Welcome to the Waterman Conservation Education Center photo contest. We are excited to be back in 2021 celebrating our natural world through your images! New this year, we will be producing a calendar featuring winning images. View full details below for contest submission and sponsorship details.
Image Categories
• Plant life and landscape – images can be of any scale from macro to landscape to astronomic images
• Wildlife – images must feature one or more mammals, reptiles or amphibians – macro, micro or otherwise
• Birdlife – images must feature one or more birds
• People in Nature – people out hiking or otherwise enjoying nature.
• Waterman Properties – any nature image produced from one of our six nature reserves:
o Apalachin Marsh
o Brick Pond
o Hilton Road Interpretive Center and Trails
o IBM Glen
o Hiawatha Island
o Pettus Hill Preserve
Except for the Waterman Properties category, images can be photographed anywhere in the world, and beyond!
Contest submission is open to adults ages 18 and up. Youth entries, anyone younger than 18, are permitted with written consent from a parent or guardian.
Important notes:
• Wildlife (including birds) images must be truly wild and not captive. Animals at zoos, game farms or other captive areas will be disqualified. Baited images will also be disqualified, as will images of people feeding animals. [Links to ethical wildlife photography to be provided]
• Judges reserve the right to reclassify images between categories if needed.
Calendar
Winning images will be featured on a 2022 nature calendar. Featured photographers and Gold and Silver tiered sponsors will receive free calendar(s) as noted below.

Submission Schedule
• The contest is active from Saturday, May 15 at noon EDT through Sunday, August 15 at 11:59pm EDT
• Submission schedule details:
o Saturday, May 15th at Noon Eastern Daylight Time
 Early bird submissions begin ($6 for 1 or $25 for 5 entries)
o Thursday, July 15th at 11:59pm Eastern Daylight Time
 Early bird submissions close
 Late submission period begins ($7 for 1 or $25 for 4 entries)
o Sunday, August 15th at 11:59pm Eastern Daylight Time
 Submissions closed
• Judging will occur in September with winners notified mid-September.
• Contest winners will be solicited for raw or original images which will be due September 30, 2021.
• Calendars will be available in November
• Prize awards ceremony will occur in mid-November 2021

Paid Sponsorship*
Support our mission by investing in a paid sponsorship. Photo Contest sponsorship tiers are defined below.
Bronze – $20 to $49.99
• Business Name/Logo on website in connection with contest
Silver – $50 – $99.99
• Business Name/Logo on website in connection with contest
• Business Name/Logo on digital and printed flyer
Gold – $100 – $249.99
• Business Name/Logo on website in connection with contest
• Business Name/Logo on digital and printed flyer
• Business Name or Logo on 2022 calendar for 3 months
• One free calendar
Platinum – >= $250.00
• Business Name/Logo on website in connection with contest
• Business Name/Logo on digital and printed flyer
• Business Name or Logo on 2022 calendar for 12 months
• Three free calendars

*Sponsorship is described as a donation of cash, gift cards or “in kind” goods or services provided to support the photo contest in the form of prizes, event raffle items or to support calendar production or other funding associated with the photo contest and Waterman Conservation Education Center.

Submission Fees
Contest fees cover costs associated with administration and promotion of the contest, the contest gallery and maintenance of our interpretive center and six nature preserves.
Early bird submission fees (through October 14th):
• Adults – $4 for 1 or $20 for 6 entries
• Youth – Free up to the first six images. Entries xceeding six images are the same as adults.
Late submission fees (October 15th through contest close):
• Adults – $5 for 1 or $20 for 5 entries
• Youth – Free up to the first six images. Entries exceeding six images are the same as adults.

Eligible Participants
Contest is open to all legal residents of the US, DC and Canada. Employees of Waterman Conservation Education Center and immediate family members are not eligible to participate.

Prizes
Thanks to our very generous sponsors, we are offering cash and prizes exceeding $1000!
There will be a total of 9 prize winners and 6 honorable mentions, awarded as follows:
1. Adult grand prize
2. One adult winner in each category (five total)
3. Youth 1st, 2nd and 3rd over all categories (three total)
4. Honorable mention will be recognized in each category and age group
Prizes will be divided amongst the winners and include:
• Cash Prizes of $200 for grand prize winner, $50 for each adult category winner. Youth will receive cash equivalent giftcards for $50 for first place and $25 for 2nd and 3rd
• Red River Paper giftcards totaling $200
• One two hour one-on-one photography workshop with Teri Franzen of Teri Franzen Photography, tailorable by the winner. Instruction can include a field shoot, basic to advanced exposure techniques, beginner to advanced post-processing in Lightroom/Photoshop, portfolio reviews, etc.
• One full-day one-on-one photography workshop with Bill Baburchak of Long Creek Photography, tailorable by the winner. Instruction can include a field shoot, basic to advanced exposure techniques, post-processing, etc.
• Kingston Technology 64 GB USB memory stick donated from Unicorn Electronics will be awarded one each to youth first, second and third place winners
• Each of the photographers with images featured in the calendar will receive a free 2022 calendar.

Photography Ethics
The rules of ethical photography, especially when photographing wildlife, will be strictly enforced. Photos created through baiting or other questionable means will be disqualified. Captive animals are not permitted. See links below for further details about ethical wildlife photography:
• Audubon Guide to Ethical Bird Photography
• North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) Ethics

Submission Format
Submit your jpeg images in any aspect ratio with the longest side no smaller than 1024 dpi. Image size must not exceed 4meg. Include your name, image category and image title.
For example, for entrant Kathy Smith, white-tailed deer photographed, filename:
KathySmith_Deer_Wildlife.jpg
Images must represent the scene as it appeared to the photographer. Minor editing is permitted, including contrast, brightness, sharpening, color, black and white, cropping. Sensor dust cleanup is permitted but no physical elements may be removed or added to the scene. Winners will be notified in early December and will be required to provide the raw or original jpg image.

Copyright
You retain full copyright of your images. By entering this photo contest you are agreeing that Waterman Center may choose to display a print of your image in their contest gallery. At the end of the display period you will receive the printed image. Images may also be used in publicity surrounding the contest. Waterman Center will not use your images for any non-contest related purpose without express, written consent from the photographer.

Thank you to our generous sponsors!