2022 is a big year for Wilderness Volunteers: we’re celebrating our 25th anniversary, we’re back in the field full force, and we have a lot of great things simmering for 2023. One of our favorite community activities is the annual photo contest that we’re stoked to kick off. This contest is open to all project leaders and volunteers who participated in a 2022 Wilderness Volunteers project. It’s time to sit down with your phone, your laptop, or your camera and submit your finest work.
The 2022 photo contest categories are:
- Nature. Photos depicting wildlife, wildflowers, trees, vegetation, landscapes, etc, from a 2022 Wilderness Volunteers project
- Hard at work. Photos that depict work during a 2022 Wilderness Volunteers project (think tools, working volunteers, the scope of work, etc).
- Wild card. Compelling or interesting photos from a 2022 Wilderness Volunteers project. Submissions can include camp life, food, hiking on trails, and day off activities.
Click on each category above for the upload page. Click here to view entries so far for each category.
The contest will close on Saturday, December 31, 2022, at the end of the day. One winner will be selected for each category with one grand prize winner being selected. You can enter as many photos as you like, just be sure to do so before the deadline. The winners will be announced on Monday, January 9, 2023.
Official Contest Rules:
- All submissions must include your full name in the file title and which 2022 project your image is from. (eg. LizLemon_NewRiverGorge.jpg). We cannot stress this requirement enough. Every year we are forced to disqualify stunning pictures because this criterion is not met.
- All photos must be taken on a 2022 Wilderness Volunteers Project and the subject matter must comply with Leave No Trace ethics & principles.
- The same photo cannot be entered into more than one category. Judges reserve the right to switch images to other categories.
- The contest is open to all WV project participants and leaders, except for Wilderness Volunteers staff, contest judges, and their families. WV reserves the right to verify, in its sole judgment, entrant eligibility.
- Photographs will be judged on originality, technical excellence, composition, overall impact, and artistic merit. Awards will be selected by a panel of judges, and all decisions are final.
- Submitted photos with added text will be ineligible for consideration.
- Entries must be submitted to the Wilderness Volunteers photo gallery no later than 11:59 pm UTC by Saturday, December 31, 2022, to be eligible.
- Judges may exclude entries that do not meet the above criteria.
- Winners will be notified by email. Wilderness Volunteers is not responsible for lost or damaged prizes.
