Tips for Winning Photos

We want photos from every province and territory in Canada!

Each person may submit up to five photos. Winning photos will be printed in the 2010 fall catalogue, and may be used for other promotional and publicity purposes for the Maplelea Girls. A $50 Gift Certificate will be sent to each entrant who has a photo selected as a winner.

The contest is open now, and closes July 5, 2010 at midnight. Winners will be notified by September 30, 2010.

Here's what we are looking for

1. We love pictures that show off this great country of ours, especially ones that show us what is special about the community or area where you live! We want photos from every province and territory. Photos taken outside of Canada will only be considered if there is a strong Canadian connection.

2. We love action shots of girls and their Maplelea Girls! We want to see you exploring, playing, learning, celebrating, helping, traveling, creating, discovering or just having fun!

3. We love interesting stories (a short paragraph) to go with the photo. Tell us the story behind the photo—what led up to the event, why the day was special, the significance of the location, etc. Also tell us anything else about the girl(s) and the Maplelea Girl(s) that you think we, and our readers, will find interesting.

4. The clothing and accessories on the doll must be only Maplelea clothing and accessories. The only exception to this is clothing or accessories made by the girl herself. (Sorry Moms and Grandmas!)

5. The outfit on the doll should be one meant for that character. (For example, a Taryn outfit on a Taryn doll.) These photos help other girls see what the outfits look like on the dolls so make sure the doll is neatly dressed in a co-ordinating outfit. Preferably all (or most) of the pieces will be from one outfit set. We always choose a couple of photos of each doll character wearing the outfit the doll comes in. However, we also like to show the large variety of outfits available. To increase the chances of your photo being selected, choose an outfit other than the outfit the doll comes in.

6. Make sure your doll’s hair is neatly combed and/or styled.

7. It is not necessary to look like your doll or be dressed like your doll. However, you should both be dressed for the same type of occasion. (For example, both in casual clothes, both in party dresses, both in beachwear, etc.)

8. If the activity shown is a sport that normally requires certain safety equipment, then that safety equipment must be shown in the photo. For example, if the girl is in a boat, then she must be wearing a lifejacket. If she is riding a horse, she must be wearing a helmet. (We understand that your doll may not have the same safety equipment). Where appropriate, if the girl has paused her activity for the photo, the safety equipment need only be in the photo. For example, if the girl is walking her bike, then the helmet only needs to be with her, not necessarily on her head.

9. Because Maplelea Girl dolls and accessories are intended for girls age 6 to 12+, we tend to choose photos of girls that look that age.

10. Each entrant can submit up to five photos. We like to receive photos from all seasons so keep taking pictures throughout the year, indoors and out.

11. Photos must be in jpg or GIF format to be able to upload. Other formats are not acceptable. If your photos are not in jpg or GIF format, then use the following procedure to convert them.

1) Open the photo in "Microsoft paint" or another picture editing program
2) Re-Save the photo as a JPG (click File->Save As, then choose JPG or jpeg as the file format)
3) Use this new file to submit to our contest.

12. We want to show Canada’s diversity—diversity of girls, of activities and of places. We always try to choose at least one photo from each province and territory. We strongly encourage girls living in the territories and smaller provinces to submit entries. We know there are Maplelea Girls living in every province and territory in Canada!

13. And, because this is a photo contest, we also look for good lighting, proper exposure, creative compositions, etc.

For contest Terms and Conditions, click here.

To Submit Photos, click here.