Calling all amateur photographers!

South Carolina Wildlife Federation is sponsoring our 22nd Annual Wildlife Photography Contest. Send us your best photographs that capture the natural beauty of South Carolina’s wildlife and their habitats - in your own backyard or anywhere in the state. You can check out the blog about last year’s contest here.

CONTEST CATEGORIES:

Carolina Critters
This category is intended for photos of wildlife that you see in South Carolina, whether it is in your backyard, on a hike, or in an urban setting! Have you captured the moment when a painted bunting comes to your feeder? Did you photograph a bird sifting through the Upstate snow to find its meal? How about the shy deer venturing out in the Pee Dee field to graze? Or that great blue heron wading through the swamps of the Lowcountry? These types of photos that are perfect for this category.

Note: We do not accept photos of exotic (non-native), captive, or domestic animals since this category is intended to show SC wildlife in their natural settings rather than in a zoo or wildlife sanctuary.

Image Credits L to R: “Ear-y” by Elaine Mathis; “A Couple of Bucks” by Brian Fox; “Breakfast in Botany” by Nancy Cozart.

Scenes of South Carolina
From the mountains to midlands to the coast, we know that South Carolina’s landscapes are beautiful and ecologically diverse. Whether you enjoy photographing sunsets on the ocean, sunrises in the mountains, rocks in a stream, or early morning dew in a field, we love seeing all the many ways your photographs depict the beauty of our state.

Note: These photos may include wildlife but it’s not necessary.

Image Credits L to R: “River Solitude” by Greg Hammond; “The Whistlers” by Larissa Lord; “Here Comes the Sun” by Charles Rucinski.

People in Nature
We know that you love being outdoors as much as we do!  That is why we added this category to the photo contest. This category is intended for you to share your photos of people enjoying outdoor activities in our beautiful state. Whether you are an angler, birder, hiker, hunter, kayaker, rock climber, shell collector, or enjoy some other outdoor activity, this is your chance to submit photos of people enjoying outdoor activities.

Note: Be sure your photos illustrate safe and ethical practices. Action shots are preferred over posed photos. 

Image Credits L to R: “Cypress Gardens Canoeing” by Richard Matheny; “Blazing the Trail” by Larissa Lord; “Day in the Life” by Lyric Littlejohn.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:
Two easy steps! 1. Pay your entry fee. 2. Submit your photos! Your emailed receipt will contain instructions about how to submit your photographs.

Submitting Photos: After you pay your entry fee, your emailed receipt will contain instructions about how to submit your photographs. You may enter up to three photographs in each category per person in color or black and white. We also ask that you do not include a personal watermark on your photos. SCWF reserves the right to add a watermark when publishing online. Digital images are preferred.

File Types - jpg, gif, and png file types (minimum of at least 72 pixels per inch, or minimum of 250 KB-sized image in jpg format).

Entry Fee
Each photographer must submit a one-time entry fee of $15.00 - this fee covers entrance of up to 9 photos (3 per category) in the contest. You may pay the entry fee online through the button below, or you may mail in a check with your photos - make check payable to SCWF.

By paying this fee, I certify that my photographs are eligible for this contest according to the rules below. Please don’t hesitate to email us at photo@scwf.org if you have any questions.

Contest Rules

Eligibility
Entries must be images taken in nature in South Carolina. Photos of captive, domestic, and exotic (non-native) species will be disqualified. SCWF employees or board members or their immediate family members are not eligible.

The SCWF photo contest is limited to amateur photographers - defined as those who do not receive more than 10% of their annual income from selling their photographs, or not more than $5,000 annually if retired or unemployed.    

*Note: Contestants, by their entry, agree that the South Carolina Wildlife Federation may publish their images in SCWF publications and on the SCWF website and social media platforms. The winning images may be reproduced by SCWF for sale. Photographer name credit will be given when images are used.

Digital Alteration Guidelines
All photographs should accurately reflect the subject matter and the scene as it appeared. Photos that have been digitally altered beyond standard optimization will be disqualified. Acceptable are adjustments to color, contrast, brightness and sharpness; removal of dust and scratches; cropping; black and white conversions, and background blurring. Not acceptable are photo composites (combinations of two or more photos, not of the same scene); background removal, the addition, duplication, deletion, or moving of objects in the photos; or the use of artistic digital filters and effects, such as watercolor, neon glow, posterizing, stained glass, and others which do not depict the scene in its natural way. If you have any questions, please email us at photo@scwf.org.

We also ask that you do not include a personal watermark on your photos, and SCWF reserves the right to add a watermark.

Judging
The judges panel is made up of SCWF staff and board of directors. Carolina Critters entries are reviewed by a biologist for identification purposes. Decisions of the judges are final. Notification will be sent by e-mail after judging is complete.

Prizes
The First Place Winner in each category will receive a $100 cash prize, and the category runner up and second runner up will also be recognized on our blog.

Dates
Entries must be received by the October 31st deadline. We aim to notify the winners by December 31st. Only First, Second, and Third places will be awarded. Contest winners will be published online.

Now that we've got all that straight...get out there and take some great photos!  Good luck!
Questions? Contact SCWF at (803) 256-0670 or photo@scwf.org. This project is managed by a small team. We kindly ask for your paitence in waiting for a reply. We will respond to all questions!

Banner image: Bulls Island Boneyard Sunrise by Ben Sumrell