On Photography: Defenders' Photo Contest Kicks Off

Defenders' 2010 Photo Contest Grand Prize Winner

This is a really exciting day for us: We’ve just launched our second annual Defenders of Wildlife photo contest! It was a huge success last year — we received more than 10,000 photographs. And we sent grand prize winner, David Bolin, off on an all-expenses-paid photography tour of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks — courtesy of wildlife photographer and Defenders contributor Jess Lee.

Read about David’s experience and see images from his trip.

Jess has been kind enough to donate another photo tour for this year’s grand prize winner, and Defenders will again pay for the domestic travel to and from the parks. We have other prizes as well. Check out our offerings and read up on the contest’s rules.

There are many photographers who allow Defenders to use their photographs for free. It is their way of supporting a cause they believe in.

This year we’ve made it easier for you to enter the contest with our new online application entry form. You will only have to enter your contact information once. Then you can enter up to six photographs, and the  form will automatically keep track of your entries.

A Note on Rights

Another prize-winning photograph from last year's contest

Shortly after we announced the competition last year, some critics sought to discourage photographers from participating in the contest. Venting on our social media websites, they called our contest a “rights grab” because we ask that entrants allow us to publish any photos entered in any of our publications without payment. Fortunately, many talented photographers, submitting more than 10,000 images, disagreed.

In fact, there are several photographers, such as Tim Springer and Larry Allan, who always allow Defenders to use any of their photographs for free. It is their way of supporting a cause they believe in and contributing to an organization dedicated to protecting the very places and animals they love photographing.

Throughout the contest, I will post some of my favorite entries on this blog, and tell you why I think they are particularly special. SO STAY TUNED!

In addition, our rules clearly state that photographers retain all rights, including copyright, to the photos they enter in our contest. They simply allow us to use them in our printed and electronic publications for no charge. And we always credit the photographer.

So rather than looking at this as a “rights grab,” I’d like to suggest that you, too, are making a much-appreciated donation to help Defenders of Wildlife in our mission to preserve wild animals and wild lands.

I hope that you will enter your favorite wildlife and wild lands photos to our contest. Throughout the contest, I will post some of my favorite entries from last year’s contest on this blog, and tell you why I think they are particularly special. SO STAY TUNED!

At the conclusion of the contest, we will once again judge the photos internally, then let our readers determine which of the top 10 they think is the very best. The winners will be published online and in the summer issue of our new quarterly publication.

Good luck to one and all!