Photo Contest: Hot Colors in Duke Gardens

Hearts-a-burstin' (Euonymus americanus). Photo by Brian Wells

With the fiery heat of summer behind us and the dazzling fall leaf show about to begin, we thought it'd be fun to celebrate with a Hot Colors Photo Contest on our Facebook page. 

What's a hot color? We'll leave that up to you to decide. It could be the summer displays in the Terrace Gardens. It could be a red berry or a male cardinal, a duck with brilliant plumage or a "white hot" bloom from the Page-Rollins White Garden. It can be from any season and any part of Duke Gardens. Think creatively!

Please don't be shy. This contest is open to photographers at all levels and all ages. It's just a fun way to share your love for the Gardens with others who love it here, too. Your photograph can be recent or from past years. 

by Micaela Unda (T'18)

Here's the scoop:

HOW TO ENTER: Email up to 3 photos to DukeGardensPhotos@yahoo.com. Please send one per email. We will post them in an album on Facebook, with your Facebook name in the photo description. You may then add more information about the photo in the comments if you like, and encourage your friends to come see it and vote by clicking "like." You may also post your photo on our wall, but be sure to email it as well, so that it's officially in the contest and albums. Only "like" votes on the album photos will count in vote tallies, though (polite) comments are welcome, too.  

Please be sure to see our etiquette page before posting, too, as we will not include photos of people climbing trees, playing sports or engaging in other activities that are not permitted in the Gardens. 


DEADLINE: Photos must be submitted by noon on Monday, Nov. 16. Voting will end at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19.  

Pink Velvet banana (Musa velutina). Photo by Orla Swift

HOW TO VOTE: It's simple. Just click "like" for all your favorite photos.

PRIZES: We'll have prizes for most "like" votes, as well as judges' awards, and an extra prize for the best photo featuring a Duke student or students dressed in Duke logo clothing. Prizes will include Terrace Shop discount coupons, Duke Gardens note cards, a Duke Gardens souvenir photo book or other Duke Gardens-related gifts. 

Lantana blossoms. Photo by Micaela Unda

SHARE: Even if you're not interested in prizes or contests, we'd love for you to share your photos just for fun, and share our contest photo album with your own Facebook friends. We look forward to seeing your favorites.

ELIGIBILITY: Anyone of any age may share Duke Gardens photos in this contest. The only people not eligible to win a prize are Duke Gardens employees.

NOTE: This contest is not administered, endorsed or operated by Facebook. By submitting your photo, you are giving Duke Gardens permission to share your photo on Facebook, and confirming that the photo you submit was taken by you and that any people featured in your photo have given their permission for the photo to be shared in this way.

LEARN MORE: Please check out our education and event listings for photo courses that you may enjoy. We also have a Nature Photography Certificate program that may interest you.

A bloom in the Mary Duke Biddle Rose Garden. Photo by Micaela Unda.

Instagram Photo Contest: #dukegardensstudents

We're thrilled with the response to our first Instagram-Facebook photo contest (#dukegardenscolorpop), so we're doing a second one!

This time we're looking for photos of Duke students in Duke Gardens -- and among the prizes will be a $50 iTunes gift card (see details below). Your photograph can be recent or from past years.

Entering this contest is a little different from past contests, so please read the "How to Enter" instructions carefully.

Here's the scoop:

HOW TO ENTER: Tag your Instagram photos with #dukegardensstudents. Please only tag three photos with #dukegardensstudents, as participants are limited to three entries. Outside of the contest, we welcome #dukegardens tags at any time, and #dukespring tags this season. We will search for the #dukegardensstudents hashtag, and upload your photos into an album on Facebook, with your Instagram name in the photo description. You may then add more information about the photo in the comments if you like, and encourage your friends to come see it and vote by clicking "like." Only "like" votes on the album photos will count in vote tallies, though (polite) comments are welcome, too. We'll also tally "likes" on the Instagram photos.

Please be sure to see our etiquette page before posting, as we will not include photos of people climbing trees, playing sports, roaming off the paths or engaging in other activities that are not permitted in the Gardens.

DEADLINE: Photos must be submitted by noon Tuesday, April 28. Voting will end at 9 a.m. on Thursday, April 30.

HOW TO VOTE: It's simple. Just "like" your favorite contest photos, both in Instagram and on Facebook. You can find us @sarahpdukegardens in Instagram. On Facebook, we're at facebook.com/dukegardens.

PRIZES: We'll have prizes for most "like" votes on Facebook and on Instagram, as well as judges' awards. Prizes will include Terrace Shop discount coupons, Duke Gardens note cards, the Duke Gardens souvenir photo book and other Duke Gardens-related gifts. We'll also have an extra prize -- a $50 iTunes gift card -- for the best Gardens photo featuring a Duke student or students dressed in Duke-branded clothing.
 
SHARE: Even if you're not interested in prizes or contests, we'd love for you to share your photos just for fun, and share our contest photo album with your own Facebook friends. We look forward to seeing your favorites.

ELIGIBILITY: Anyone of any age may share Duke Gardens photos in this contest. The only people not eligible to win a prize are Duke Gardens employees. In entering this contest, you are confirming that you are the person who took the photograph and that the person in the photo has granted permission for it to be shared online.

NOTE: This contest is not administered, endorsed or operated by Facebook.

LEARN MORE: Please check out our education and event listings for photo courses that you may enjoy. We also have a Nature Photography Certificate program that may interest you.

Duke Students+Alumni: Win An iPad!

Do you spend a lot of time in Duke Gardens? Is it your favorite place to study, stroll, volunteer, meditate, learn about plants, take photos or hang out with friends?

We'd love to hear about your interactions with Duke Gardens, either as a current or past Duke student. Specifically, how has Duke Gardens enriched your student experience?

We're having a contest to make it fun, and giving away an iPad to make it exciting. It's easy, and it's only for Duke students and alumni. Just share your thoughts about what has made Duke Gardens special or important to you as a student.

We're not looking for perfectly crafted essays, just heartfelt sentiments, compiled in whatever form feels right for you. So please don't hesitate. We love hearing about people's emotional connections with the Gardens.

What have you got to lose? And if you need some inspiration, or a quiet place to write, head to the Gardens. It's here for you.

PRIZES: The first prize winner will receive an iPad. But we'll also draw some names randomly to receive Duke Gardens greeting cards and other fun prizes.

DEADLINE: Please email your responses to dukegardensessay@yahoo.com by Oct. 1. deadline extended to Oct. 31. Please include your full name and graduation year.

WINNERS: Congratulations to iPad winner  Lindsay Higgins, and to runners-up Ryan Bird and Tiffany Chen. We were so touched by the many wonderful accounts that people shared of how Duke Gardens enhanced their student experiences. Thanks again to all who responded.

Photo: Terrace Gardens in fall. By Robert Ayers. 

Disclaimer: We will be sharing this contest on Facebook, but this is a Duke Gardens contest and not affiliated with Facebook in any way.

New Facebook Photo Contest: Fall Colors

The Virtue Peace Pond in fall. Photo by Rick Fisher.

Have you seen the beautiful oranges, reds and yellows peeking through the greens here at Duke Gardens? It's a perfect palette for a new photo exhibit+contest on our Facebook page (or see all entries). Got a favorite Duke Gardens photo featuring fall colors? We'd love to see it. Please don't be shy. This exhibit & contest is open to photographers at all levels and all ages. It's just a fun way to share your love for the Gardens with others who love it here, too.

For this contest, the fall colors can be anywhere, from a leaf to a flower, even a coat or hat -- as long as the setting is here at Duke Gardens.

Note: Facebook's structure has changed, so we can no longer do the contests in "events" with ease. So now we're using a collective album and email, which seemed to work well for our water plants contest.

Here's the scoop:

TOPIC: The topic for October/November is fall colors.

HOW TO ENTER: Email up to 3 photos for each contest to DukeGardensPhotos@yahoo.com. At least 5x7" or larger at 72 ppi is best, but if you don't know how to resize photos, feel free to send them as is, 1 per email. We will post them in an album on Facebook, with your Facebook name in the photo description. You can then add more information about the photo if you like, and encourage your friends to come see it and vote. You may also post the photo on our wall, but be sure to email it as well, so that it's officially in the contest and album. Only "like" votes and comments on the album photos will count in vote tallies.

DEADLINE: Photos must be submitted by Nov. 28. Voting will end at our amended cutoff of 10 a.m. Dec. 1.

PRIZES: We'll have prizes for most "like" votes and comments, as well as judges' awards. First prize is a Duke Gardens 2012 calendar. 2nd prize: Duke Gardens greeting cards or a 75th anniversary T-shirt. 3rd prize: discount coupon for the Terrace Shop. Entrants may only win one prize per contest theme in each tally (top votes & judges' prizes).

SHARE: Even if you're not interested in prizes or contests, we'd love for you to share your photos just for fun. We look forward to seeing your favorites.

LEARN MORE: Please check out our education & event listings for photo courses that you may enjoy. We also have a Nature Photography Certificate program that may interest you.