Leading up to our 2024 Spring Lake Water Bark and in celebration of 60+ dog-friendly Sonoma County Regional Parks, the Sonoma County Parks Foundation is hosting a summer 2024 dog photo contest as a fundraiser to benefit Regional Parks.
Two winning dogs – one selected by the public and one by our judges’ panel – will be “Top Dogs” at the 2024 Spring Lake Water Bark and have their banners featured at the event!
Winning photos will also be featured on the Sonoma County Parks Foundation website, newsletters and social media. We welcome all photographers who are residents or visitors in Sonoma County, regardless of skill level or experience.
New this contest:
- We will introduce a “Judges’ Choice” photo category, with a panel of talented judges who will select the top 10 entries based on their photographic qualities to receive prizes. (Learn more about the judges’ criteria.)
- A 2025 “Sonoma County’s Top Dog” calendar will be awarded to Judges’ Choice and People’s Choice prize winners, and the calendar also will be available for purchase. Pre-order your calendar here. The $25 price includes tax and shipping and supports our beloved Sonoma County Regional Parks.
Meet our judges!
Sherri Oster – Sherri is an award-winning Sonoma County photographer who is currently pursuing master candidate status with Santa Rosa Photographic Society.
Alex Glavtchev – Alex is a software engineer at Keysight who relocated to Sonoma County to raise his family in proximity to gorgeous nature. He is a self-taught photographer, learning about composition, concepts and techniques through YouTube and reading. Alex prefers intimate nature photography, with some landscape and urban shots.
Ronnie Rosenbach – Ronnie is a member of the Santa Rosa Photographic Society who has displayed his work in local shows at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts and the Finley Center, as well as in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. Flowers are Ronnie’s special love, but he also is inspired by landscapes and other genres.
Photo guidelines
- Photos of dogs, please no people/faces.
- Your dog photo can be taken at any location and does not have to be taken at a Sonoma County Regional Park or the Spring Lake Water Bark.
- Please follow applicable leash laws. Photos of dogs off-leash in Regional Parks will not be accepted.
By participating in this contest, you affirm that you are the photographer for the image submitted and that you have the rights to the image. Submissions produced with the assistance of drones or generated or altered by AI are not acceptable. “People’s Choice” winners will be selected based on popular votes through the website gogophotocontest.com/SonomaCountyParksFoundation , while Judges’ Choice winners will be selected by our panel of judges. Complete contest rules can be found here.
Good luck and thanks for entering!
Reserve a Day to Honor Your Dog
Just want a guaranteed spot in the calendar? Reserve a day to honor your dog. This can be for your dog's adoption anniversary, birthday, loved one's birthday, memorial or really any special day! Your dog's photo will appear on the day of your choice. Just choose your favorite photo and then choose the day and pay! First come first served! Once a date has been reserved, it will no longer be available.
Reserve Your Day Here →