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Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo Announces Annual Zoo Photography Contest

Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo is proud to announce its Annual Photography Contest is open for submissions, an opportunity for the Zoo’s many dedicated amateur and professional photographers to submit their best work for public viewing. The contest, sponsored by Milford Photo, will combine digital submissions with an in-person exhibition.

Digital, first round photos are due to be submitted by July 4 at 11:59 p.m.

Photographers are invited to upload their submissions at beardsleyzoo.org/photography-exhibition

If you have questions, email Ashley Volkens at avolkens@beardsleyzoo.org

Contest sponsor Milford Photo will be at the Zoo on Saturday, June 10, from 10 am to 1:00 pm demonstrating cameras, Sigma lenses, and sharing photography techniques for photographers at all levels, beginner to advanced, and providing an opportunity to ask questions about photography..

Photos are to be submitted digitally for a first round, with the top 100 selected for exhibition and judging. Photographers selected for the in-person exhibit will be asked to print and mat their photo (size 8 x 10).

 Judging will take place in July, with an in-person show held on Thursday, July 27 in the Zoo’s Hanson Building.

For the second year, there is a special Kids Only! Category, with separate prizes for submissions by children 17 years and younger. Two winners will be chosen in the Kids Only! Contest, with age ranges as follows

  • Up to 12 years old
  • 13 to 17 years old

Exhibit Rules

Each photographer can submit three photos, with a $10 fee per photo. Kids Only! submissions are $5 per photo.

For the best quality for viewing the photos online, the recommended image size is 1088 x 816 pixels with a maximum file size of 1MB.

Photos must have been taken on Zoo grounds. Plants and grounds photos are allowed. They may be older photos from a previous year as well as current photos.

Milford Photo will provide First, Second, and Third prizes in the form of gift certificates to the store. First prize is $200, second prize is $100, and third prize is $50. In addition, there will be prizes for the Kids Only! Category.

In addition to the judged photos, a People’s Choice will be selected. The public can vote on their favorite by making a one-dollar donation for each vote. Voting will take place online.