The entry period for the 2013 photo contest has closed. Click here to vote for your favorite photos and help select this year's winner! [1]
Defenders of Wildlife’s main focus is on the protection and restoration of imperiled species throughout North America.To that end, we have refocused the direction of our photo contest this year: Please note, only North American species and landscapes will be eligible for judging in the 2013 photo contest, with special focus on our 25 key species and focal landscapes [2].
So share your best photos of wildlife and habitat with us, and get a chance to see them on Defenders' web pages, featured in our quarterly newsletter, annual calendar and other publications! Plus, winners will be eligible for a range of prizes, including a week-long guided nature photography trip this spring with Defenders magazine contributor Jess Lee [3].
You can submit up to six images, total, featuring wildlife or wild lands to the contest. Contest deadline is Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Winners will be announced in April 2013, and winning photos will be published in the summer 2013 issue of Defenders' quarterly publication.
Table of Contents
Official Contest Rules
How to Enter
Eligibility and Judging
Deadlines
Prizes
Frequently Asked Questions
More Questions?
Defenders of Wildlife is pleased to announce its fourth annual photography contest and invites all photographers to enter. The grand prize winner will receive a six-day photo tour of Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, courtesy of Defenders of Wildlife and Jess Lee Photo Tours.
Please read the following rules, terms and conditions before submitting any photos.
The Defenders of Wildlife photography contest (the "contest") is open to everyone at least 18 years of age, except employees and board members of Defenders of Wildlife and their immediate families.
YOUR RIGHTS: You will retain the copyright and all other rights to photographs you submit except for those rights specifically listed below:
You are granting Defenders of Wildlife a non-exclusive, irrevocable, royalty-free license to publish the photographs you enter in editorial, educational, promotional and other uses. You also grant Defenders of Wildlife the right to use your name in connection with the photograph as well as in promotions and other publications associated with the contest.
WHAT TO ENTER: The contest has two categories: wild lands and wildlife. We are looking for outstanding photographs of wildlife and wild lands that highlight the beauty and wonder of life in North America. Your photographs may be portraits of animals in the wild, natural landscapes or shots of animal behavior.
This is a contest of images of wild lands and wild animals with an emphasis on our 25 key species and focal landscapes. Do not enter photographs of pets or domestic animals. Also do not enter photographs of captive animals taken in zoos and/or commercial game farms. If people appear in any of your photographs, you must be able to provide model releases to Defenders of Wildlife.
Photographs should accurately reflect the reality of the subject matter and the scene as it naturally appeared. Slight digital adjustments of color, contrast and exposure are allowed, as is cropping. However, photos that have been heavily digitally altered and/or digital composites, as determined by the sole discretion of the judges, will be disqualified.
All published photographs will be credited with the caption "© Photographer's Name."
All entries must be submitted electronically as JPEG files using our web based entry form. Deadline for submitting entries is 11:59pm PST on Wednesday, March 13, 2013.
You may enter as many as six photographs to our contest using this form. The six photos may be any combination of wildlife or wild lands images. The photographs must be uploaded one at a time.
All entries must be JPEG (.jpg or .jpeg) file format and have a resolution of at least 1,000 on its longest side, preferably 3000x2000 (six megapixels) and above. We suggest using a camera that can take photos between six megapixels and 18 megapixels to achieve maximum resolution.
You must fill out all of the boxes for your entry to be accepted. Your personal information only needs to be entered once but you must update the title and description for each photo you enter.
NOTE:Your personal information will be kept private and viewable only by Defenders of Wildlife photo contest staff except as noted in the YOUR RIGHTS section above.
In the description box please identify the subject or species of your photograph, the location it was taken, and any additional information that you think will be helpful in understanding the photograph. Remember: any animal featured must be wild.
NOTE:Please refer to the section above on YOUR RIGHTS to see the rights you are granting Defenders of Wildlife by entering our contest.
Entries may originate from film or digital files but must be submitted electronically as JPEGs.
Photographs will be judged anonymously on the following criteria: artistic value, content, composition, originality and technical expertise. A team including Defenders of Wildlife staff members who select images for our various publications will judge the contest. This is a skill-based contest, and chance plays no part in the determination of the winners.
The team will select 10 finalists, divided into the two categories: wildlife and wild lands of North America. The prize winners and honorable mention winners will come from this group. The finalists will then be placed online for our readers to vote. The voting by our readers will determine the grand prize winner as well as the first, second and third prize winners for each category.
Entries can be submitted starting on February 13, 2013. Deadline for submitting entries is 11:59pm PST on March 13, 2013.
Winning photographs will be announced via an e-mail from Defenders of Wildlife on or about April 1 and featured on the Defenders of Wildlife website. Winning photographs will be featured in the summer issue of the Defenders quarterly publication, which will arrive in homes mid-July 2013. Winning entrants may be contacted for an interview about their photo.
Defenders of Wildlife reserves the right to adjust deadlines as needed due to circumstances beyond our control.
The grand prize winner as determined by our readers will receive a six-day photo tour of Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks [4] that runs from June 2-7, 2013. Defenders of Wildlife will pay for domestic travel to and from the parks for the winner. The tour, courtesy of Jess Lee Photo Tours, includes lodging, ground transportation, guiding and field instruction. For more information, please visit Jess Lee Photography's Photo Workshops and Upcoming Trips page [5]. This trip is non-transferrable and must be taken during the dates listed above.
The other prize winners will receive gift certificates to B&H Photo Video [6] in New York. The first-prize winner in each category will receive a $750 gift certificate, the second prize winner in each category will receive a $250 gift certificate, and the third prize winner in each category will receive a $75 gift certificate.
top [7]
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
What are the size requirements for my photos?
To be eligible for the contest, a photo submitted must be at least 1 megapixel - or at least 1000x1000. If your photo does not meet this requirement, it will be rejected from the form and not entered into the contest. We recommend the file be 3000x2000 (six megapixels) and above. We suggest using a camera that can take photos between six megapixels and 18 megapixels to achieve maximum resolution.
Can I enter the contest if I was a finalist in last year's contest?
Yes! We welcome your new entries to the contest!
Is the contest open to international participants?
Yes! If you meet our eligibility requirements you can enter from any location. But remember that the pictures must be of wildlife and wild lands in North America. However, the Grand Prize trip to Yellowstone includes domestic travel only. Should our winner be living in another country, they would be responsible for getting to and from the United States. Defenders will still provide transportation to and from Yellowstone from within the United States.
Can I submit photos taken within national parks or wildlife refuges?
Yes! These wild lands are preserved to be just that: wild.
Do the wild lands and wildlife have to be within North America?
Yes, in order to be considered for the prizes, all wildlife and wildlands must be within North America.
What type of animals can be photographed?
Any and all wild animals: but we are placing a special emphasis on Defenders' 25 top priority species [2].
My child is not 18, can they still enter?
No. Our contest is open to persons 18 years of age and older.
Can I mail physical photos in to the Defenders headquarters for judging?
No. Defenders will only accept digital submissions via our online submission form.
Questions and inquiries about contest rules can be e-mailed to photocontestquestions@defenders.org [8].