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LIVING WITH WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST RULES

OFFICIAL RULES

* Please note:* By submitting your photograph to WildCare’s Living with Wildlife Photography Contest you give WildCare permission to use the image as desired including but not limited to publication in newsletters, flyers, publicity and fundraisers, including the sale of prints and cards featuring the image.

All proceeds from the contest entries go to support WildCare’s programs in wildlife rehabilitation and nature education. Good luck!

BEST IN SHOW: Coyote Looking Through His Own Tail

Parham Pourahmad

ENTRY CATEGORIES

California Wild Birds in Their Natural Settings

  • Only photographs of wild birds that live naturally in the state of California are eligible. Photographs with a main subject of domestic animals such as pets or farm animals and photographs of zoo animals will not be accepted. 
  • Only photos of birds may be entered in this category.
  • Only photographs taken in the state of California are eligible for entry.

 

California Wild Animals (Other) (mammals, reptiles, insects etc.) in Their Natural SettingS

  • Only photographs of wild animals that live naturally in California are eligible. Photographs with a main subject of domestic animals such as pets or farm animals and photographs of zoo animals will not be accepted. 
  • Photos of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects etc. may be entered in this category.
  • Only photographs taken in California are eligible for entry.

General Nature (plants, geology, natural phenomena, landscapes etc.)

  • Only photographs taken in California are eligible for entry.

Living with Wildlife (animals in human environments or contexts)

  • The best entries in this category illustrate wild animal(s) interacting or conflicting in some way with people, our domestic animals or human-made objects, property etc.
  • A California wild animal (or animals) must be the subject of the photograph, although people, buildings etc. may be in the image.
  • No animal may be harmed, deliberately captured or otherwise compromised in the taking of the photograph. Any photographs of animals in captivity, rehabilitation or other “controlled” circumstance must include a brief description of the circumstance in which the photo was taken. Please include this information on the back side of the entry form or in the notes section of the online form.
  • Only photographs taken in California are eligible for entry.

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LIVING WITH WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST

Please contact WildCare’s Marketing & Communications Director at EMAIL or call 415-453-1000 x240 if you have questions about the eligibility of your entries.

JUDGING & PRIZES

Judging for the WildCare Photo Contest will be done digitally by a panel of judges. All entered photos must include a digital file of the image. Winning photos will be judged on the following:
1. Suitability and quality of subject matter.
2. Lighting, composition and technical quality.

BEST IN SHOW
Judges will choose one Best in Show winner. The photograph judged Best in Show will win $500 and will be featured in WildCare’s Newsletter.

BEST IN CATEGORY WINNERS
The Best in Category winners will be printed in the WildCare newsletter.

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
The judged top five photographs in each category will be entered into an online contest for the People’s Choice Award for which an additional prize will be awarded.

A reception and photo exhibition may be arranged after the contest at a location to be announced.

 

HOW TO ENTER

• ONLINE: Use our online form and payment process at discoverwildcare.org/photo
• OR MAIL prints of your images (accompanied by digital files) to WildCare at 76 Albert Park Lane, San Rafael 94901
• OR HAND DELIVER your entries to WildCare’s interim location, located at 37 Schmidt Lane in San Rafael.

DEADLINE
Entries must be postmarked or received by midnight on
Friday, September 26, 2025.
Late entries will not be accepted.

PAYMENTS
Please make checks or money orders for entry fees to “WildCare” and write “Photo Contest” in the memo field.
PLEASE DO NOT SEND CASH.
Pay by credit card by filling out card number and expiration date on the entry form or using the online form. One check/credit card/online payment for multiple entries by the same photographer is preferred.

Additional Rules and Guidelines

Photos must be the property of the entrant and must not have been digitally altered. Basic development procedures like cropping, lightening and darkening are allowed.

ELIGIBILITY
WildCare employees and their families, professional photographers (defined as people who make more than 50% of their living from photography), contest judges and families of contest judges are not eligible.

WildCare volunteers and their families are eligible to enter.

ENTRY FEES
Entry fees are $20 for each photograph submitted, online or offline. If the required entry fees are not submitted for your entry/entries, your photograph(s) will not be entered in the contest.

ENTRY DETAILS
Please complete entry information for each photo submitted. Please note the subject of each photograph and the location where it was taken on the form, and list the full names and telephone numbers of any people present in the photo in the notes section on the online form, or on the back of the printed form. Please do not tape or staple entry forms to prints/proofs.

NUMBER OF ENTRIES
You may enter as many photos as you wish. All entries must be accompanied by a digital file of the image (enter online and upload your image, or include a CD or flash drive with mailed or in-person submissions), completed entry form, and the required entry fees stated above. One check/credit card/online payment for all entries is preferred.

CALIFORNIA-CENTRIC LOCATIONS & SUBJECTS
Photos MUST have some aspect of California nature as the main subject. People or structures may be in the picture, but the main focus of the photo should be nature-related. Photos deemed as not having a main subject of nature will not be judged. WildCare reserves the right to re-categorize submitted photos.

Only photographs taken in the state of California are eligible in all categories. The photographer does not need to be a resident of California, but the photo must have been taken in California.

SAFETY & WELFARE OF ANIMAL SUBJECTS
Animals must not be compromised in any way to get a photo. When an animal’s behavior changes because of your presence, you are disturbing it. Responsible wildlife photographers watch for changes in animals’ behavior to avoid disturbing them. It is against the law to harass wildlife  this includes intentionally or accidentally causing an animal to flush, or startling or spooking an animal. Any photograph that results in the admission of an animal to WildCare will be disqualified and the entry fee put directly toward the animal’s care. WildCare reserves the right to exclude an image from judging if the circumstances of the photo are deemed to have placed an animal at risk.

NO TIME LIMITATIONS
There is no time limit on photographs (i.e. they do not have to have been taken in the year of entry).

Previously published material may be entered; however, please include information on when and where the photo appeared.

ACCEPTABLE ENTRY FORMATS
Color or black and white digital images will be accepted.

PHYSICAL PHOTOS: Photos must not be matted or in frames. Photo entries must include a high-resolution digital file. You may print and mail a proof, but all entries must also include a digital file. 

DIGITAL FORMATS: A photo may be submitted as a digital file of minimum size 2MB (300 dpi at 8” x 10”) in JPEG, TIFF, PNG or EPS format. JPEGs are preferred.

RESOLUTION: All submitted entries must be high resolution (minimum 300 dpi at 8” x 10”, 2MB minimum). Photographs that are blurry or indistinct at 8” x 10” will not be suitable for publishing in print.

WILDCARE’S RIGHT OF USAGE
Any submitted photographs may be displayed on WildCare or our sponsors’ websites or in promotional materials. WildCare retains the right to use photos for promotional purposes without compensation to the photographer, but will credit the photographer. In addition, WildCare, at its discretion, retains the right to provide photos to outside organizations that wish to publish or display them. In this instance, WildCare will require that the photos appear with credit to the photographer and to WildCare.