Friends of Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge Photo Contest

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. These areas include: Wildlife Drive, Marsh Edge Trail, Key Wallace Drive (bridge area), Woods Trail, Tubman Road Trail, paddling trails, the Visitor Center butterfly garden, 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. Additionally, winners will receive a one-year Friends of Blackwater membership. Submission criteria are detailed under Rules & Regulations; for common questions, see the FAQ.

Entrant Categories, Fees & Awards

Adult: Age 18 and older as of October 1, 2023.
Fees: $30 for up to the first three (3), $10 for each additional photo. Maximum of 6 photos total.
Awards in each photo category: 1^st Place- $100, 2^nd Place- $75, 3^rd Place- $50.
Youth: 13 to 17 years of age as of October 1, 2023.
Fees: Free to enter. Use code YOUTH2023 at checkout. Maximum of 3 photos total.
Awards in each photo category: 1^st Place- $50, 2^nd Place- $25, 3^rd 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

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.

The following ArtCall video offers a tutorial on how to resize photos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cLfrF2x_OA

Photo Entry
The following ArtCall video offers a tutorial on how to submit photos for the ArtCall.org call site.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7QnOh5WBhM