50/50 Challenge FAQs

The Shooting Range: A Monthly Challenge presented by Rare Earth Photographic Arts Outreach is a chance for individuals to get their Target Practice in year round with Monthly Match Briefs designed to test technical photography skills while stretching knowledge of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity in Canada. These mini-competitions not only give you the opportunity to get your work in front of some of Canada's foremost photographers and community leaders, but prepare you to enter The Shooting Range: A Photography Challenge, our regular 10-week elimination-style competition that runs from January through March of each year (Season Two's winners took home over $7000 in cash and prizes; Season Three will return in January 2024!)

Entries open at 12pm MST on the 1st and are accepted until 12pm MST on the 21st of each month. Entries received or paid after that time will not be considered.

The entry fee for the Monthly 50/50 Challenge is $25 per image.

Yes!!!

Fun fact: our regular Season One Shooting Range runner up won top spots for the first half of the competition, beating several seasoned pros and making it to Top Three using an older Pixel Phone. 

You wouldn't compliment an accomplished chef on his stove's ability to create delicious food, would you? This is a photography and not an equipment competition!!!

After completing the Entry Form you will receive an invoice. You may email $25 to repaof@gmail.com using the password provided on your invoice or pay via PayPal or with a Credit Card. There is a $5 service charge for payments other than eTFR. Once payment is confirmed and your entry is validated you will be sent a receipt and confirmation. Ensure that you have included all necessary information as requested in the Match Brief as well as your Model Release(s) and Parental Consent if you are a Legal Minor as all entry fees are non-refundable.

Of course!!! The more entries the merrier! Please note that each entry is $25 and requires completing a separate entry form.

Heck yes! Enter to compete in the regular season, too!

The Top Three images chosen by the Guest Judge receive personalised feedback as well as publication across both The Shooting Range and Rare Earth Outreach's social media platforms. In addition to 50% of all entry fees collected for that month's Challenge (not including service fees), the Monthly Winner, as chosen by the Guest Judge, will receive a Featured Article on the Rare Earth Outreach Blog, a Featured Post on The Shooting Range's social media platforms, a full page feature in our Annual Fundraising Calendar, and opportunities to have their work featured for select merchandise items. PLEASE NOTE: all entrants retain Copyright of their image(s) in perpetuity and will receive proper photo credit for their work at all times. (Read: we use the image for legal Advertising, Fundraising, and Promotion purposes and aren't going to take credit for your image so we can sell it to a stock photo company or get a gallery show and claim we took the picture.)

We accept a maximum of 100 entries each month and the size of the winner's payout is dependent on the number of entries received. The guaranteed monthly payout is $100 and the maximum is $1250. The more people who enter, the bigger the prize, and the more we can spend on Awards, Scholarships, and Outreach Programming, so tell your friends to enter, too!!!

Payouts are released on or about the last day of the month, provided all eligibility requirements have been met.

The Rare Earth Photographic Arts Outreach Foundation uses the proceeds from this event to build up the funds needed for its Awards and Scholarships as well as to offset the costs of administration and delivery of School and Camp Outreach Programs. Please visit www.repaof.ca for complete details.

Images should be submitted as high-resolution JPEGs. As the images will be printed in a calendar we recommend a 2:3 or 4:3 crop taken in Landscape Orientation. We recommend files are not less than 3000px and no greater than 8000px on the long edge (max file size 100MB).

DO NOT submit PNG, RAW, or other types of files unless specified in the Match Brief. Files that cannot be opened are automatically disqualified; please note that all entry fees are non-refundable, including if the file(s) submitted is/are incorrectly formatted.

You may use an image you previously took but we encourage you to create a new and original image for these Challenges. The image should fit the theme ie) if the Match Brief specifies an image taken in a specific season or setting. Please note that if an existing image is used, you are still required to provide a model release for all recognisable individuals featured in the image. 

A model release is required for each individual whose face is recognisable in the image; if there are minors in the image, a legal guardian must complete a model release on their behalf. We suggest that you have your subjects use our model release as if there is not a clause in yours permitting the image to be used for competitions it will be disqualified without refund.

Exceptions are made for when the image is created at a public event and there is no risk of misrepresentation - you will need to provide details on the date, location, and occasion or event where the image was created; images not meeting all necessary criteria will be disqualified.

Composites are accepted, however, you must include all sources where images used in the composite came from. Please note that unless it's a composite challenge, there are no bonus points for them.

All entry fees are non-refundable. This includes if your image is disqualified for missing legal information such as model releases for all recognisable individuals in the image (or in the case where the image was taken at a public event, the date, location, and purpose have not been provided) as well as if you are a Minor and do not have permission from a legal guardian.

Yes and No. A Minor/Dependant Adult may enter with consent of a Parent or Legal Guardian. It is important to be aware that some of the material/content touched upon in the Match Briefs may be challenging or inappropriate for Minors and Dependant Adults. The Parent or Legal Guardian is legally responsible for ensuring the winnings are forwarded/used to the benefit of the Minor/Dependant Adult and is therefore legally liable for ensuring the Winnings are forwarded to or properly managed to the benefit of the Minor or Legal Dependant.