2023 Friends of Blackwater Photo Contest
Registration has closed for the 2023 contest. Our judges are now reviewing the submissions.
The Friends of Blackwater (FOB) are hosting a digital photo contest from October 1, 2023 through December 1, 2023 to showcase Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) and raise funds for Refuge projects. Visitors are invited to submit photos taken between January 1, 2022 and December 1, 2023, in Refuge areas open to the public, which includes the Wildlife Drive, Marsh Edge Trail, Woods Trail, Tubman Road Trail, paddling trails, the Visitor Center butterfly garden, Key Wallace Drive (bridge area), and Refuge property along Maple Dam Road, as well as the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center Legacy Garden.
A panel of expert photographers from the Friends of Blackwater Board will judge the digital submissions. Winners and honorable mentions will be announced in February 2024. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners will receive monetary awards and will be invited to exhibit framed prints of the winning submissions at the Blackwater NWR Visitor Center in time for the Eagle Festival in March 2024.
Entrant Categories, Fees, and Awards
- Adult: Age 18 and older as of October 1, 2023.
- Fees: $30 for up to first three (3), $10 for each additional photo. Maximum of 6 photos total.
- Awards in each photo category: 1st Place- $100, 2nd Place- $75, 3rd Place- $50.
- Youth: Ages 13-17 as of October 1, 2023.
- Fees: Free to enter. Maximum of 3 photos total.
- Awards in each photo category: 1st Place- $50, 2nd Place- $25, 3rd Place- $15.
Photo Categories
- Wildlife (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, etc.)
- Flora and Macro (plants, fungi, spiders, insects, etc.)
- Landscapes and waterscapes
Judging Criteria
- Technical excellence (sharpness, lighting, composition, exposure)
- Accurate representation of Blackwater NWR
- Originality/creativity
- Interest
Image Submission Criteria
- Photos must be original and not overly manipulated or merged (composite)
- Digital image format - jpg/jpeg
- Minimum of 960 pixels on the shortest side
- Maximum of 4800 pixels on the longest side
- Less than 4 MB in size
- For this contest, a photographic image is an image captured on a light-sensitive device or surface. A photo created with artificial intelligence (AI) is not a photographic image and will not be accepted. AI renderings generated via text prompt may not be used in whole or part in the creation of a submitted image.
Resources
- Blackwater NWR Wildlife Drive map (PDF, 229 KB)
- Blackwater NWR brochure with Refuge map (PDF, 2932 KB)
Terms and Conditions
The Friends of Blackwater Photo Contest is open to all photographers who are at least 13 years of age, except Blackwater NWR (BNWR) staff and board members of FOB, and their immediate families. Entrants 13 to 17 years of age as of October 1, 2023 must only enter the youth category. Participants 18 years or older as of October 1, 2023 must register as an adult entrant and are prohibited from entering the youth category. FOB reserves the right to verify, in its sole judgment, entrants eligibility. Participants agree to abide by the Rules and Regulations set forth in the 2023 Friends of Blackwater NWR Photo Contest call for entry. Submitted photos must be original, taken during the allotted timeframe between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2023 within the areas specified under Photo Eligibility, and in compliance with BNWR rules and regulations. The photographer grants unlimited use of the photos by FOB and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as described under Photographer's Rights. Credit will be given to the photographer.
