Students, East Lansing residents or anyone wanting to photograph the city are able to submit up to five photos they have taken of the city for contest consideration. The photos can be of anything within the city during all four seasons.

When the contest began, it only ran during the summer. This restriction hampered the number of entrants in the contest because of the large student population missing from the city.

In 2013, however, the city extended the contest into the fall.

"Last year we had a pretty good level of turnout," East Lansing Communications Coordinator Mikell Frey said. "Our participation increased last year because we included the fall so we had a lot of student participation."

The city received 216 entries in 2013, compared to only 137 in the year before.

"We definitely had more student submissions (because of the extended deadline), Frey said. "We like being able to engage a wide assortment of community members."

While winners of the contest receive gift cards to Meijer, the city also benefits from the submissions.

When photographers submit their photos to the contest, they also must sign a model release form. This form "grants the City of East Lansing permission to use (the) photograph in any and all of its publications, print or electronic," according to the form.

The form also states photographers can make no monetary claim against the city if they use the photo.

"The primary use is the community calendar," said Frey. 

The East Lansing community calendar is given to all East Lansing residents and "provides the community with a progress report of the City's past year and features vivid community photographs," according to the city's website.

Ryan Logan, creative advertising senior and second place winner of the community photo contest in 2013 said giving up the photo rights isn't the end of the world.

"I sell photos to websites where they will pay you a quarter and use your photo over and over," Logan said. "For the local attention it brings and winning some money it's worth it to give up the rights."

The contest deadline this year is Oct. 10.