Eligibility
This contest is open to photographers from around the world ages eight and older.
Submitted photos must be original work of nature with no human-made objects. Photos of animals must be wild, not of animals in zoos or other forms of containment.
Contestants must have access to a valid email address for communication with contest officials and a credit card to pay online fees.
Photos must be submitted online via this website by the contest deadline and will not be accepted in any other form.
Staff and Board Members of Audubon Community Nature Center are welcome to submit photos, but are ineligible for judged prizes. ACNC staff and Board Members are eligible for the Community Choice award.
There is a $15 entry fee for each photo entered into the contest.
Files must be in high resolution JPG format. Any aspect ratio is acceptable, but please size the file so that the longest dimension is 1500 pixels and set the quality to "high." Please set your phone to the highest possible resolution before taking a photo to submit to the contest.
The photographer retains full copyright to their images. Participation in the contest gives Audubon Community Nature Center (ACNC) permission to use the photographs without compensation on the Contest Website as well as on other ACNC websites and in news releases which may appear in print or on third party websites for the purpose of publicizing the contest, as well as other ACNC activities. ACNC will always include the photographer's name when using a photograph for any purpose.
Photos must be submitted in the correct category to be judged for that category and win a prize.
The winners of each category will be judged by a mixed panel of professional and amateur photographers.
The Community Choice award will go to the youth and adult with the most online votes, irrespective of category. Each vote costs $1.00 in U.S. dollars, with a $5.00 minimum. There is no limit to the number of times a person can vote. 100% of the voting fees will go towards supporting Audubon Community Nature Center's mission of connecting people to nature.
Divisions:
Prizes will be awarded in two divisions for each category:
- Adult: age 19 or older, or out of high school at the end of the contest.
- Youth: ages 8 to 18, or still in high school at the end of the contest.
Categories:
- Fauna: any wild animal. No photos of animals in captivity, such as pets, zoos, or rehab animals.
- Landscapes / Waterscapes: mountains, forests, fields, deserts, etc.; oceans, lakes, ponds, rivers, creeks, etc.
- Community Choice: This prize will go out to the photo with the most votes online in the adult and the youth division. It is possible that a photo will receive both the community choice award and win in another category.
Prizes
- Six $200 Winners: One in each category for youth and adult, including the community choice award for youth and adult.
- 18 Finalists will be selected (3 youth, 3 adult in the two judged categories, as well as the top 3 youth and adults in the community choice category.)
- Winners' and finalists' photographs will be posted on this website. Winning photographers will be notified through e-mail and receive cash prizes in United States dollars via a check sent by United States mail. No cash transfers are available.
- Winners and finalists will be named in a news release that is widely distributed, including to their local media if known.
- ACNC will print the winning photographs to exhibit in the Nature Center.
Submission
- Submission: You may submit starting January 25, 2022. Deadline to submit midnight, August 28, 2022. (Eastern Time)
- Judging: Early September 2022.
- Finalists and Winners Announced: The week of October 3, 2022
Winners photographs are printed at ACNC’s expense to display at the Nature Center for one year. Your submission allows Audubon to sell one print if you win.
Any photo submitted to this contest may be used, with full credit, in a 2023 calendar.