All passengers, fans, photographers, and members of the community are encouraged to submit photographs for consideration. The contest celebrates the S.S. Badger, Lake Michigan, the communities of Ludington and Manitowoc, and the memories and experiences created aboard the ship.
Twelve photographs will be selected for the calendar, with one additional photograph selected as the Grand Prize Cover Photo.
The Month Winners will receive a copy of the 2027 Calendar and a $20 gift card to the Badger online store. The Cover Photo Winner will receive a copy of the calendar, as well as 2 free round-trip passenger tickets for the 2027 season!
Submissions will be accepted from September 7th through October 6th. Submit your photo and read the official rules below!
Official Rules
1. Contest Overview
The Lake Michigan Carferry is inviting passengers, fans, photographers, and members of the community to submit photographs for consideration in the 2027 S.S. Badger Calendar.
The contest celebrates the S.S. Badger, Lake Michigan, the communities of Ludington and Manitowoc, and the memories and experiences created aboard the ship.
Twelve photographs will be selected for the calendar, with one additional photograph selected as the Grand Prize Cover Photo.
2. Eligibility
Employees of Lake Michigan Carferry, members of their immediate families, and others directly involved in administering the contest may be excluded from participating.
No purchase is necessary to enter.
3. Entry Period
Entries will be accepted beginning September 7th at 8:00am ET and must be received no later than October 6th, 2026 at 11:59pm ET.
Entries received after the deadline may not be considered.
4. How to Enter
- Submit your photo(s) and contact information to the form on this webpage.
- Please label your files clearly: LastName_FirstName_PhotoTitle.jpg
- Each submission should include:
- Entrant’s name
- Email address
- Phone number
- Photo title, if applicable
- Location where the photograph was taken
- Approximate date the photograph was taken
- Optional description or story behind the photograph
5. Photo Requirements
Photographs must:
- Be the original work of the person submitting the photograph.
- Be submitted in a high-resolution digital format.
- Be suitable for reproduction in a printed calendar.
- Not infringe upon the copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity or other rights of another person or organization.
- Not contain inappropriate, offensive, obscene or unlawful content.
Both color and black-and-white photographs are acceptable.
Reasonable editing, including cropping, exposure adjustments and color correction, is permitted.
AI-generated images are not eligible.
6. People Appearing in Photographs
If a recognizable individual other than the photographer appears prominently in a submitted photograph, the entrant is responsible for obtaining any permissions necessary for the use of the photograph.
The Lake Michigan Carferry reserves the right to request a model release or other documentation before using a selected photograph.
7. Ownership and Permission to Use Submitted Photographs
By submitting a photo, you acknowledge and agree that:
- You grant LMC and its associated companies full permission to use the image in any media, including social media, websites, advertising, promotional materials, printed publications, and digital assets.
- You confirm that you have the rights to the photo and that the submission does not violate any copyright or privacy restrictions.
- LMC will make reasonable efforts to provide photographer credit when the image is used.
8. Selection of Winners
Twelve photographs will be selected for inclusion in the 2027 S.S. Badger Calendar.
One additional photograph will be selected as the Grand Prize Cover Photo.
The Lake Michigan Carferry reserves the right to select additional photographs as honorable mentions or alternates.
A photograph selected by the judges may be cropped or adjusted to fit the calendar design.
9. Prizes
Grand Prize Cover Winner:
- Two complimentary round-trip passenger tickets
- A copy of the 2027 S.S. Badger Calendar
Monthly Calendar Winners:
- $20 Gift card for use on board the SS Badger or on the online store
- A copy of the 2027 S.S. Badger Calendar
Additional prizes may be awarded at the discretion of the Lake Michigan Carferry.
10. Disqualification
The Lake Michigan Carferry reserves the right to disqualify any entry that does not comply with these rules or that the Lake Michigan Carferry reasonably believes it contains false, misleading, inappropriate or unauthorized content.
11. Contest Changes
The Lake Michigan Carferry reserves the right to modify, suspend or cancel the contest if circumstances beyond its reasonable control make doing so necessary.
12. Acceptance of Rules
Submission of a photograph constitutes the entrant’s agreement to these Official Rules.
By entering, the participant represents that they have the authority to submit the photograph and grant the rights described in these rules.