Your photo. Our holiday card.
First Unitarian’s 2026 Holiday Card Photo Contest
What does warmth, light, or community look like through your eyes?
A photograph you took could become the cover of First Unitarian Church of Rochester’s 2026 holiday card.
We’re inviting members and friends of all ages to share photographs that capture something meaningful about our community or the season. A familiar corner of the church. Light through a window. A quiet Rochester scene. A small moment worth sharing.
You don’t need a professional camera or photography experience. Phone photos are welcome.
Submit up to two photographs by Sunday, October 18, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern.
What we’re looking for
Choose a photograph that evokes warmth, light, care, connection, peace, or the beauty of the season.
Your photo may feature our church, the Rochester area, nature, or another subject that feels appropriate for a holiday greeting from our congregation. It does not have to include snow or holiday decorations.
Our card will reach people with many beliefs and holiday traditions. We’re looking for an image that feels welcoming across those differences.
Who can enter?
Members, friends, staff, and volunteers of First Unitarian are welcome to participate. Photographers of all ages and experience levels may enter.
There is no entry fee. Children and teens under 18 should submit with a parent or guardian’s permission.
Each person may submit up to two photographs.
Photo guidelines
The photo must be your own.
Submit a photograph you took yourself and have the right to share. Stock photos, downloaded images, and photographs taken by someone else are not eligible.
No AI-generated images or generative AI edits.
Do not use AI to create the image, add or replace objects, change the background, expand the scene, or otherwise generate visual content. Ordinary cropping, straightening, and adjustments to brightness, contrast, and color are permitted. Standard automatic camera processing on a phone or camera is welcome.
Keep the image suitable for a printed card.
Submit the original, highest-resolution version available as a JPG or PNG. Avoid screenshots, photos downloaded from social media, collages, added text, borders, and watermarks. Both horizontal and vertical photographs are welcome. Images should allow some cropping to fit the card.
Get permission from anyone pictured.
If recognizable people appear in your photograph, you must have their permission for the photo to be displayed during voting and used on the holiday card and related announcements. For children under 18, permission must come from a parent or guardian. We may request written confirmation before selecting the photo.
Older photographs are welcome.
Your entry does not need to have been taken this year.
How to submit
Use the submission form to upload your photographs and provide:
Your name and email address
A title or short description for each photograph
The location where each photograph was taken
Confirmation that you took the photo and followed the guidelines
Confirmation of permission from recognizable people pictured, if applicable
Agreement to the photo-use permissions
Please submit each photograph as a separate file.
Deadline: Sunday, October 18, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern.
How we’ll choose the winner
A small staff and volunteer team will review entries and select up to six finalists based on:
Connection to the spirit of the holiday card
A welcoming image for our congregation’s varied beliefs and traditions
Composition, clarity, and suitability for printing
Compliance with the contest guidelines
Finalists will be displayed on the church bulletin board and online. Photographers’ names will be withheld during voting so voters can focus on the images.
Congregants and friends will choose the winner through voting October 25–November 1. Children, teens, and adults are welcome to vote. Staff may participate on the same basis as everyone else.
Each person may cast one vote total, either online or by paper ballot at church. Social media likes and comments will not count as votes.
The eligible photograph receiving the most votes will be selected for the card. In the event of a tie, the review team will choose the image that works best for the final card design. If the leading photograph cannot be used because of file quality or missing permissions, the next eligible photograph will be selected.
What does the winner receive?
The winning photograph will appear on First Unitarian’s 2026 holiday card, with photographer credit. We’ll also announce the winning image to the congregation.
How your photograph may be used
You keep ownership of your photograph.
By entering, you give First Unitarian Church of Rochester permission to display your submitted photograph on the bulletin board, website, and social media for contest promotion and voting, with credit outside the anonymous voting period.
If your photograph is selected, you also give the church permission to reproduce it on the printed and digital 2026 holiday card and in announcements sharing the winning card. We may crop, resize, and make ordinary print adjustments. No payment is offered for this use.
Permission for other uses would be requested separately.
Help us share a little warmth.
Check your camera roll, revisit a favorite photograph, or take something new. We’d love to see what catches your attention.
Questions or need help submitting? Contact Emily Sanjanwala
The cover of our 2025 Holiday Card, taken by Cathy Reda-Cheplowitz