just find your silliest photo, pick your category, and send it to me per the instructions below.  I will include all the entry photos in posts about the contest, our esteemed panel of judges will select the winners, and I will write a post about the winners with the winning photos.

There will be PRIZES -- of course there will be PRIZES!!!  See below for details.

Rules:
1. Contest is open to all nonhuman creatures, even cats (big of me, don't you think?).  Humans may be in the photo, but the main subject of the photo must be a creature.
2. You don't have to have a blog to enter, but if you have a blog, I'll post a link to your blog with your photo. (I think this is a great opportunity to learn about new blogs!)
3. By sending me your photo, you are giving me permission to post it in my blog posts about the contest.  I will be posting all photos entered, to share the silliness with my readers and hopefully make them smile and laugh.  If you want me to include a photo credit, please indicate that in your entry email.
4. Only one entry per creature.  If you have more than one creature in your household, each can have his or her own entry or you can have a group entry.
5. Winners will be selected by our esteemed panel of judges from all photos received before the deadline.  The decision of the judges will be final.
6. The contest begins RIGHT NOW and will run until midnight Eastern Standard Time on July 6.  Winners will be announced on July 14. Winners will be asked to provide a shipping address for their prize.
7. Contest organizer reserves the right to extend the contest if necessary to increase the number of entries.
8. Prizes are small in order to reduce shipping costs.  Contest organizer reserves the right to substitute a donation to the rescue or animal welfare organization of the winner's choice if winner is outside of U.S. and the cost of shipping the prize is prohibitively expensive. 
9. Contest organizer reserves the right to substitute prizes where appropriate and possible.  For example, a more appropriate prize may be substituted for a dog-oriented prize, where possible, in the event winner is some other type of creature.

10. Contest organizer reserves the right to add additional prizes and categories if he is so inclined.

11. Since many of the prizes will be handmade and customized by my talented staff, prizes may take 2-4 weeks for shipping.

12. Please follow my blog!  (This isn't a requirement for entry, but if you follow me, you can easily keep up to date with this contest and hear about my future contests).
13. Bribery of contest organizer is strictly prohibited.  (So if you want to give me presents, we can't let my mom find out.)  (Just kidding, no presents allowed.)


To enter:
Send your silly photo to me by email at garth DOT riley AT rocketmail DOT com with "Silly Photo Contest" in the subject line.  I will be posting all entries on my blog in a series of posts. If you have a blog and you would like me to include a link to your blog, please include that in your email.  Please also indicate which category you wish to enter and include your name (or names), type of creature(s) or breed(s), gender, age, where you live (city, state, country), your human's name, and your email address.


If you'd like to help spread the word about the contest and show your support and participation, please add the contest badge to your blog (pick one) and link it back to this page (http://theworldaccordingtogarthriley.blogspot.com/2012/06/announcing-garth-rileys-first-ever.html).

(Buttons created by Zoolatry.  Aren't they awesome?)

Categories and Prizes:


In addition to the prizes listed below, all winners will receive a handmade polymer clay trophy ornament, suitable for hanging in your trophy case, from your windshield, on your Christmas tree, or basically anywhere you can hang something.

Trophies are currently in production.
They will look something like this.

First Place Trophy

Other prizes are in production as well.  


Handmade photo frames will look something like these (these are still being assembled):

(With your photo of course!)

Handmade photo frame ornaments:

(With your photo.  Photos of me and Willow are just
for illustration purposes.  And so you can admire us.)

Handmade bone or paw print ornament will be personalized:

(Mom made these for Hero and his kitty brothers
as a moving away present.)

CATEGORIES


Pure Silliness
This category is for regular photos -- photos that haven't been photoshopped, no captions have been added, and no cute little things have been added from an app like “IHatMe”.  Cropping and use of Instagram or other filters is allowed, just no added images or captions.

1st place - handmade photo frame
2nd place - handmade photo frame ornament
3rd place - handmade ornament

Pure silliness

Technologically-Enhanced Silliness
In this category, anything goes!  You can use Photoshop or any app you want to add or distort images.  (My favorite app is called “IArrPirate”.) You can add captions to your heart's content.

1st place - handmade photo frame
2nd place - handmade photo frame ornament
3rd place - handmade ornament
Most creative use of app - handmade photo frame ornament

Technologically-Enhanced Silliness using

my favorite app - "IArrPirate"

Local Silliness
This category is for locals only, defined roughly as the metro Richmond, Virginia area (Richmond, Hanover, Henrico, Chesterfield, Goochland, New Kent).  (I want my local non-blogger friends to have a fighting chance to win something too!)  These may be purely silly photos or technologically enhanced photos.

1st place - handmade photo frame
2nd place - handmade photo frame ornament
3rd place - handmade ornament

Grand Prize - the ABSOLUTE silliest photo in ALL categories
Handmade photo frame + goodie bag


LOL Award - awarded to photos that make the judges laugh out loud
Handmade dog bone or paw print ornament

Art by Zoolatry