Wildlife and Landscape Photo Contest

To improve your chances of winning, submit rare images. For example, we receive fewer winter images and photos of aquatic species in their habitat. Rare or harder-to-photograph species and landscapes are also more likely to be selected by our judges.

Photos prominently featuring wildlife can win several ways. The photographers of the images selected will receive: 

• Calendar’s Cover a $300 Bass Pro Shops gift card; a Tennessee Wildlife Federation branded beanie; a padded outdoor chair; and a 2025 calendar
• People’s Choice winner a $120 Bass Pro Shops gift card; a padded outdoor chair; an outdoor backpack; a Tennessee Wildlife Federation branded soft-sided cooler; and a 2025 calendar
• Calendar’s Month Photos (12 total) a $40 Bass Pro Shops gift card; a Tennessee Wildlife Federation branded beanie; a Tennessee Wildlife Federation branded travel mug; and a 2025 calendar
• Honorable Mentions (approximately 30 total used throughout the calendar) a 2025 calendar

Photos that mostly focus on the landscape of Tennessee will be prominently featured by Tennessee Wildlife Federation and the top three images selected by our judges will receive: 

• 1st Place a $150 Bass Pro Shops gift card; a padded outdoor chair; an outdoor backpack; and a 2025 calendar
• 2nd Place a $100 Bass Pro Shops gift card; a padded outdoor chair; a Tennessee Wildlife Federation branded beanie; and a 2025 wildlife calendar
• 3rd Place a $40 Bass Pro Shops gift card; a Tennessee Wildlife Federation branded soft-sided cooler; a Tennessee Wildlife Federation branded beanie; and a 2025 calendar

Prizes for the 2025 photo contest are provided by Bass Pro Shops of Memphis, Nashville, Kodak, and Bristol, Tennessee. 

• The photo(s) you submit must be your own.
• You don’t have to be a Tennessee resident to enter, but your photo(s) must be taken in Tennessee.
• You can enter an unlimited number of photos. Upload them between midnight CT August 1 and 11:59 p.m. CT August 31.
• Files of photos must be named in this format:
  • [first name]_[last name]_[image number].jpg
    An example would be theodore_roosevelt_2.jpg
• Judges will select all winning photographs except for the People’s Choice winner.
• The judges will select several dozen images to be part of the People’s Choice voting. (Because of the volume of submissions we cannot include all images in People’s Choice voting.)
  • Public voting to select the People’s Choice winner will be open on September 6–12.
  • The public can vote for multiple images on each ballot. One ballot can be submitted per email, per day.
• You retain all legal rights to your photo. By entering, you give Tennessee Wildlife Federation permission to use your photo on our website, social media platforms, and other digital and printed materials. Credit to the photographer will always be given.

1. WHO IS ELIGIBLE: Tennessee Wildlife Federation Calendar Photo Contest is open to all amateur and professional photographers, excluding Tennessee Wildlife Federation staff and Board of Directors (not Advisory Board).
2. BAD ACTORS: Tennessee Wildlife Federation reserves the right to disqualify submissions from known bad actors, including but not limited to those with a history of misrepresenting others’ work as their own and those who engage in unsavory online behavior related to the contest.
3. CONTEST ENTRY PERIOD: All photos must be submitted between 12 a.m. CT on Thursday, August 1, 2024 and 11:59 p.m. CT on Saturday, August 31, 2024.
4. HOW TO ENTER: All entries must be submitted on this webpage. Entrants encountering technical problems while submitting photos may submit their photos and all entry information by emailing photos@tnwf.org or on a non-returnable disk via mail or courier. Disks submitted by mail or courier must be postmarked by August 31, 2024 and will not be returned. Mailed entries must be sent to: Tennessee Wildlife Federation, Attn: Photo Contest, 300 Orlando Avenue, Nashville, TN 37209.
5. ENTRY INFORMATION: All photos submitted must be formatted .jpg or .jpeg and labeled in the following way: [first name]_[last name]_[image number].jpg Example: If your name is Theodore Roosevelt and you are submitting three photos, the file names will be Theodore_Roosevelt_1.jpg, Theodore_Roosevelt_2.jpg, Theodore_Roosevelt_3.jpg.
   The following information must be submitted: Not providing full information may disqualify your entry.
   • Photographer’s name
   • Photographer’s city of residence
   • Title of photo
   • Location of photo
   • Optional: Any additional information about the photo
   • Optional: Website or social media account of photographer’s work. (If you have a website or social media account showcasing your photography, we will publish it along with your name and city.)
6. WHAT PHOTOS TO ENTER: All photos must be the wholly original work of the submitting photographer. We are looking for striking, high-resolution color or black and white images celebrating Tennessee’s great outdoors. These images may show animal behavior, portraits of wildlife in natural habitat, plant life, natural landscapes, or people interacting with nature and must be taken in the state of Tennessee. Do not include photographs of pets or domestic animals. Images of captive animals photographed in game farms will be disqualified. Captive animals photographed in wildlife research facilities or rehabilitation centers are acceptable. Clearly label these animals as captive in the title of the photo.
7. PREPARE YOUR PHOTOS: Photos must be at least 2,200 pixels wide and 1,700 pixels tall and at least 300 dpi. Larger images are acceptable and may improve your photos’ quality. All photographs should accurately reflect the subject matter and the scene as it appeared. Photos that have been digitally altered beyond standard optimization will be disqualified. Acceptable are adjustments to color, contrast, brightness and sharpness; removal of dust and scratches; cropping; black and white conversions. Images that do not meet this standard may be disqualified.
8. WATERMARKS: Watermarks giving credit to the photographer may be added to the bottom right corner of the photograph. Photos that contain watermarks that cover or distract from the image will be disqualified. We reserve the right to remove watermarks from photos.
9. JUDGING: Photographs will be judged on originality, technical excellence, composition, overall impact, and artistic merit. All decisions by the judges are final.
10. PEOPLE’S CHOICE: Voting by the public will be open from 12 a.m. CT on Friday, September 6 to 11:59 p.m. CT on Thursday,
    September 12. The photo with the highest number of votes will automatically be featured in the 2025 Tennessee Wildlife Federation Calendar.
11. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: Entrants retain ownership and all other rights to future use of the photographs entered. Additionally, your entry to the contest constitutes your agreement to allow your entered photographs to be published on Tennessee Wildlife Federation’s website, social media platforms, and other digital and printed materials produced by the Federation. When photos are published, Tennessee Wildlife Federation agrees to include the photographer’s name.
12. HOW TO CONTACT US: All questions and inquiries regarding the contest may be emailed to photos@tnwf.org. Updates will be shared publicly through the contest web page, social media and, as necessary, directly with contestants. Other than to seek technical assistance, contestants should not contact Tennessee Wildlife Federation as to not interfere with judging and other contest processes.