Every spring the annual Dana Dawes/NWI Chapter NRHS Photographer of the Year Contest is held. This event was named after Dana Dawes in memory of what he did for the NWI Chapter. He was a long time member and served as the National Director, attending every National Convention, for at least 15 years before his death. The board has revamped the rules for the annual photo contest. The photo plaques have been eliminated and instead the winning photos will be displayed on the NWI website for a year as recognition.

2012 Contest Rules
    
1. The Contest shall be held during the April NWI Chapter Meeting.

2. Three Categories shall be offered.

• Category A – Photographs recorded during the preceding year of a local nature. i.e. recorded in Illinois or an immediate surrounding state of Illinois (Indiana-Wisconsin-Iowa-Missouri-Kentucky). This category shall determine the Photographer of the Year.
  
  
• Category B – Anytime–Anywhere. This shall be an honorable mention category.
  
  
• Category C– Be Innovative. Use your imagination. You may do

  anything you wish with this image. Category C must be submitted ready for entry. This shall be an honorable mention category.
  

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       3. Photographers may enter up to three (3) photographs in each category. The photographs must have been recorded by the contestant. All contestants must be a current NWI Chapter member or subscriber at the time of the contest. Photographer need not be present to win.
  
       4. All entries will be projected digitally. All entries must be

  submitted to the contest producers, no later than April 1, 2012. No entries will be accepted in any manner after the cut-off date. Ray Peacock and Erik Rasmussen shall be the contest Producers for the 2012 contest.
  
       5. Slide or print film entries will have to be scanned to meet digital requirements of the Producers. All photos scanned and processed in Photoshop by the Producers will be sized down to 1024x683 for landscape shots or 750x500 for verticals. If you are submitting a slide for us to scan and then process, they can handle it. You will have to clean your slides before scanning. However, if you submit a photo file to us already sized by yourself, make sure it is sized at the dimensions noted. Using a conventional jpeg file, you can e-mail or submit files via media such as CD/DVD or thumb drive.
  
       Submissions or questions can be sent to either: Ray Peacock or Erik Rasmussen . The NWL will announce dates and times the Producers will be available to scan film entries or accept digital entries at NWI Chapter meetings prior to the entry deadline. The Producers will be available at the March Chapter Meeting.
  
  Click on the links below to view past contest winners:

  2011 Contest
  2010 Contest
  2009 Contest
  2008 Contest
  2007 Contest
  2006 Contest
  2005 Contest

  Note from the Board
   

      The Board recognizes the rapid changes all rail photographers are faced with as imaging changes from film to digital based medium, and to that end remind membership that there will be an evolutionary process involved with photo contests in the next few years. Our contest is a continual "work in progress", and each year we are open to adjusting the rules, adding/subtracting categories, etc.
  
       Who knows what form our contest will take in the future--it's up to YOU! As we have in our long history, the NWI embraces ALL forms of rail image capture--be it film or digital photography, video, or painting--and rest assured we'll continue to support you however you choose to pursue the hobby. Your input is always appreciated on how this contest can be tweaked for the better.