Official Rules

It’s time to go through your favorite wildlife nature photos for this year’s Wild Bird Center Photo Contest. Photos must be of wild birds or other wildlife. Please - no photos of livestock, farm animals, pets or plants; nor photos taken outside the United States.

Our contest is open to all amateur photographers. No professionals please. For the purpose of our contest, a “professional” will include anyone who has received any kind of payment for any photograph taken by him or her. It also includes anyone who takes photos or sells/demonstrates photographic equipment as part of his or her employment. All others will be considered amateurs.

Photos may be submitted during the months of July and August up to the close of business on August 31, 2009. We request photos be single matted or affixed to colored card stock larger than the photo to highlight the photo when it is displayed. Photos will be displayed against a dark green background. Finished photos with mattes or card stock should be no more than 12”x14” in total size. No frames, please. Frames will be removed. NOTE: Photos, frames and/or mattes may be damaged in our attempt to set up our display. We are not responsible for such damage so please do not submit originals of photos you cannot reproduce. Photos are frequently hung on the wall with push pins so there may be holes in mattes or photos when these are returned to you.

By submitting a photo in our contest, the entrant represents the photo is his or her original work and that he or she holds the copyright to it. The entrant agrees the Wild Bird Center may copy the photo and use the same in advertising and educational or public relations activities without compensation. However, the entrant will continue to hold the copyright for all other purposes.

Photos will be on display in the Wild Bird Center during the month of September. Customers and visitors to the store may vote on their favorite photo during that month. An individual age 10 and up may vote once per day, everyday except Labor Day, during the month of September. The names of those taking time to vote will be entered into a drawing for a $25 gift certificate each time they vote.

One photo per person may be entered. At the end of September, the votes will be counted and the top three vote-getters will receive Wild Bird Center Gift Certificates in the following amounts: 1st Place, $100.00; 2nd Place, $35.00: and 3rd Place, $20.00. Photos may be picked up after October 15th.

We hope you’ll help us make this the best photo contest ever.