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Outdoor Photographer presents the

2022 Great Outdoors Photo Contest

Thank you to all who entered the Great Outdoors 2022 Photo Contest. We are currently reviewing all submissions and will publish finalists and winners by December 31, 2023. Keep an eye out for finalist and winner announcements in our weekly eNewsletter and our social media feeds.

Prizes

1st Prize
  • $1,000 cash prize
  • One (1) Bay Photo 20×30 MetalPrint of your winning image
  • One (1) K&F Concepts X PRO Square Filter System
  • One (1) Datacolor SpyderX Pro
  • One (1) Rogue Round Flash Kit + Rogue Flash Adapter Standard Kits
  • One (1) Skylum Luminar AI – AI Photo Editing for Mac & PC
  • One (1) MK Controls Lightning Bug
  • One (1) choice out of 3 courses (Bird Photography, Growing Wild, or Warbler Identification) from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Bird Academy
  • One (1) one-year Outdoor Photographer VIP Membership
  • Publication in a special multi-spread feature in an issue of Outdoor Photographer
  • Publication in the Outdoor Photographer online Winners’ gallery
2nd Prize
  • $500 cash prize
  • One (1) Bay Photo 11×14 MetalPrint of your winning image
  • One (1) Rogue Round Flash Kit + Rogue Flash Adapter Standard Kits
  • One (1) Skylum Luminar AI – AI Photo Editing for Mac & PC
  • One (1) MK Controls Lightning Bug
  • One (1) choice out of 3 courses (Bird Photography, Growing Wild, or Warbler Identification) from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Bird Academy
  • One (1) one-year Outdoor Photographer VIP Membership
  • Publication in a special multi-spread feature in an issue of Outdoor Photographer
  • Publication in the Outdoor Photographer online Winners’ gallery
3rd Prize
  • $250 cash prize
  • One (1) Bay Photo 11×14 MetalPrint of your winning image
  • One (1) Rogue Round Flash Kit + Rogue Flash Adapter Standard Kits
  • One (1) Skylum Luminar AI – AI Photo Editing for Mac & PC
  • One (1) MK Controls Lightning Bug
  • One (1) choice out of 3 courses (Bird Photography, Growing Wild, or Warbler Identification) from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Bird Academy
  • One (1) one-year Outdoor Photographer VIP Membership
  • Publication in a special multi-spread feature in an issue of Outdoor Photographer
  • Publication in the Outdoor Photographer online Winners’ gallery

Entry Fees

$35

Per Entry

Browse The Best

Last year, we had some stunning entries to our Great Outdoors contest. Check out last year’s winners below, and show us what you have to offer!

Need help perfecting your submission?

The Art Of Seeing

In this three-part article series, we take a deep dive into the fundamentals of composing landscape photographs and concepts including color, contrast and reality versus artistic license.

Past Contests

Explore past winners, finalists and prizes from our previous contests.

View Contests

Frequently asked questions and official rules

Frequently Asked Questions

We’ve compiled a list of frequently asked questions. If your question isn’t answered here, please send us an email at [email protected] with the following details:

  1. The name of the contest (2022 Great Outdoors Photo Contest)
  2. Your username
  3. The image ID # (if applicable)
  4. The exact nature of your problem

Question: Who may enter?

Answer:

Contest is open to individuals over the age of 18 and residents of the U.S.

Question: How do I enter?

Answer:

Click “Submit Your Images.” You’ll need to be logged in to your Outdoor Photographer account to enter. If you don’t have an account, click here to register for your free account.

Question: I'm having trouble uploading my image?

Answer:

If you’re having difficulty uploading your image, please try a different browser. If you still have difficulties, please contact us at [email protected]. Please include your phone number in your message so we can respond with assistance.

Question: In what format should I submit my photos?

Answer:

Each photograph must be submitted in .JPG format and cannot exceed 5 MB in size. Also, make sure your photo is in the sRGB color space, or else your image may look discolored.

Question: What kind of photography is eligible?

Answer:

Outdoor Photographer is committed to ethical practices in wildlife photography. If your image contains wildlife, the following types of photographs are considered ineligible for entry in this contest:

  • Images that appear to be the result of “baiting”
  • Images that indicate the wildlife subject is “harassed” or crowded
  • Close-up images of nests using a wide-angle lens
  • Images taken at “game farms.” Images of captive wildlife must be identified as such and the facility at which they were taken must be noted. The contest judges reserve the right to disqualify images that, in their sole discretion, appear to be the result of questionable practices, as defined by, but not limited to, those described above.

Question: How many photos may I enter?

Answer:

There is no limit to the amount of photos you may enter.

Question: How much does it cost to enter?

Answer:

Enter from December 13, 2022 until January 24, 2023 at 11:59 PM PST at $25 for each entry. After January 24, users can still submit photos from January 25, 2023 at 12:00 AM PDT until February 7, 2023 at 11:59 PM PDT (the “Extension Period”) at an increased price of $35 for each entry.

Question: Is my credit card information secure?

Answer:

Absolutely! The payment form is hosted on our secure payment processor’s site and your credit card information (including your physical address) is submitted directly to the applicable credit card company through 256-bit encrypted pages. The header graphic is the only non-secure item on the payment page and only your email and the success/failure message of the transaction are submitted back to our site.

Question: I want to enter your contest but I’m confused about how entering works. It’s asking me to pay before uploading my image(s). Is this right?

Answer:

In order to enter our photo contests, you first pay for your submission package. Once you do this, you will be redirected to submit your entry. You can submit your entry any time before the contest deadline.

Question: Can I pass the word on this competition to my friends, classmates, Facebook/Twitter followers, etc.?

Answer:

Yes, please! The link to the contest portal is www.outdoorphotographer.com/photo-contests/greatoutdoors

Question: Do I have to print or mail in my photos?

Answer:

No. Please upload entries using the online entry form. Mailed submissions will not be accepted.

Question: Can I process my photos using Photoshop or another image-processing program?

Answer:

Entries must be a single image as captured by the camera, with adjustments limited to standard photo processing such as color and exposure adjustments and basic retouching such as spot removal or noise reduction. Images must not be “composite images” that combine subjects or elements from different scenes—replacing a background or sky, for example. Exceptions include the use of HDR exposure stacking, focus stacking or similar techniques used for a single composition where the camera was not moved. As part of the judging process, our judges at their discretion may request the original RAW file capture for review.

Question: When will the winners be notified & announced?

Answer:

By December 31, 2023

Question: What are the prizes?

Answer:

See the contest landing page or the official rules for a complete list of contest prizes.

Question: Can I edit my submission after I’ve already submitted it?

Answer:

If you’d like to make any changes to your entry, please email us and indicate:

  1. The name of the contest (2022 Great Outdoors Photo Contest)
  2. Your username
  3. The image name
  4. The changes you would like to be made to the submission

Question: I accidentally submitted the same photo twice. How do I fix this?

Answer:

Please email us with the name of your duplicate submission, and we will remove it for you so you can re-upload. In your email, please indicate:

  1. The name of the contest (2022 Great Outdoors Photo Contest)
  2. Your username/email
  3. The image name

Question: When I try to enter online, I get an error message. What's going on?

Answer:

If your attempts at entering online aren’t successful, our system might be struggling. Try waiting a few minutes, then clear your browser’s cache and cookies—you might even try restarting your computer—and go to the online entry page again.
Additionally, title your photos with alphanumeric characters only. Please don’t use apostrophes, ampersands or any other character symbol, as doing so may cause errors during
uploading.

Question: I've tried clearing my cache and cookies, and I even bought a new computer. The online entry form just isn't working for me.

Answer:

Double-check that the size of your images meets our requirements. If all else fails, send us an email at [email protected]. In your email, please indicate:

  1. The name of the contest (2022 Great Outdoors Photo Contest)
  2. Your username
  3. The image name
  4. The exact nature of your problem

Outdoor Photographer Great Outdoors 2022 Official Rules

ELIGIBILITY:
Outdoor Photographer’s 2022 Great Outdoors Photo Contest (“Contest”) is open only to individuals who are over 18 years of age and who are residents of the U.S. Employees of Madavor Media, LLC, (“Sponsors”), and their respective parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, and advertising and promotion agencies, and their immediate family members (spouse, parent, child and sibling and their respective spouses, regardless of where they reside) and/or those living in same household of each, whether or not related, are not eligible to participate or win. Sponsors reserve the right to verify all eligibility requirements. Contest is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

QUALIFIED ENTRIES:
Entries must be a single image as captured by the camera, with adjustments limited to standard photo processing such as color and exposure adjustments and basic retouching such as spot removal or noise reduction. Images must not be “composite images” that combine subjects or elements from different scenes—replacing a background or sky, for example. Exceptions include the use of HDR exposure stacking, focus stacking or similar techniques used for a single composition where the camera was not moved. As part of the judging process, our judges at their discretion may request the original RAW file capture for review.

Outdoor Photographer is committed to ethical practices in wildlife photography. If your image contains wildlife, the following types of photographs are considered ineligible for entry in this contest:

  • Images that appear to be the result of “baiting”
  • Images that indicate the wildlife subject is “harassed” or crowded
  • Close-up images of nests using a wide-angle lens
  • Images taken at “game farms.” Images of captive wildlife must be identified as such and the facility at which they were taken must be noted. The contest judges reserve the right to disqualify images that, in their sole discretion, appear to be the result of questionable practices, as defined by, but not limited to, those described above.

CONTEST PERIOD:
The Contest will begin on December 13, 2022 at 7:00 AM PDT, and end on January 24, 2023 at 11:59 PM PDT (the “Contest Period”). After January 24, users can still submit photos from January 25, 2023 at 12:00 AM PDT until February 7, 2023 at 11:59 PM PDT (the “Extension Period”) at an increased price of $35 for each entry.

HOW TO ENTER:
Click the submit your images button above to submit. All entries must be received by February 7, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. PDT to be eligible. Each photograph must be submitted in .JPG and cannot exceed 4 MB in size. Entry fees during the Contest Period are $25 for each entry. Entry fees during the Extension Period, January 25 to February 7, will be $35 for each entry. All submissions are final. Refunds will not be provided.
Please note: Entries submitted online will be eligible for (i) the Grand Place Prize (as described below), (ii) Second Place Prize (as described below), and (iii) Third Place Prize (as described below).
Entry must be the original work of the entrant and entrant must be the sole owner of the copyright of such entry. Entry must be in keeping with the Sponsors’ image and may not be inappropriate or offensive, as determined by the Sponsors in their sole discretion, nor can it defame or invade publicity rights or privacy of any person, living or deceased, or otherwise infringe upon any person’s personal or property rights or any other third-party rights. The Sponsors reserve the right, in their sole discretion, to disqualify any entry they deem to be offensive, inappropriate, that is not in keeping with Sponsors’ image or that is otherwise not in compliance with the terms of these Official Rules. Entrant must have obtained express written consent to submit any entry that contains persons other than entrant or third-party elements not owned by entrant and, if requested to do so, produce such written consent from appropriate parties in a form and manner acceptable to the Sponsors.
By submitting an Entry, entrant acknowledges and agrees that Sponsors may obtain many Entries in connection with this Contest and/or other contests staged and/or promoted by the Sponsors, and that such Entries may be similar or identical in theme, idea, format or other respects to other Entries submitted in connection with this Contest and/or other contests sponsored by the Sponsors or submitted for other reasons or other materials developed by the Sponsors. Entrant waives any and all claims entrant may have had, may have, and/or may have in the future, that any Entry and/or other works accepted, reviewed and/or used by the entrant may be similar to his/her Entry, or that any compensation is due to entrant in connection with such Entry or other works used by Sponsors.

GRAND PLACE PRIZE JUDGING:
One (1) potential Grand Place Prize winner, one (1) potential Second Place winner, one (1) potential Third Place winner, and up to twenty-five (25) potential Finalists will be determined from among all eligible entries received by a panel of qualified judges, based equally on the following criteria: Adherence to Theme, Composition and Creativity/Originality (“Judging Criteria”). The entrants who submitted the entry receiving the highest scores, as determined by the Sponsors in their sole discretion, will be the potential winners and finalists respectively.
In the event of a tie for any prize, an additional “tie-breaking” judge will determine the applicable winner or finalists from among those tied using the Criteria. The Sponsors reserve the right to not award any prize if, in their sole discretion, an insufficient number of eligible and qualified entries are received. Decisions of the Sponsors and judges are final and binding.

WINNER NOTIFICATION:
Potential winners will be notified by telephone, mail and/or e-mail by June 30, 2023 and will be required to execute and return an Affidavit of Eligibility and Liability and, unless prohibited, a Publicity Release, a W-9 Form and any additional documents that may be required by prize provider within fourteen (14) days of date of issuance. If any potential winner is an eligible minor in his or her jurisdiction of residence, prize may, at the Sponsors’ discretion, be awarded in the name of the parent or legal guardian, and such parent or legal guardian will be required to fulfill all requirements imposed on winners set forth herein. Noncompliance with this time period or with these Official Rules, or the return of any prize notification as undeliverable, may result in disqualification and, at the Sponsors’ discretion, the prize will be awarded to an applicable runner-up.

PRIZES:

Grand Place Prize: $1,000 (U$D) cash prize;

One (1) Bay Photo 20×30 MetalPrint of your winning image (ARV $165); One (1) K&F Concepts Prize X PRO Square Filter System (ARV $289.99); One (1) Datacolor SpyderX Pro (ARV $169.99); One (1) Rogue Round Flash Kit + Rogue Flash Adapter Standard Kits (ARV $129.95); One (1) Skylum Luminar AI – AI Photo Editing for Mac & PC (ARV $79); One (1) MK Controls Lightning Bug (ARV $179); One (1) choice out of 3 courses (Bird Photography, Growing Wild, or Warbler Identification) from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Bird Academy; One (1) One-year Outdoor Photographer VIP Membership (ARV $95.88); Placement as Outdoor Photographer’s Facebook Cover Photo (ARV priceless); publication in a special multi-spread feature in an issue of Outdoor Photographer (ARV priceless); Publication in the Outdoor Photographer online Winners’ gallery.

Total First Place ARV: Approximately $2,108.81

Second Place Prize: $500 (U$D) cash prize;

One (1) Bay Photo 11×14 MetalPrint of your winning image (ARV $45.95); One (1) Rogue Round Flash Kit + Rogue Flash Adapter Standard Kits (ARV $129.95); One (1) Skylum Luminar AI – AI Photo Editing for Mac & PC (ARV $79); One (1) MK Controls Lightning Bug (ARV $179); One (1) choice out of 3 courses (Bird Photography, Growing Wild, or Warbler Identification) from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Bird Academy; One (1) One-year Outdoor Photographer VIP Membership (ARV $95.88); publication in a special multi-spread feature in an issue of Outdoor Photographer (ARV priceless); Publication in the Outdoor Photographer online Winners’ gallery.

Total Second Place ARV: approximately $1,029.78

Third Place Prize: $250 (U$D) cash prize;

One (1) Bay Photo 11×14 MetalPrint of your winning image (ARV $45.95); One (1) Rogue Round Flash Kit + Rogue Flash Adapter Standard Kits (ARV $129.95); One (1) Skylum Luminar AI – AI Photo Editing for Mac & PC (ARV $79); One (1) MK Controls Lightning Bug (ARV $179); One (1) choice out of 3 courses (Bird Photography, Growing Wild, or Warbler Identification) from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Bird Academy; One (1) One-year Outdoor Photographer VIP Membership (ARV $95.88); publication in a special multi-spread feature in an issue of Outdoor Photographer (ARV priceless); Publication in the Outdoor Photographer online Winners’ gallery.

Total Third Place ARV: Approximately $779.78

Current total ARV of all prizes: $3,918.37

If, for any reason, the Sponsors do not feature any of the winning entries in Outdoor Photographer Magazine, no compensation or substitution will be provided; however, the remainder of prize package will be awarded and the Sponsors will have no further obligation to winners. All prize details are at the sole discretion of the Sponsors. No substitution, cash equivalent or transfer of prizes permitted by winners. Sponsors reserve the right to substitute a prize (or portion thereof) of comparable or greater value, in their sole discretion. All federal, state and local taxes as well as any costs and expenses associated with prize acceptance and use not specified herein as being awarded are the sole responsibility of each winner. Prizes are awarded “as is” with no warranty or guarantee, either expressed or implied by the Sponsors. Limit one (1) prize per household.

USE OF ENTRY:
By submitting an entry, entrant grants the Sponsors and their designees an irrevocable, royalty-free, nonexclusive, worldwide perpetual license to use the entry and his/her name, city and state of residence for credit purposes in Sponsors’ online galleries, without further compensation, notification or permission, unless prohibited by law. In addition, each winner grants to the Sponsors and their designees an irrevocable, royalty-free, nonexclusive, worldwide perpetual license to use and distribute the entry (as submitted, or as cropped by the Sponsors), and his/her name, city and state of residence for credit purposes, in any and all media now or hereafter known, including without limitation in Outdoor Photographer and any Madavor Media magazines for purposes of promotion of this Contest except as otherwise stated herein, without further compensation, notification or permission, unless prohibited by law.

USE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION:
Your personal information collected in connection with this Contest will be used in accordance with Madavor Media’s Privacy Policy (available at http://www.outdoorphotographer.com/privacy-policy) including, without limitation, for marketing and promotional purposes.

MISCELLANEOUS: Released Parties (as defined below) are not responsible for late, lost, garbled, damaged, incomplete, delayed, undelivered, or misdirected entries or photographs or for computer, technical, printing, typographical, human or other errors relating to or in connection with the Contest, including, without limitation, inability to access any website associated with the Contest, errors which may occur in the administration of the Contest, the processing or judging of entries, the announcement of the prizes or in any Contest-related materials. If for any reason the Contest (or any portion thereof) is not capable of running as planned, including infection by tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes that corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this Contest, Sponsors reserve the right, at their sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Contest and, if terminated, at its discretion, determine winners from among all non-suspect, eligible entries received up to time of such action using judging procedure described above. By participating, entrant agrees (i) to be bound by the terms of these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsors and judges, which are final and binding in all respects, and (ii) to hold the Sponsors and their respective parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, prize suppliers and advertising and promotion agencies, and the respective directors, officers, employees and agents of the foregoing (collectively, the “Released Parties”), harmless against any and all claims and liability arising, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, out of or in connection with participation in this Contest, acceptance and use of any prize or Released Parties’ use of any of the rights granted herein. Sponsors may disqualify (and void all associated entries) anyone from participating in the Contest or winning a prize if, in its sole discretion, it determines that such person is attempting to undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest by cheating, deception or other unfair practices, or intending to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other entrant or Sponsors’ representatives or who is otherwise not in compliance with the terms of these rules. ANY ATTEMPT TO DELIBERATELY UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE CONTEST MAY BE IN VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, THE SPONSORS RESERVE THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES AND OTHER REMEDIES (INCLUDING ATTORNEYS’ FEES) FROM ANY SUCH INDIVIDUAL TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW, INCLUDING CRIMINAL PROSECUTION.

WINNERS’ LIST: For the list of winners (available after June 2023), send a separate, stamped, self-addressed envelope to: OPH 2022 Great Outdoors Photo Contest Winners’ List, Attn: Marketing Department, 35 Braintree Hill Office Park, Suite 101, Braintree, MA 02184, to be received by July 31, 2023.

SPONSORS:
Madavor Media, 35 Braintree Hill Office Park, Suite 101, Braintree, MA 02184