In celebration of our 60+ beautiful Sonoma County Regional Parks, the Sonoma County Parks Foundation is hosting a spring 2026 photo contest as a fundraiser to benefit Regional Parks.
Winning photos will be featured on the Sonoma County Parks Foundation website, newsletters, social media, and some winning photos will also be featured in our 2027 calendar. The contest begins Saturday, March 1st and will end Monday, March 31st at 5:00 p.m.
We welcome entries from any resident or visitor in Sonoma County, regardless of skill level or experience. We will accept the following submissions of photos taken in any of our 60+ Sonoma County Regional Parks:
- Park Wildlife: Send us your best photos of wildlife, including deer, otters, birds and other wild inhabitants of Sonoma County. Please be respectful of wildlife when taking photos. (See these tips from the National Audubon Society about ethical animal photography: audubon.org/get-outside/audubons-guide-ethical-bird-photography)
- Park Views and Vistas: Share your photos of beautiful sunsets, scenic views, spectacular coastlines, wildflowers and more taken at any regional park. To see a list of Sonoma County Regional Parks, visit www.sonomacountyparks.org.
- No photos showing people’s faces or off-leash dogs accepted.
Submissions produced with the assistance of drones or generated or altered by AI are not acceptable.
We will have two categories of winners. "People's Choice" winners will be selected based on popular votes through the website
gogophotocontest.com/SonomaCountyParksFoundation . "Judges' Choice" winners will be selected by a panel of distinguished judges.
Learn more about our judges and the rubric for judging.
Winning photos will be featured in our 2027 Spring into Parks Calendar!
Reserve a Day in the 2027 CalendarJust want a guaranteed spot in the calendar? Reserve a day to feature your photo. This can be for a loved one's birthday with a photo of their favorite trail, an anniversary, birthday, memorial or really any special day! Your 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. Scenery or wildlife photos only, no faces or pets off leash, please.
Reserve Your Day Here →Prizes
Coming Soon!
Judges’ Choice
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Fifth Place:
People's Choice
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​Sonoma County is home to one of the most diverse park systems in California – spanning cities, suburbs, valleys, mountains, rivers and ocean – with open space conservation land, developed trails, skate parks, tennis and pickleball courts, sports fields, playgrounds, beaches, picnic areas, marinas and campgrounds.
The nonprofit Sonoma County Parks Foundation supports more than 60 parks and trails in the Sonoma County Regional Parks system, as well as programs for children, adults, seniors and underserved populations in the parks.
Your participation in this photo contest – as a contest entrant or a voter – helps us raise vital funds for programs that serve children and teens in parks, trail construction and renovations, and climate action projects. Thank you!
Meet out 2026 Contest Judges!
- Kathryn Koh
Bio: Photography is a powerful skill, and I have been a student of it for as long as I can remember. Fortunately for me photography was my father’s hobby, and I grew up with access to a dark room and a father to teach me the physics of light. I focus my work on portraits, both people and animals. I also enjoy action and travel photography. Today’s cameras are so easy and powerful that anyone can take a good picture. The most important thing to taking valuable pictures is to capture what you love, what you want to remember and what you want to share with others. Happy shooting.
- Alex Glavtchev
Site: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alexg_imagery/
Bio: I was born in Bulgaria and moved to the U.S. as a teenager, eventually settling with my family in the South Bay. I attended UC Davis, where I earned an undergraduate degree in Physics, and later completed a Master’s in Physics at San Jose State University. It was at UC Davis that I met my wife, and together we decided to relocate to Sonoma County to raise our children in a smaller, nature-filled community. Professionally, I’ve worked in various high-tech roles and currently work as a software engineer at Keysight in Santa Rosa. I’m currently the admin and a judge for Keysight’s internal monthly employee photo contest. These opportunities have deepened my connection to the photography community and continue to inspire my own work. Outside of work, I’m passionate about hiking, swimming, playing soccer, and, most of all, photography. I’m completely self-taught and have spent years improving my craft by learning from YouTube creators and exploring photography concepts and techniques. My focus is on intimate nature photography, but I enjoy mixing it up with landscapes and urban scenes to challenge myself creatively.
- Ben Byrne
Sites: gallery.byrnecreative.com, instagram.com/byrnecreativephotography
Bio: Born and raised in the Midwest, I relocated to Santa Rosa in 2016 after a series of chapters in places ranging from Massachusetts to New Mexico. Although my interest in photography spans several decades, it was the move to Sonoma County that sharpened my focus and inspired a more dedicated and deliberate pursuit of the medium. I am primarily drawn to the landscapes of the North Bay, though my work also reflects a broader curiosity about the natural world beyond it. From wild coastlines and quiet inland trails to distant places and encounters with wildlife, my approach is guided by a desire to capture not just a scene, but the atmosphere and emotional resonance of a moment.