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Illinois Department of Transportation

IDOT Photo Contest

Say cheese! You're invited to participate in a special photo contest to showcase how IDOT has helped you connect with your community!

It's as simple as Snap, Enter, Vote!

Snap a pic of anything transportation-related

Enter photos 05/24-6/07

 

Vote for your favorite 06/14-17

 

To enter, simply photograph anything transportation-related and briefly (<200 words) tell us why it’s important to you. It could be your favorite road you take to and from work, a bike trail you enjoy, an airport, transit stop, bridge or a unique stretch close to home – whatever inspires you or helps you get where you need to go.  

  • All entered photos will be reviewed by IDOT staff and narrowed down to three finalists. 
  • IDOT’s three finalists will then be displayed online and promoted on social media.
  • The photo receiving the most votes will be the winner and displayed on IDOT’s Facebook banner for an entire month. 
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Safety is Rule No. 1. Do not take photos while driving. We will not accept them, though please note in your submissions if they are taken with a dash cam. Absolutely no photos taken on railroad property will be accepted. 

All entered photos will be reviewed by IDOT staff and narrowed down to three finalists. Entries will be judged based on originality, beauty and how impactful it is to you or your community. IDOT’s three finalists will then be displayed online and promoted on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), so the public can choose the winner by voting for their favorite. (Only one vote per person, please.) 

The photo with the most votes will be the winner and displayed on IDOT’s Facebook banner for an entire month. 

All entries must be submitted by email (from May 24 to June 7, 2024). Each participant may submit a maximum of 5 entries. Photos must be related to our contest theme of transportation in Illinois. For safety reasons, no photos taken on railroad property will be accepted. Only digital photos will be accepted and should be of optimal resolution. Mobile phone pics are perfect!  

  • Digital photo only may be submitted to the photo contest email address. 

  • Accepted photo formats include jpegs, pngs and pdfs. (Medium-sized jpegs preferred) 

  • Photo file sizes cannot exceed 10 MB. 

  • Photos that have been digitally altered beyond standard optimization (cropping, color and contrast, etc.) will be disqualified. Faxes, Polaroids, professional photographs or prints will not be accepted. 

All entries submitted for the purpose of this contest will grant a property interest to the state.  In submitting an entry, you grant the state of Illinois a non-exclusive, perpetual license for use for any public purpose.  All photos must be original work by the entrants.  

  • Rails-to-trails areas 

  • Highways 

  • Bridges 

  • Construction  

  • Heavy equipment 

  • Snowplows 

  • Transit

  • Local airports 

  • Ports and waterways

The winner will receive a certificate of award signed by the Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary and recognized on IDOT’s website and social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram). 

The winning photo will be IDOT's Facebook banner for an entire month. 

  • The contest will accept online entries from May 24 through June 07.

  • All entries must be received by June 07 at 11:59 p.m. 

  • Votes will be accepted via an online survey June 14 - June 17.  
    (Only one vote per person, please.)

  • Winners will be notified by email and then announced online through social media and IDOT’s website on June 21. 

Stay tuned!

To enter, simply photograph a transportation-related composition and briefly (<200 words) tell us why it’s important to you in your community. It could be your favorite road, trail, airport, transit stop, bridge or unique stretch of traverse in your region – anything that connects transportation in your community.  

All entered photos will be reviewed by IDOT. The public will vote on them within our social media channels based on originality, beauty and how impactful each is to a community. IDOT’s 3 finalists will be entered into the online public voting contest. The image with the most votes will be displayed on our social media (Facebook) for an entire month. 

All entries can be submitted from May 15-31, 2024. Each participant may submit a maximum of 5 entries. Photos must be related to our contest theme of transportation in Illinois. For safety reasons, no photos taken on railroad property will be accepted. Only digital photos will be accepted and should be of optimal resolution.  

  • Digital photo only may be submitted on the entry website.
  • Accepted photo formats include jpegs, pngs and pdfs. (Medium-sized jpegs preferred)
  • Photo file sizes cannot exceed 10 MB.
  • Photos that have been digitally altered beyond standard optimization (cropping, color and contrast, etc.) will be disqualified. Faxes, Polaroids, professional photographs or prints will not be accepted

All entries submitted for the purpose of this contest will become the property of the State.  In submitting an entry, you grant the State of Illinois a non-exclusive, perpetual license for use for any public purpose.  All photos must be original work by the entrants.  

Highways Rails-to-trails areas
Bridges Construction
local Roads Heavy Equipment
Snowplows State supported transit lines
Local Roads Buses purchased with state funds
Ports  

The winners will be recognized through statewide announcements on IDOT’s website and social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram). 

  • The contest will accept online entries from May 15-31, 2024.
  • All entries must be received by May 31 at 11:59 p.m.
  • Votes will be accepted online June 12-19, 2024.
  • Winners will be notified via email and then announced online through social media and IDOT's website. 

Send entries to: DOT.PhotoContest@illinois.gov.

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