The 2024 contest features several changes. The 'Chanhassen Community Parks' and 'Recreational Sports' categories have been merged into the new 'Community Parks & Recreation' category. 'Flora & Fauna' has been split into the 'Landscape & Flora' and 'Pets & Wildlife' categories. The goal of these changes is to draw a finer line between people, landscapes, plants, and animals as subjects.

While submitting photos, you may select multiple categories per submission. In doing so, staff will choose whichever category the photo fits best.

• Art & Architecture
  • Photos of art and local architecture. The subject artwork can be public or private.
• Community Parks & Recreation
  • Shots of the many community parks in Chanhassen and people enjoying them. Examples of subjects include people fishing, enjoying a community event, playing at the beach, biking down a trail, playing in an adult softball league, tossing around a frisbee in the park, or other similar activities.
• Landscape & Flora
  •  This includes flowers, trees, other plants, lakes, ponds, and other natural subjects that do not include people, pets, or wildlife.
• Nostalgia
  • Pictures that remind one of a simpler time. All photos must be current photos that inspire nostalgia (as opposed to submitting older photos).
• Pets & Wildlife
  • Photos of pets and other animals.
• Youth
  • This is an open category for photographers 18 years old and younger. Any submissions in this category are eligible to win the Youth category, Best of Show, or Honorable Mention.

General Rules 

• The contest is open to amateur photographers and is restricted to Chanhassen residents only.
• Up to five photos per entrant may be submitted.
• Entrants must be the sole author and owner of the image/photo.
• Submissions must be subjects in the City of Chanhassen.
• All submissions become the property of the City of Chanhassen.
• Photos shall not be more than two years old and must not have been altered in any way other than cropping.
• Artificial intelligence (AI) manipulated or generated submissions will not be accepted.
• Entries with names, logos, watermarks, or writing on the photo will not be accepted.
• Submissions are open from February 1 to December 31 (submission form closes at 11:59 p.m.).

Image Specifications

• Only images in JPEG format will be accepted.
• In order to qualify to be used for the cover of the Chanhassen Connection magazine, entries must be at least 300 DPI (dots per inch) or 118 PPI (pixels per inch) in quality. Entries below this threshold are still eligible to win categories, Best of Show, or receive Honorable Mention, but they will not be used as a cover photo. This ensures the highest print quality for the Connection. 
• Submissions must be in color.

Best of Show

The Best of Show photo will be published on the cover of a Chanhassen Connection and showcased at Chanhassen City Hall or the Chanhassen Recreation Center. It may also appear in other forms of city-wide communications, such as our eNewsletter and social media.

The Best of Show winner will also be invited to a City Council meeting to be congratulated on their achievement.

Category Winners

If your photo is selected as a category winner, your photo may be featured in the Chanhassen Connection. It may also appear in other forms of city-wide communications, such as our eNewsletter and social media.

Honorable Mention

Honorable mention photos will receive an awards certificate and may also be used in city publications (including the Connection), social media, or on the website.

Judging

The Chanhassen Communications team reserves the right to make all judgements in the 2024 Heart of Chanhassen Contest. In the event of a submission being entered into multiple categories, the team will do its best to choose the best fitting category for that submission.