Did you shoot the $1,000 photo or video?

SNPA has added a new category to its Photo Contest this year – recognizing the growing importance that videos are playing on newspaper websites. In addition to still photographs for spot news, feature photography and sports photography, video entries will be accepted in this year's contest.

Cash prizes will be awarded in all four categories, with the Grand Prize winner earning $1,000. Encourage your photographers to submit their best work.

The judging panel will be overseen by Michelle Williams, chief of bureau for the South Atlantic region, and Adam Yeomans, bureau chief for Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississippi – both of The Associated Press. Williams and Yeomans will serve as co-chairs of the 2010 SNPA Photo Contest.

Contest categories include:

• Spot News – For outstanding photography illustrating quality performance under deadline pressure.

• Feature Photography – For outstanding photography emphasizing appeal to the newspaper reader. It should illustrate a fresh view or strong human interest in an ordinary event. Photoshop graphics are not eligible.

• Sports – For outstanding photography that captures the key play, dramatic moment, mood or flavor of a sporting event.

• Video (new category this year) – For breaking news, feature, sports or enterprise video presentations from your newspaper’s website. Judges will look for innovative use of original content, storytelling, technical and journalistic quality, and value to the reader. Videos may not be longer than 10 minutes. (Any commercials may be stripped from the video to place it under the 10-minute requirement.)

Still photographs will be judged on technical quality, originality and overall aesthetics. Videos will be judged on innovative use of original content, storytelling, technical and journalistic quality, and value to the reader.

The competition is open to photographers (both staff photographers and freelance) whose entries were initially published between Aug. 26, 2009, and Aug. 30, 2010, in daily or non-daily newspapers ... or on the websites of those newspapers. Entries may be color or black-and-white photos, plus videos.

Entry fee: Individual photographers may submit up to three photographs for $50. That same photographer may submit additional photographs for $20 each. Video entries are $50 each.

Prizes: In each of the four categories, judges will award prizes for first place, second place and third place. First place will receive $500 and a plaque; second place, $250 and a plaque; third place, a plaque. The Grand Prize winner will be chosen from among the four first-place winners. That photographer will receive an additional $500, bringing the total cash prize to $1,000.

Contest winners will be announced and prizes will be awarded Oct. 17-19 at SNPA’s 2010 News Industry Summit in Austin, Texas. Photographers do not have to attend the Summit to enter.

Friday, Sept. 3, is the deadline for entries. Photos postmarked by that Friday will be eligible.

For full details and entry forms, click here.

Grand Prize $1,000

Submit your entries