13th Annual California Ocean and Coastal Amateur Photo Contest

Dear Ocean and Coastal Community,

Thank You Ocean is joining forces with the California Coastal Commission and Fairmont Hotels of California to jointly sponsor the 13th Annual California Ocean and Coastal Amateur Photography Contest. We are seeking photographs that reflect the importance that the coast and ocean has for California residents and the role that the Coastal Commission, Natural Resources Agency and Ocean Protection Council have played in preserving coastal and marine resources.

Entry is free and open to all amateur photographers. Entrants are encouraged to submit photos of the following subjects:
The scenic coast and Pacific Ocean off California,
People and the California coast, and
California ocean and coastal wildlife.

Contest Timeline
Contest opens: July 18, 2011
Submission deadline: September 2, 2011
Voting deadline: September 16, 2011
Announcement of contest winners: expected by the end of October 2011

Prizes

Four winners will be announced for this contest. Online voters will select a “viewers’ choice” winner, while a panel of professional photographers, naturalists, and Coastal Commission and Thank You Ocean staff will select “judges’ choice” winners for first, second, and third place.

Winners will select from the following donated prizes:
An overnight stay in Sonoma County with breakfast for two, courtesy of The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa.
A one-night weekend stay in Orange County with valet parking, courtesy of the Fairmont Newport Beach hotel.
An overnight stay in San Jose, courtesy of the Fairmont San Jose hotel.
A two-night stay in San Francisco, courtesy of the Fairmont Hotel San Francisco atop Nob Hill.

We invite you to submit an original photograph or vote on photographs by visiting www.mycoastalphoto.com.

Sincerely,

Brian Baird
Assistant Secretary for Ocean and Coastal Policy, California Natural Resources Agency

Co-Chair, California Thank You Ocean Campaign

Matt Stout
Chief of Staff/Communications Director, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries

Co-Chair, California Thank You Ocean Campaign