"Wildlife in North Carolina" Magazine Photo Competition Open until Sept. 1

Wild Plants, First Place 2016, by Eric Abernethy, Asheboro. Late-day lily pads. “This is one of the most stunning displays that I have ever encountered. Late day thunderstorms had just moved through, and golden setting sunlight began penetrating through raindrops that had collected on the lily pads of varying colors in a pond near my Randolph County home. The water drop colors were altered by adding late-day golden sunlight color to them. I had always wanted to photograph raindrops on lily pads. I never imagined it would look like this when my opportunity arrived.”

By Jodie B. Owen, ncwildlife.org

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission is accepting entries to its 13th-annual Wildlife in North Carolina Photo Competition until 5pm, September 1, 2017.

The contest is open to amateur and professional photographers of all ages, except for employees of the Wildlife Commission, the NC Museum of Natural Sciences, and their immediate families (children, siblings and spouses).

Entrants must be either current magazine subscribers or younger than 18.

Only photographs taken in North Carolina since September 15, 2013, are eligible for the competition. The categories are:

Birds
Invertebrates
Mammals
Reptiles and Amphibians
Animal Behavior: Anything wild animals do, from everyday activities to interactions with other animals to unusual behavior.
Outdoor Recreation: Show how people interact with North Carolina’s natural world through activities that are inextricably linked to nature, such as hunting, ﬁshing, hiking, rock climbing or canoeing.
Wild Landscapes: The peaks, valleys, plains and beaches of North Carolina.
Wild Plants and Fungi: Wild-growing plants only, including their ﬂowers, leaves, fruits and other parts. Absolutely no cultivated plants will be accepted.
Youth Photographer, 13-17: Any of the above subjects, shot by photographers under 18.
Youth Photographer, 12 and under: Any of the above subjects, shot by children 12 and younger.

Do not enter photos of animals that are both captive and non-native to North Carolina, but captive native animals are allowed. No pets or domestic animals will be accepted, except animals participating with people in an outdoor activity, such as hunting dogs or riders on horseback.

Entries will be judged by a panel comprising staff from the Commission and the NC Museum of Natural Sciences, as well as professional photographers. The grand prize winner will have his or her photo published on the cover of the January/February 2018 issue of Wildlife in North Carolina and will receive a check for $200.

All winning photographs will be published in the magazine and exhibited at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh. First place in all categories pays $100; second place, $75; and third place, $50.

The Commission is accepting entries online only — no slides, negatives or prints will be accepted by mail. Entrants may submit a maximum of two photos per category. Each photo must be in JPEG format and no larger than 2 megabytes each.

Visit the Commission’s Wildlife in North Carolina Photo Competition webpage to enter a photo and for additional information.

View a video of last year’s winning entrants, or check out the 2016 winners in this NC Wildlife PDF.

Wildlife in North Carolina is published bimonthly by the Commission. Subscribers to the magazine enjoy exceptional color photography and articles on hunting, fishing, natural areas, wildlife research and the state’s environment in every issue, with one-year and three-year subscriptions available online. Subscribers also receive spring and fall outdoor guide special editions, with the latest hunting, fishing and sportsman information.