Bliss Photo Contest

The Bliss Photo Contest is open to all students who traveled abroad with or participated in the following Davidson grants and programs during Winter 2024 - Winter 2025* (this includes Winter 2024, Spring 2024, Summer 2024, Fall 2024, and Winter 2025).  

• Dean Rusk Travel Grant 
• Abernethy Grant 
• Chaplain’s Office Grant
• Alvarez Grant Program 
• East Asian Internship Program
• Matthews Center for Career Development Grants 
• Davidson Research Initiative (DRI) groups
• Department-led academic excursions 

Students who studied abroad in credit-bearing OEA programs may participate in the Office of Education Abroad & Away’s annual photo contest in the fall of each academic year. If you participated in the 2024 OEAA Returnee Photo Contest, you must submit different photos to the 2025 Bliss Photo Contest. 

If you have traveled abroad during Winter 2024 - Winter 2025 using multiple Davidson funded programs, you may still only submit ONE entry form.  

*Winter 2024 - Winter 2025 accounts for travel anytime between January 2024 through January 2025. 

Submissions will be accepted from Monday, February 3 at 9 a.m. to Sunday, February 23 at 11:59 p.m.  

• All application materials must be submitted using the Google Form linked above by the application deadline.
• Only one photo per category will be accepted for the 2025 Bliss Photo Contest. Therefore, each student may submit a total of FOUR photos.
• Photo submissions must be labeled with the student’s name and the category in the file name. 
  • For example, if a student named Alex Smith is submitting a photo to the 'Movement and Transportation' category, the file should be titled “AlexSmith_Movement&Transportation.jpg.”

Please submit ONE application. The Google Form allows you to submit one photo and its caption for each category that you'd like to enter.

Students may submit one photo per category. The categories are:

• The photo must be taken by the person that is submitting the photo to the contest. 
• Photos may be edited to a reasonable degree (i.e., color, contrast, lighting, etc.) but drastic alterations (i.e., addition of individuals, removal of significant portions of the photo, etc.) are prohibited.
• Color, black and white, sepia, etc. photos are acceptable.
• All images must be 10 MB or lower. 
• Photos should be high quality, meaning that the photo can be blown up to a larger size without pixelation of the image content. For the highest quality image, all images must have a resolution of at least 240 dpi; 300 dpi or higher is preferable. Photo submissions with a resolution under 240 dpi will not be considered. For guidance, better quality images are 1920x2400 px and highest quality images are 2400x3000 px. 
• Photos are required to have been taken during the Davidson abroad experience specified within the time frame eligible for the 2025 Bliss Photo Contest of Winter 2024 through Winter 2025. 
• If you are submitting a photo with individual(s) who are recognizable, ensure that you have their expressed consent before submitting it in the photo contest. All students must agree they have complied with the photography code of ethics. 

• All submitted photos may be utilized by Davidson College and the Dean Rusk International Studies Program for various purposes (i.e., websites, publications, etc.). 
• All winners will be announced at the Bliss Banquet in March to receive their award. 
• If these guidelines are not followed, photos may be disqualified at the discretion of the Dean Rusk Office. 

All photos will be evaluated anonymously by our panel of judges based on our established judging criteria. 

View the complete rubric

The top 3 winners will be decided by a panel of faculty and/or staff.

• The best overall photo per category will be decided by students. 
• The top 3 winners will be displayed at the Verna Miller Case Research and Creative Works Symposium. 
• The 1st place winner will receive the Bliss Award for Best Photography. 
• The best overall photo per category will be chosen through a community vote by Davidson Community members.
• The following prizes will be awarded for the winners of the Bliss Photo Contest: 
  • 1st place: Up to $100 worth of items purchased at your choice of Amazon, Davidson College Store, Apple Store, Best Buy, or Target 
  • 2nd place: Up to $75 worth of items purchased at your choice of Amazon, Davidson College Store, Apple Store, Best Buy, or Target 
  • 3rd place: Up to $50 worth of items purchased at your choice of Amazon, Davidson College Store, Apple Store, Best Buy, or Target 
  • Community Vote: Best per Category Winners: Up to $25 worth of items purchased at your choice of Amazon, Davidson College Store, Apple Store, Best Buy, or Target 

The Bliss Photo Banquet will be held on Tuesday, March 25, 2025 at 5:15 p.m. in the 900 Room. All students who enter the Bliss Photo Contest are eligible to attend. The evening will bring together contest judges, Davidson community members, and student photographers to celebrate the outstanding photos submitted to the 2025 Bliss Photo Contest. Guests will have the opportunity to hear stories about students' experiences abroad and learn about the inspiration behind their photography. Food will be served.