Saturday, July 27, 2024
Wildlife in Focus, a non-profit organization which targets wildlife and ecosystem conservation in Texas, is calling for all photographers and landowners across the state to participate in their biennial wildlife photo contest.
The purpose of the competition is for landowners to partner with photographers to capture images of wildlife and habitat on their property, according to the organization’s website. Landowners and photographers share equally in the winnings.
This year, the organization expanded its competition to reach more photographers and landowners, according to a press release. The expansion includes plans to encourage the owners of all privately-owned land in Texas to participate in the contest. The competition has also added a new category that allows individual photographers to compete for separate prize purses without being part of a landowner/photographer team.
The competition has three entry levels: landowner/photographer team, videographer, and individual photographer. The two photography contests span 50 categories, and the videography contest has eight opportunities for entries. The total prize for all three contests and all categories is $45,000.
The competition helps promote conservationism and creates a visual story of the beauty of native Texas land and wildlife, from insects to sunsets, from borders to bayous. The prize-winning photos for each competition are then used to produce a coffee-table book as well as promote the organization’s educational outreach program, Kritters 4 Kids, which targets school-age children grades K-8.
“We are very excited to share that our upcoming contests are now available for landowners anywhere in the entire state of Texas,” Wildlife in Focus Photo Contest Director Miles Phillips said in a press release. “Photographers and videographers from anywhere and with all levels of skill and time now have additional entry options.”
Registration for the competition is now open at wildlifeinfocus.org. The deadline for entry is Dec. 1.
The active window for photography is from Feb. 21, 2025, to May 31, 2025. Photographers and landowners can set up their own teams, or Wildlife in Focus will assist in pairing teams.
The registration fee is $500 for each participant on the landowner/photographer teams. The individual photographer entry fee is based on the number of photos a photographer plans on entering and includes entry into the videography competition.
The fee for entering the videography contest alone is $100 each for landowner and videographer. Full rules for the contest, including equipment requirements, technology specifications, categories, and prize purses are available at wildlifeinfocus.org.
For questions or concerns about the competition, email info@wildlifeinfocus.org or leave a voicemail at 361-342-9585.
