Maryland Natural Resources Photo Contest Accepting Entries

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ 18th annual photo contest has begun and will run until Aug. 5.

Nature lovers and photogs! The 18th Annual Maryland Department of Natural Resources Photo Contest is running now through August 5, 2021.

Rules & Details: https://t.co/u52zPyce6e

Photo: 2020 Grand Prize Winner: Red Morph Eastern Screech Owl by Zaphir Shamma pic.twitter.com/H8FpGaIpRb

— Montgomery County Dept of Environmental Protection (@MyGreenMC) July 29, 2021

The winning photos will be published in the Maryland Natural Resource magazine and featured in the department’s 2022 calendar, according to the contest description. The grand prize winner will also receive $500, a one-year Maryland State Park passport, a two-year subscription to the Maryland Natural Resource magazine and five copies of the calendar with their winning image on the cover.

The contest includes four categories based on the summer, spring, winter and fall seasons. Each seasonal category will have a first, second and third place winner.

Last year, 475 photographers submitted nearly 2,500 photos to the contest.

The department suggests photographing wildlife, birds, insects, plants, weather and landscapes to fit the natural resources theme of the contest. Photos highlighting plants, animals and insects will be given preference in the selection process.

There will also be a fan favorite photo selected on Facebook to be printed in the magazine.

The rules of the contest include:

• You must pay an entry fee of $10 for up to three photos and $3 for each additional entry
• All photos must be original
• Previously published photos including on official social media pages are not eligible, images shared on personal pages are allowed
• All photos must be shot in a landscape style
• Photos must be clear with high resolution
• Photos should not be heavily manipulated or over-processed
• Image files must be labeled in the format of “subject_title by name.jpg”
• Photos must be taken in Maryland

All entries must be sent by 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 5 with an entry form after paying the contest entry fee. Questions can be directed to photocontest.dnr@maryland.gov.

For more information, visit the Maryland Department of Natural Resources website. The winning images from last year can be viewed here.

About Sarah Dilworth

Sarah Dilworth was an intern with Montgomery Community Media during the fall of 2021. At the time, she was also a senior at the University of Maryland where she studied journalism and creative writing.

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