Wild Ones Photo Contest Rules & Guidelines

Who can participate?

Eligibility to enter this contest is limited to Wild Ones members (whose membership is and will remain current during the contest) and employees of Wild Ones business and affiliate members. Household memberships include everyone who lives within the same household. Wild Ones employees, members of Wild Ones national board of directors, photo contest judges, and their immediate families (parents, children, siblings and spouses, regardless of where they reside) or those living in the same household (whether or not related) are not eligible to participate. By submitting a photo to Wild Ones, you represent to Wild Ones that you are eligible to enter this contest. 

Additional Rules

  • Submitting a photo for this contest signifies your acceptance of all the rules and guidelines of this contest, including the items within the separate Intellectual Property, etc. paragraph below.
  • The subject of all entries must be native plant species, native species landscape, or native plant ecology found in the USA or Canada. Be sure the plants are straight native species and native to where the photo was taken. A native plant species is one that occurs naturally in a region, ecosystem and/or habitat, and was present prior to European settlement. A photo of a nativar, hybrid or cultivar of a native plant as the main subject is not acceptable.
  • All photographs should accurately reflect the subject matter and the scene as it appeared. Photos that have been digitally altered beyond standard optimization (removal of dust, cropping, reasonable adjustments to exposure, and contrast, etc.) will be disqualified. This includes color modifications, artistic vignettes, modifying saturation, or any other filters.
  • Entries must be submitted as a .jpeg .jpg, or .png file. No physical photos will be accepted.
  • All digital files must be 6MB (megabytes) or smaller and must be at least 1,600 pixels wide or tall. 
  • Please rename your digital file to include your full name, the title of the picture that you used on the entry form and the 4 digit contest year. Example:  John-Doe-Monarchs-at-Play-2026.jpg
  • No name, title, date, or text is to be on the photo itself.
  • A photo may be entered in only one category. Wild Ones reserves the right to reassign entries to proper categories.
  • Each qualified entrant must adhere to the limit of 3 entries per category.
  • Entrants may only win first place in one category but may place second or third in multiple categories.
  • Photo entries must not have been entered in any previous Wild Ones Photo Contest and must not have been published as a winner in any other photo contest.
  • Photo entries must have been shot within three years of the current year’s contest.
  • Photo entries must have been shot by the contest entrant.
  • Winning photographs may be published in the Wild Ones Journal and on social media, crediting you as the photographer.
  • Photos that involve harassment of wildlife, damage to the environment by the photographer, or putting animals or humans in danger are ineligible. Wild Ones shall determine entry eligibility in its sole and absolute discretion.
  • Photos that contain sexually explicit, nude, obscene, violent, or other objectionable or inappropriate content are ineligible, which Wild Ones shall determine in its sole discretion.
  • Photo entries that do not conform to the contest categories listed above or to the other requirements of this contest, and photo entries submitted by persons who are ineligible to participate in this contest will be disqualified.
  • Entrants under 18 years of age may participate only with the involvement and consent of a parent or legal guardian. A parent or legal guardian must submit the entry on behalf of the minor and agree to all contest rules and terms. The parent or legal guardian represents that they have full authority to grant the rights described in these rules.

How to Enter

All image files must be no larger than 6MB, in .jpeg or .jpg format, and must be submitted via the online entry form. Please do NOT submit entries by email. Each photo entry will need to be submitted on a separate web form. You must include the following information for each photo that you submit:

  • Name
  • Email Address
  • Address
  • Phone Number
  • Chapter
  • Title of the photo
  • Category in which you are entering the photo
  • Place where the photo was taken
  • Name (common and Latin) of native flora, fauna, fungi, algae, etc. in the photo
  • Detailed caption of the subject matter
  • Equipment used to take the photo

Judging Criteria

Prior to judging, photos will be reviewed to ensure the inclusion of true native plants. Entries will then be judged by one or more persons who in Wild Ones sole opinion have sufficient expertise. Here are some of the points the judge(s) will consider, bearing in mind that mission focus, the presence of native plants, authenticity and correct category will carry the most weight:

Wild Ones Mission: Consider how your entries fit in with the mission of Wild Ones. If the subject of your photo is an insect or other wildlife, be sure that the photo also includes a reasonable amount of emphasis on native plants or natural landscaping. Otherwise, the photo has nothing to do with the mission of Wild Ones.

Native to the Area: Are you sure the subject of your photo is a true native to the area where the photo was taken? If a plant is not native to your area, even if you take a photo of it growing in your yard, the photo will not be acceptable.

Authenticity: The goal of the contest is to gather beautiful digital images of native plants, natural landscapes and related subjects. Photos that have been altered beyond reasonable optimization, such as cropping, exposure, contrast, and color adjustments and heavy digital manipulation, will be disqualified. However, high dynamic range (HDR) images that are made of multiple exposures or focus stacking where multiple images are combined into a single image to increase depth of field, are acceptable. The judging committee reserves the right to determine if images meet these requirements.

Category: Does your photo entry conform to the category? Considering the category descriptions, does the photo include and emphasize the required subjects?

Composition: Be sure that the composition of your photo is interesting enough to attract attention and show off the subject of the photo.

Color: If your entry is a color photo, be sure that the colors look true to life without any distracting color cast. Unless you deliberately shot the photo for a certain effect, it’s best that the photo has a normal color balance.

Creativity Matters: Keep in mind that creativity is important. A straight-ahead, perfectly exposed, and tack-sharp photo of a coneflower may display the flower very well for identification purposes – but another photo of the same coneflower taken from a different angle, with different lighting, and maybe with the background blurred out, may show the flower “in a new light.” And it’s this new light that photo contest judges often look for and reward.

Sharpness: Is your photo appropriately sharp and in focus? It’s not necessary (or even possible or desirable sometimes) for every part of every photo to be sharp and in focus but be sure that the parts of your photos that should be sharp are sharp and in focus.

Exposure: Is your photo properly exposed? Is there detail in the highlights and the shadow areas? Is it too dark or too light? Unless you deliberately shot the photo for a certain effect, it’s best that the photo has a normal balance of light, dark, and contrast.

Prizes

The judge(s) will evaluate all valid entries and select one Best of Show winner, who will receive a $200 prize. First place winners in each category will receive a $100 prize. Second place winners will receive a $75 prize, and third place winners will receive a $50 prize. 

After the initial judging, members will be invited to vote for their favorite photo to determine the People’s Choice Award, which will also receive a $200 prize. 

All prizes will be awarded as gift cards to shop.wildones.org. 

Wild Ones will notify winners using the contact information provided at the time of entry. You will have no claim against Wild Ones if your photos do not win a prize, regardless of the reason. 

Intellectual Property and Photo Use

(a) Ownership 
You certify that you are the sole creator and copyright holder of the photo(s) you submit, and that you have full authority to grant the rights described below. 

(b) License to Wild Ones 
By submitting a photo, you grant Wild Ones a perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, worldwide, non-exclusive license to use, reproduce, edit, adapt, modify, publish, create derivative works from, distribute, display, and otherwise use your photo(s), in whole or in part, in any format or medium, now known or later developed, for commercial and non-commercial purposes. 

This includes, but is not limited to: 

  • Social media, websites, email, digital and print publications 
  • Educational, editorial, promotional, advocacy, and marketing materials 
  • Advertising, signage, and campaigns 
  • Merchandise, products, and fundraising efforts 
  • Collaborations, sponsorships, and partnerships 
  • Licensing or sublicensing to third parties 

Wild Ones may crop, resize, edit, or otherwise modify your photo(s) at its sole discretion. You waive any right to inspect or approve how your photo(s) are used. 

(c) Attribution 
Wild Ones may, but is not required to, provide attribution to you as the photographer. 

(d) Releases and Permissions 
If any person, private property, or protected work appears in your photo, you confirm that you have obtained all necessary permissions and releases for use by both you and Wild Ones as described in these rules. You are solely responsible for securing and retaining these permissions and must provide copies upon request. 

(e) No Compensation 
You understand and agree that you will not receive any payment or compensation, now or in the future, for any use of your photo(s). 

(f) Waiver of Rights 
To the fullest extent permitted by law, you waive any moral rights or similar rights in your photo(s) that would restrict how Wild Ones uses them. 

(g) Indemnification 
You agree to release, defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Wild Ones, its partners, and their respective employees, contractors, and representatives from any claims, damages, or liabilities arising from your submission, your participation in the contest, or the use of your photo(s). 

(h) Duration of Rights 
The rights granted to Wild Ones are ongoing and will continue even if your membership ends or you later request removal of your photo(s). 

(i) Governing Law 
These rules are governed by the laws of the United States and the State of Wisconsin. You agree to the exclusive jurisdiction of courts located in Winnebago County, Wisconsin. 

(j) Entire Agreement 
These terms represent the complete agreement regarding photo submissions and cannot be modified by any other statements or communications. 

Questions and inquiries about contest rules can be emailed to [email protected]. Do not submit entries to this email address. All entries must be received via the submission form.

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