Photo Contest

Entries may be of any type of Michigan Wildlife. Entries must feature only native Michigan species, however, they can be taken at locations other than Michigan, i.e. Eagles on a nest at Bear Head Lake State Park, Minnesota.

There will be three levels of entry:

Master: for professional photographers or those who sell their photos or have had their photos published and have been paid for it.

Amateur: for those photographers who have never taken pay for their published work, for those who take photos for their own pleasure and to share with others

Junior: for younger photographers, 17 years and under

Categories of entries:

Wildlife in their Habitat – photo that include the animal and its habitat

Wildlife Up Close – photos taken close up or with special lenses. Wildlife includes: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates, such as insects

Wildflowers & Nature – photos of Michigan Wildflowers and landscapes (photo does not contain animal)

Wildlife Other – photos of wildlife up close may be separated out from the Wildlife up Close category, based on what entries we take in

Waterfowl – photos of ducks, geese, swans, herons, egrets and bitterns

Prizes: First Place – Duck Stamp Limited Edition Print & Award Ribbon (Duck Stamp Prints are limited to one print per photographer, no matter how many of their photos place 1st)

Goal of Event:

  1. to inspire in our visitor awareness and appreciation for the beauty and variety of waterfowl and wildlife found in Michigan that depend upon wetlands for their habitat
  2. to provide a new exhibit for visitors to enjoy inside the DNRE’s Saginaw Bay Visitor Center
  3. to introduce visitors to a new form of recreation that gives value to wildlife of the wetlands
  4. to give photographers an opportunity to display and share their artistic creations with others

Judging:

The judging will be done by park visitors beginning 10am on Saturday through 1pm on Sunday. Each visitor will be allowed to vote for one photo in each category. They should choose the one which best awakes in them the beauty and value of wetland habitat. Ribbons will be awarded to each photo category by 3:30PM Sunday.

Rules:

All photos must remain on display at the visitor center through Labor Day Weekend.

Photos may be picked up after Labor Day, Tuesday-Sunday 12noon-4pm at the visitor center.

All photo entries must be matted, but NOT framed

Name and phone number must be written on the back of the matting.

Photos should be delivered to the visitor center by Friday, 6pm. General registration will take place on Friday from 2pm-6pm. Appointments can be made for Saturday drop-off between 8:30am-9:30am.

No more than 5 photos may be entered into each category

In the event that photographer should win more than one award, they shall be awarded only one prize for each level of award, i.e. one Waterfowl print per photographer.

WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST ENTRY FORM ______YEAR:

Level of Competition: _____Masters _____Amateur_____Youth (17 & Under)

Total number of entries limited to 5 per category.

Name: ______

Phone Number: ______E-mail: ______

Address: ______

Categories (on the day of the show, before opening category 5 will be determined base upon entries)

  1. Waterfowl
  2. Wildlife Up Close
  3. Wildlife in their Habitat
  4. Wildlife Other
  5. Wildflowers & Nature

Please list each entry, title, description and category number below. Make sure your name & phone number is on the back of each photo

Number Assigned / Title / Description / Category # / Rank

By signing this you agree to comply to all contest rules above. Refusal or inability to follow all requirements will result in entrant's disqualification in this photo contest, and any prizes and ribbons will be forfeited. We reserve the right to cancel or suspend any entrant's photos into the contest should any cause beyond the control of Saginaw Bay Visitor Center affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper operation of the contest, or for any other reason it deems appropriate, at its sole and absolute discretion.

______

SignatureDate

Name of person picking up photos after Labor Day? (bring photo ID) ______