Wyoming in the eye of the beholder

The magazine Wyoming Wildlife recently announced the start of their 49th annual photo contest. According to the press release, winners of the photo contest will be published in the February 2020 photo issue of the magazine. The grand-prize winner will receive $600 for the best overall photo and a $350 voucher for a print on metal, gallery mount or other canvas at Artizen Photo Printing.

Prizes will also be offered for first, second and third places in each of the four categories. Honorable mentions will also be recognized.

“After hearing from our readers, we’ve made changes to the photo size requirements for this year,” said Wyoming Wildlife editor Tracie Binkerd in the press release. “We don’t have a minimum size for entries—just a maximum, but judges will consider the size and quality of the photo.”

Contestants will be able to submit up to 10 photographs with the maximum size for each being 9 megabytes (MB). The submitted photos must represent at least one of the following categories:

• Wildlife; wild mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and insects

• Scenic; landmarks, scenery or inanimate objects are prominent

• Recreation; people enjoying the outdoors through hunting, fishing, hiking, backpacking, skiing or other outdoor activities

• Flora; wildflowers, foliage, fruiting bodies or other parts of plants.

The magazine’s photo contest is also expanding to include an additional photo contest in the spring of 2020. Winners from the second contest will be featured exclusively in the 2021 November calendar edition of Wyoming Wildlife.

“With two photo contests, photographers have double the opportunity to submit their work to be featured,” said Patrick Owen, creative director for Wyoming Wildlife. “You do not need to be a professional photographer to be competitive.”

Submissions will only be accepted online and must have been taken in Wyoming and cannot have been previously submitted. Photos cannot have been taken on assignment for Wyoming Wildlife. Employees of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Wyoming Game and Fish Commissioners and their immediate families are ineligible. Photographers are also encouraged to practice ethical photography, keeping an appropriate distance and respecting animals and their habitats.

For more information, complete submission guidelines and prizes, visit https://wgfd.wyo.gov/About-Us/Wyoming-Wildlife/Photo-Contest-Entry. For questions, contact Patrick Owen at 307-777-4547. Submission deadline is midnight on Nov. 25.