National Railroad Hall of Fame Photography Contest

The National Railroad Hall of Fame (NRRHOF) invites photographers to submit photographs that help fulfill its mission to educate and inspire the public about the role that railroads play in building the nation and shaping the future. Twenty-four photographs will be selected for public exhibition at the 2018 Railroad Days Festival in Galesburg, Illinois, with winners eligible for cash prizes up to $650.00.

Both professional and amateur photographers are invited to submit entries. Contestants must be 18 years or older and may submit up to three entries. Photographs must be related to the history and current operations of United States railroads, taken within the United States on or after January 1, 2007. Each entry requires a $15 non-refundable processing fee. Submissions must include an artist's statement describing the significance of the subject material and how the photograph fits into the story of United States railroads, as well as the location (city and state or county) where the photograph was taken. Photographs may be in black and white or color, vertical or horizontal format. For submission, files must be JPEG format, no smaller than 1920 pixels on the longest side, 72 ppi/dpi, and no larger than 5 MB. Finalists must provide high-resolution JPEG files at least 300 ppi and 8 megapixels in size (TIFF or RAW may be required). Photographs should not include borders, frames, watermarks, signatures, dates, or copyright notices.

Finalists receive $50.00 and have their photograph featured on NRRHOF's website and social media with credit, professionally showcased in public exhibitions, and eligible for grand prizes. Grand Prize awards include Best in Show ($500.00), First Place ($250.00), and Second Place ($100.00). After jury judging, the public votes for the People's Choice Award winner ($100.00). Only one entry per artist will be selected for grand prizes. NRRHOF employees, board members, advisors, and their family members are not eligible. Entries must comply with all rules; photographs containing sexually explicit, nude, obscene, violent, or objectionable content will be disqualified. Photographs appearing to have been taken while trespassing on railroad right-of-way or violating safety policies will be disqualified.