About the Contest:
The Florida Wildlife Federation (FWF) is excited to announce the launch of its 2025 annual photography contest! This year’s theme is Florida in Focus, a celebration of the extraordinary wildlife, habitats, and natural places that make our state unlike any other. We invite photographers of all skill levels to share their unique perspective and help us showcase what makes Florida so special—and worth protecting.
Photo Contest Rules and Eligibility
Who is Eligible
The Florida Wildlife Federation Photo Contest is open to U.S. residents ages 18 and older, of all photography experience levels. FWF employees are not eligible. FWF reserves the right to verify, in its sole judgment, entrant eligibility. All submitted photos must be taken in Florida.
How to enter
For $10, you may submit three (3) photos for a chance to win the listed prizes.
To enter, visit our website, go to the photo contest page, and click on the “Enter Contest” button provided. Once you’ve completed payment, you’ll be redirected to the submission page to upload your first photo. You’ll be able to upload one photo at a time. Use the link provided in your confirmation email to return to the submission page and upload the rest of your photos.
Each participant may submit a maximum of nine (9) entries per category. Submissions beyond this limit will not be considered.
Contest Entry Period and Important Dates
The photo contest opens at 9:00 am (ET) on May 12, 2025, and the deadline for submitting photos is July 11, 2025, at 11:59 pm (ET.) To avoid uploading delays, we recommend not waiting until the final days of the contest to enter. FWF anticipates notifying winners by July 27, 2025.
FWF may adjust the contest entry period in its sole discretion.
Important Dates
Contest Opens: May 12
Submission Period: May 12-July 11
Judging and Public Vote Period: July 12-July 22
Winners Announcement: July 28-July 31
Categories
Photographers must enter each image in one of the following categories. The same photo can be entered in up to two (2) categories and will count as two (2) entries.
Wildlife – Photographs showcasing the diverse wildlife species found in Florida, including mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and marine life. Capture the beauty, behavior, and unique adaptations of Florida’s incredible fauna. (Bird photographs should be submitted to the “Birds” category.)
Birds – Celebrate Florida’s rich avian diversity with images of wading birds, raptors, songbirds, and shorebirds in their natural habitats. Whether in flight, nesting, or hunting, showcase the beauty of Florida’s feathered residents and migratory visitors.
Native Plants – Highlight the beauty and ecological importance of Florida’s native flora, from towering pines and wildflowers to coastal mangroves and rare orchids. Capture how these plants thrive in their natural habitats and support Florida’s wildlife.
Landscapes – Showcase the breathtaking natural scenery of Florida, including its beaches, forests, wetlands, rivers, and springs. From sunrise-lit marshes to misty cypress swamps, capture the essence of Florida’s wild places.
Recreation – We want to see the many ways people connect with Florida’s natural landscapes through outdoor recreation. From kayaking, hiking, and camping to birdwatching and snorkeling, showcase moments of adventure, reflection, and joy in the wild.
Submission Guidelines
- Including the photographer’s name, category, image title, and image description (such as the species name for animals or plants, or the location for landscapes or recreation). The judges use this information to help select the winners.
- Photos must all be of Florida scenes and/or native plants, flowers, or wildlife.
- Digital manipulation should be limited to basic enhancements. Composite images or heavily edited photos will not be accepted.*
- Photos containing watermarks or other superimposed logos will not be admitted.
- High-resolution images (minimum 300 dpi) in JPEG or PNG format are preferred.
- Only digitally uploaded images can be entered. Mailed or shipped entries will not be accepted.
*Note: All photographs should accurately reflect the subject matter and the scene as it appeared. Photos that have been digitally altered beyond standard optimization will be disqualified.
Acceptable alterations are adjustments to color, contrast, brightness and sharpness; removal of dust and scratches; cropping; black and white conversions; and use of HDR (High Dynamic Range), where multiple exposures of the same scene are combined for a greater tonal range, and similar processes for extended depth of field.
Not acceptable alterations are photo composites (a combination of two or more photos, not of the same scene); the addition, duplication, deletion or moving of objects in the photos; or the use of artistic digital filters and effects. Examples of artistic filters and effects are watercolor, neon glow, posturizing, stained glass, and others that do not show the scene in its natural way.
Judging Criteria
A panel of judges, including Florida Wildlife Federation staff and expert guest judges, will evaluate all entries based on technical quality, composition, creativity, category relevance, impact, and message. All decisions made by the judges will be final and binding.
Prizes
Winning photographs will be announced in July 2025 on the Florida Wildlife Federation website and featured in the August issue of Conservation Connection, our monthly e-newsletter. First and second place winners will also be published in the 2026 Florida Wildlife Federation Calendar, a special edition celebrating FWF’s 90th anniversary.
Four winners will be selected in each category:
1st Place
- $300 Visa gift card
- Winning photograph published in the 2026 90th Anniversary FWF Calendar
- FWF merchandise
Runner-Up (2nd Place)
- Winning photograph published in the 2026 90th Anniversary FWF Calendar
- Florida State Parks Annual Pass
- FWF merchandise
Finalist (3rd Place)
- FWF merchandise
Honorable Mention
- Featured on our website, in our monthly newsletter, and across FWF’s social media channels
New for 2025: Lucky Lens & People’s Choice Prizes
This year, we’re introducing two additional opportunities to win:
Lucky Lens Prize
Just by entering the 2025 Photo Contest, you’ll be automatically entered for a chance to win our Lucky Lens Prize. Each entrant automatically will receive one entry total, regardless of the number of submissions.
One lucky participant will be selected at random to receive:
- A Florida State Parks Annual Pass
- A prize pack featuring FWF merchandise
People’s Choice Winner
A public voting period will open during the final weeks of the contest, giving visitors the opportunity to view submissions and vote for their favorite photo.
Public voting will run from July 12 through July 22. The photo with the most votes at the close of voting will be named the People’s Choice Winner and will receive:
- A Florida State Parks Annual Pass
- A prize pack featuring FWF merchandise
All winners will be recognized on the FWF website, social media, and in our monthly e-newsletter Conservation Connection. Winners will be notified by email (and phone, if available).
Please note: The Florida Wildlife Federation reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value if any listed item becomes unavailable.
LEGAL
Binding agreement
In order to enter the Florida Wildlife Federation Photo Contest, the Entrant must agree to these Official Rules (“Rules”). Because these Rules form a legally binding agreement with respect to this Contest, please read them carefully. If the Entrant does not agree to and abide by the Rules, Entrant is not eligible to participate in the Florida Wildlife Federation Photo Contest or to win any of the prizes. Entrant agrees that his/her registration as an individual participant under the Florida Wildlife Federation Photo Contest constitutes his/her agreement to these Rules.
Publication and Exhibition
Selected photographs may be featured in Florida Wildlife Federation publications, website, social media channels, and exhibitions to promote conservation awareness.
Intellectual property
Your entry to the Contest constitutes your agreement to allow your entered photographs—and your name, city, and state—to be published as Winners in Florida Wildlife Federation publications and on the Florida Wildlife Federation website. Entrants retain ownership of their photographs but grant Florida Wildlife Federation and its affiliates a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, publish, distribute, display, and create derivative works from their submissions in any media now known or hereafter developed. Florida Wildlife Federation will strive to credit photographers wherever feasible but cannot guarantee credit in all uses due to formatting or technical constraints.
Choice of law
The contest is governed by the laws of the United States and is subject to applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Entrant agrees that any and all disputes that cannot be resolved with Florida Wildlife Federation, and causes of action arising out of or connected with the Florida Wildlife Federation Photo Contest, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, before a court of competent jurisdiction in Leon County, Florida, which court shall apply the laws of the State of Florida without regard to conflicts of law. In any such dispute, the Entrant shall under no circumstances be entitled to claim punitive, incidental or consequential damages, or any other damages, including attorney’s fees, other than the Entrant’s entry fee (if any). Entrant hereby waives all rights to have damages multiplied or increased.
Force majeure
If, for any reason, the Florida Wildlife Federation Photo Contest is not capable of completion as planned, including, but not limited to, by reason of infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures or any other causes beyond the control of Florida Wildlife Federation that corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of the Florida Wildlife Federation Photo Contest, the Florida Wildlife Federation reserves the right at their sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Florida Wildlife Federation Photo Contest. In the event of cancellation, Florida Wildlife Federation will not be obligated to return submitted materials and will not be liable for any losses incurred by entrants.
Warranty
By entering, participants warrant that his or her entry materials are original, do not infringe on any third party’s rights, and that participant has obtained any necessary permissions from any third party if a third party or third party’s property appears in the photograph. Entrants must not submit images that involve the willful harassment of wildlife or damage to the environment by the photographer. Florida Wildlife Federation reserves the right to disqualify any entry if it finds in its sole discretion that any of the foregoing warranties are not true.
Release
By entering, participants release and hold harmless Florida Wildlife Federation, its affiliated organizations, and each of their directors, officers, employees, attorneys, agents and representatives (collectively, and, hereinafter the “Companies”) from any and all liability for any injuries, loss, claim, action, demand or damage of any kind arising from or related to the Florida Wildlife Federation Photo Contest, any prize won, any use of the entry materials by Florida Wildlife Federation, the warranties participants make, any misuse or malfunction of any prize awarded, participation in any Florida Wildlife Federation Photo Contest-related activity, or participation in the Florida Wildlife Federation Photo Contest.
Participants whose entries include identifiable minors must have obtained written consent from a parent or legal guardian and may be required to provide such documentation upon request.
Disclaimer
No purchase or contribution is necessary to enter the Lucky Lens drawing. One (1) Lucky Lens entry per person, 18 years and older, may be obtained by sending a written request to info@floridawildlifefederation.org with the photo attached and including the entrant’s first and last name, email address, and phone number.
Limitation of liability
In no event will the Companies, their advertising, and promotional agencies, or their directors, officers, employees, attorneys, agents, and representatives be responsible or liable for any damages or losses of any kind, including direct indirect, incidental, consequential or punitive damages arising out of participant’s access to and use of the Companies’ websites, or the downloading or uploading and/or printing of material from said sites. Without limiting the foregoing, everything on the Companies’ sites is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind, either express or implied. The Companies are not responsible for lost, damaged, late or misdirected photographs, or for uploading connections, garbled transmissions, unauthorized intervention or technical malfunctions. Void where prohibited. The Companies are not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by website users or by any equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Florida Wildlife Federation Photo Contest or by any technical or human error that may occur in the processing of submissions to the Florida Wildlife Federation Photo Contest, including but not limited to any misprints or typographical errors. The Companies assume no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, or alteration of, photographs.
Contact Information
Questions regarding contest rules or technical matters, including problems uploading photos, can be emailed to info@floridawildlifefederation.org
