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Wildlife in North Carolina magazine and the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences are pleased to announce that North Carolina State Parks is our new co-sponsor of this year’s photo competition. Each of North Carolina’s “Naturally Wonderful” state parks is an ideal place to photograph wild animals and wild landscapes. Park rangers can give photographers expert advice on the best subjects, locations and times of year for nature photography in state parks.
Beautiful images of the natural wonders of North Carolina have inspired generations of people to be better stewards of our precious natural resources. The Wildlife in North Carolina Photo Competition aims to encourage people to participate in nature photography, thereby fostering greater appreciation of North Carolina’s wildlife and wild places.
Excellent wildlife photography taken in state parks and other conservation lands from the Mountains to the Coastal Plain has been the cornerstone of Wildlife in North Carolina magazine and of exhibits at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences for many decades. Winning photographs will be published in the January 2009 issue of Wildlife in North Carolina and will be exhibited at the Museum of Natural Sciences and at other science museums and wildlife education centers across the state in 2009. Take advantage of the resources—both natural and human—at North Carolina’s state parks or your favorite spot in the outdoors, and show us your best nature photography.
Check out last year's winners!
2008 Competition Rules
who may enter
Amateur and professional photographers, except for N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences and N.C. Division of Parks & Recreation employees and their immediate families (children, siblings and spouses).
what to enter
Photos will be judged in 10 categories:
- Birds
- Mammals
- Reptiles and Amphibians
- Invertebrates
- Peaks, Valleys and Plains: Our landscape category.
- Wild Plants: Wild-growing plants only, including their flowers, leaves, fruits and other parts. Absolutely no cultivated plants will be accepted.
- Outdoor Recreation: Show how people interact with North Carolina’s natural world through activities that are inextricably linked to nature, such as hunting, fishing, hiking, rock climbing, canoeing or shell collecting.
- Animal Behavior: Anything animals do, from everyday activities to interactions with other animals to unusual behavior.
- Youth Photographer, 13–17: Any of the above subjects, shot by photographers under 18.
- Youth Photographer, 12 and under: Any of the above subjects, shot by children 12 and younger.
Photographs must have been taken in North Carolina no earlier than Sept. 15, 2003.
You must declare on your entry form if your photograph is of an animal in captivity, such as at a zoo, nature center or rehabilitation facility. Please do not enter photos of animals that are both captive and non-native to North Carolina (for example, polar bears or lions at the N.C. Zoo). No pets or domestic animals will be accepted, with the exception of animals participating with people in outdoor recreation (for example, hunting dogs or riders on horseback). Please do not harass wildlife in an attempt to photograph it.
Manipulation of images, either film or digital, should be limited to conventional darkroom techniques or basic sharpening and cropping. Images should contain only the subject matter as originally seen through the viewfinder. Double exposures, digitally stitched photos and images containing any manipulated or added content will not be accepted and should not be entered.
An entrant must hold all rights to a photograph. Photos previously published or pending publication, or that violate or infringe upon another person’s copyright, are not eligible. Please do not infringe on the rights of property owners in an attempt to photograph animals.
how to enter
Visit www.ncwildlife.org, click on the Photo Competition link, and then click the Enter a Photo link to submit a photograph. Only JPG files smaller than 2 MB will be accepted for upload. Upload your photo using the online entry form on the Web site. Repeat this process for each photo entered. Entrants may submit a maximum of three (3) photos per category.
The competition begins at 8 a.m. on June 1, 2008. Entries must be uploaded by 5 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 15, 2008. Entrants may verify receipt of entries by checking www.ncwildlife.org and clicking the Photo Competition link to view a text list of all entries.
An image may be entered in only one category. For instance, if a photo of a wood duck preening might fit in Birds or Animal Behavior, you must choose the one category in which you want the image to compete.
Entrants in the youth categories must be the appropriate age for the category entered on the closing date of the competition. Once a youth photographer has entered three photos in their category, they may enter other photos in any other categories they wish.
prizes
All winners will be published in the January 2009 issue of Wildlife in North Carolina magazine and exhibited at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh. Winners will also receive a print of their winning entry and products from sponsor Great Outdoor Provision Co.
- Grand prize: Your photo published on the cover of the January 2009 issue of Wildlife in North Carolina magazine, plus $200.
- First place, all categories: $100.
- Second place, all categories: $75.
- Third place, all categories: $50.
Special state parks prize: One photo taken in North Carolina state parks, regardless of category, will be selected as Best of State Parks. The winner will receive camping passes at their choice of North Carolina state parks and other noncash prizes to be determined. Finalists in consideration for this honor will be exhibited at various parks across the state.
judges
Winners will be selected by a panel comprised of staff of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation and professional wildlife photographers.
the fine print
By entering the Wildlife in North Carolina 2008 Photo Competition, entrants grant Wildlife in North Carolina magazine the right to publish and use submitted photographs in print or electronic form to promote the competition. Reproduction of entries will include photographer credit.
Entrants agree that if their submission is selected as a winner, they grant the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences the right to display their photograph(s) at the museum’s Raleigh location and at other venues in North Carolina in 2009. Exhibition of entries will include photographer credit. Winners also grant the Museum the right to publish photos in its magazine, North Carolina Naturalist.
Entrants will be asked on the online entry form if their photo was taken in a North Carolina state park. All such entries will be provided to the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation for possible usage in public information/promotional materials or displays. Winners also grant the Division of Parks and Recreation the right to publish photos in its newsletter, The Steward, and on its Web site. Any such usage will include photographer credit.
Winners will be required to provide original source material—slides, high-resolution digital files or negatives—for reproduction in the magazine and for exhibition prints. Original digital files of winning photos must be accompanied by a color print of at least 4x6 inches.
Wildlife in North Carolina staff will determine entry eligibility.
questions?
Please do not call about the status of entries. Send questions to competition@ncwildlife.org.
Enter online at www.ncwildlife.org.