One thing that every car nut wants sometime in his life is to get his car in a magazine. It's the ultimate achievement for many, and it doesn't come easy. The problem is that magazines only have a finite number of pages, so unless you've got fat bank, mad fab chops, or something really over the top, the chances are slim. We feel your pain, and we're here to help. For this year's photo contest, we're going publish every single car that our readers send to us. We're not going to discriminate against any brand, build style, cost, color, performance level, or model year-everybody gets in, period. Street rods, customs, muscle cars, late models, as long as it's American iron with four wheels, you're in
We'll be publishing the photo contest results in the January issue, the same as last year. And since putting a bunch of your cars on the cover was so successful last year, we plan on doing that again too. We're planning our January cover shoot for the second week of September, and will be inviting some of the more photogenic cars to participate, so keep your calendars open.
The Rules
Every contest has rules, and our rules are designed to put your car in the best possible light, so please follow them (and the photo tips too). Since space is limited, we can only accept one car per entry, and one entry per person. We cannot return entries, and by sending them to us, you are agreeing to let us publish them. If your photo is really good, we may even use it for a calendar, but we're making no promises. You're also agreeing to let Nitto Tires (the contest sponsor) use your photos in their material. If you're not OK with that, you can stop reading here. Here are the basic rules:
* Send in your complete entry by September 1, 2009. The address is: Source Interlink Media, Attn: PHR Photo Contest, 774 S. Placentia Ave., Placentia, CA 92870. Note that we cannot take submissions via email, or verify that your submission arrived safely.
* Completely fill out the entry form (or a photo copy) in legible hand writing. We'll be writing about your car, and if you don't tell us anything (or if we can't read it) we can't write about it.
* In addition to the entry form, you must write a one-page cover letter telling your story. Tell us about yourself, what you love about your car, how you use (or abuse) it, your car's mods, performance, dyno numbers, timeslip numbers, or just a funny story about the car or your photo shoot. Using a model? We need her info as well. Please keep your letter to one page.
* Send us exactly five (5) photos of your car, no more, no less. These photos need to be in digital "JPG" form, and have a minimal resolution of 2,000 pixels high by 3,000 pixels wide. Burn these photos on a CD, and provide matching prints on photo print paper. Please note that we won't be publishing any photos of the rear of your car, or photos that chop off any part of the car, so don't waste any of your five chances on that. Only digital images of complete, running cars will be accepted.
* Entries MUST be submitted by the photographers, and it is preferred, but not required, that the photographer also be the car owner. (Note that all prizes are awarded to the photographer, not the car owner.) Only the photographer can legally grant the right to publish photos, so if you're not the photographer, we can't use the photos.
* Prizes are awarded on the merits of the photography, not the car. That said, a really junky car is far more difficult to photograph than a nice car, but go for it if that's all you have. (Hey, we promised we'd print all of them!)
* If you have a hot rod and don't send us an entry, you forfeit your right to legitimately complain about magazines that don't publish regular-guy cars, or that only print '69 Camaros!
* What if your car was in the contest in previous years? This is one case where we can't guarantee your photo will run. We suggest you pick a buddy's car, that way the contest stays fresh, you still get in, and have the same chance to win. While we're on the subject, if you sent your car to another magazine, and we catch that, we'll probably toss it.