Rules

This contest is open to all nature photographers aged eight and older, with $200 prizes awarded separately to 8 – 18 year olds and ages 19 and up. Three of the categories (close-ups, wildlife in action, and ACNC outdoors) are judged by a panel of two judges. Additionally, a $200 community choice award goes to the youth and adult photo with the most votes.

This contest is open to photographers from around the world ages eight and older.

There is a $15 entry fee for each photo entered into the contest.

Contestants must have access to a valid email address for communication with contest officials.

Submitted photos must be original works with the focus on nature. Human-made objects should be incidental in the photograph, not the main focus. Photos of animals must be wild, not of animals in zoos or other forms of containment.

Predators in photos cannot be baited to draw them in. This includes using prey animals such as mice to attract owls and other predators. Photos near bird feeders can be used.

Submitted photos must be taken by a camera or phone. Winning submissions will have their files checked for device metadata. Photos will be disqualified if metadata cannot be provided. (Phones and cameras automatically record metadata and most photos have metadata included.)

Submitted photos cannot be significantly altered in photoshop. Photos may have basic lighting and cropping adjusted, but not be altered with new backgrounds or other heavily edited properties.

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.

Photos must be submitted in the correct category to be judged for that category and win a prize.

Photos must be submitted online via this website by the contest deadline and will not be accepted in any other form.

Audubon Community Nature Center (ACNC) staff and board members are welcome to submit photos, but they are ineligible to receive judged prizes. ACNC staff and board members are eligible to receive the Community Choice award.

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 to publicize the contest, as well as other ACNC activities. ACNC will always include the photographer's name when using a photograph for any purpose.

A pair of photographers will judge each category. You can learn more about the judges in the "judges" section of the website.

The Community Choice awards will go to the youth and adult photos 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.

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.

1. Close-ups: This category celebrates the beauty of the "small stuff" that often goes unnoticed. These photos will use macro photography and tight crops that reveal intricate textures, patterns, and colors. Whether it's the dew on a spiderweb, the complex structure of a wildflower, or the iridescent scales on a butterfly's wing, these images should bring the viewer face-to-face with the hidden wonders of the natural world.
2. Wildlife in Action: This category is all about movement, behavior, and the pulse of life. These photos will show animals doing what they do best: a hawk mid-strike, a deer leaping through the brush, pollinators in flight, or a fox at play. Successful entries will capture a fleeting moment in time that tells a story of survival, instinct, or interaction within the animal kingdom.
3. ACNC Outdoors: This category is dedicated specifically to the beauty found within the trails, wetlands, and forests of Audubon Community Nature Center. These photos will capture the unique spirit of ACNC's local landscape throughout the seasons. From the iconic Blue Heron on the ponds to the sunlight filtering through the hemlocks, these images should highlight the specific natural treasures that make ACNC a vital community resource.

1. Community Choice: This category is judged by the online community who can vote with $1.00 (U.S. dollars) per vote for the photos they like best. There is a $200 prize for the photo with the most votes in both the youth and the adult division. It is possible that a photo or a photographer will receive both the community choice award and win in another judged category.

1. Eight $200 Winners: One in each judged category for youth and adult, as well as one community choice award for youth and adult.
2. 24 photographs will be selected for Honorable Mention (3 youth, 3 adult in the three judged categories, as well as the top 3 youth and adults in the community choice category.)
3. Winning photographers will be notified through email and receive cash prizes in United States dollars via a check sent by United States mail. No cash transfers are available. Please make sure to check your junk email folder for notifications.
4. ACNC will print the winning photographs from the judged categories to exhibit in the Nature Center.
5. Winners and honorable mentions will be named in a news release that is distributed regionally. Winners will be highlighted in a release to their local media when known.
6. All eight contest winners and 24 honorable mentions will be displayed on the contest website.

• Submission: You may submit photos starting at 12:00 AM (Eastern Time) on Monday, February 2, 2026. Deadline to submit photos is at midnight (11:59:59 PM Eastern Time) on Tuesday, June 30, 2026.
• Judging: Early August 2026.
• Finalists and Winners Announced: The week of September 1, 2026.

Winners' photographs are printed at ACNC's expense to display at the Nature Center for one year. Should you win, do you allow us to sell one print to help recover the cost? Judges are not aware of your answer, and this does not affect their decision.

• Name of the Photographer: First, Last
• Email
• Address
• City, State (Province)
• Postal Code
• Country
• Phone Number
• Name of your local newspaper
• Category (Close-ups, Wildlife in Action, ACNC Outdoors)
• Division: Youth (aged 8 – 18) or Adult (19 and older)
• Parent/Guardian (Youth contestants only)
• Consent (If Youth, does your parent/guardian know you are entering this contest?) (Yes or No)
• I certify that these photos were taken by me and not artificially generated. I give ACNC permission to use them as indicated on the Rules page. Yes or no