Nature Photography Contest
Our 2025 Nature Photography Contest is open from June 1st – August 1st!
Photographs share the beauty of nature and help us connect more deeply to the natural world. We’re encouraging everyone to go out into the beautiful landscapes of Southern California and take some images! All photographers, nature enthusiasts, biologists, artists, and wildlife admirers over the age of 15 should submit their photographs.
Use the buttons below to read the contest rules and submit.
2025 Judges:
We’re honored to have 3 judges this year who have all collaborated with AFC in the past.
Andrea Donnellan: Andrea enjoys capturing scenery and the wildlife in her backyard and abroad. As a scientist, she has conducted field work all over the world but California and the San Gabriel foothills have captured her heart and interest in both geophysics and photography. Andrea was a category winner in our 2022 contest, and the 2024 contest’s grand-prize winner. See Andrea’s work here: http://andreadonnellan.com/
Nicholas Hess: Nicholas is a wildlife photographer specializing in reptiles, amphibians, and the underwater world. He is drawn to the often-overlooked beauty of misunderstood creatures, capturing the intricate details of snakes, sharks, and other elusive animals. He recently completed his Marine Science degree at Eckerd College with minors in journalism, film studies, and Spanish. Hess aims to blend art, science, and storytelling to share the beauty and challenges of the natural world. See his work here: https://www.nicholashessphotography.com/
Neal Parekh: Neal is a nature and wildlife photographer dedicated to capturing the intricate beauty and diversity of the natural world. His images emphasize the deep connection between wildlife and their environments, aiming to foster a meaningful bond between his audience and his subjects. Neal was a category winner in our 2024 contest, and the 2022 contest’s grand-prize winner. See Neal’s work here: https://www.nealparekh.photography/
Contest Guidelines
Categories:
The following seven contest categories are drawn from subjects of special interest to AFC:
1. Birds: Native birds of any species, in any setting.
2. Mammals: Native wildlife particular to our region.
3. Other Wildlife: Native underwater life, reptiles, amphibians, insects, spiders, and more.
4. Plants: Macro or micro, focused especially on native plants.
5. Landscapes: Vistas showcasing the wild open spaces and urban/wild interface.
6. People in Nature: Humans enjoying, restoring, or interacting with the natural environment.
7. Abstract & Conceptual: Experimental or abstract compositions drawing inspiration from the natural world and our relationship to it.
Submission Process:
Each contestant is able to submit up to 2 images per category, for a total of 14 submissions. Any additional images submitted will not be included in the judging.
To be eligible for any category, your photograph must have been shot (a) during the last five years, and (b) within Southern California. You certify that you are the sole creator and copyright owner of the submitted photograph.
Please use this form to submit one image at a time.
Please title your file using the following format: Lastname_Category_Entrynumber (for example, Muir_Landscapes_01). Photographs must be submitted in .jpeg or .png format, edited for web in sRGB color space, at least 3,000 pixels wide and no larger than 10 MB. You must complete a separate form for each photo submitted. For a photo in which a person is recognizable, you must be prepared to provide a model release from the subject or, in the case of a minor, the subject’s parent or guardian, to AFC upon request.
Entry Deadline
The contest begins on June 1, 2025. All entries must be received through the AFC website by 5:00 PM Pacific Standard Time on August 1, 2025.
Judging & Awards
Photo entries will be judged based on creativity, quality, originality, responsiveness to the prompt and overall impact. AFC will select a winner for each category, and a People’s Choice Award from among all category winners. The category winners will be notified of their status during the summer or fall of 2025. Category winners will be presented to the public for voting during the fall of 2025; the photo receiving the highest number of votes will receive the People’s Choice award, and will be professionally produced and displayed at AFC’s expense at a public event in October 2025. Winner will be able to keep their printed photo after it is displayed. All category winners will be publicized and promoted via AFC’s website, email lists, and social media platforms.
2024 Contest & Winners:
From over 150 submissions our judges selected these seven images as our category winners. Congratulations to the winning photographers and thank you to everyone who shared their photographs with us!
Birds: Curiosity by Katrina Plummer
Katrina loves spending her spare time photographing and admiring the beauty of wildlife. She is also a volunteer at the International Bird Rescue and a member of the Pasadena Audubon Society. You can see more of her work here.
Mammals: Spring is in the Air by Andrea Donnellan
Andrea enjoys capturing scenery and the wildlife in her backyard and abroad. As a scientist, she has conducted field work all over the world, but she finds California and the Altadena foothills satisfy her interest in both geophysics and photography. You can see more of her work here.
Other Wildlife: Scaling a Tree by Neal Parekh
Neal is a nature and wildlife photographer who seeks to momentarily transport viewers away from busy modern life and reconnect with the wilds. Through his vivid and detailed imagery, he encourages awareness and respect for all creatures that live just outside of our doors. You can see more of his work here.
Plants: Valley Oak by Kat Superfisky
Kat is an urban ecologist, artist/designer and educator who devotes their days, nights and dreams to transforming urban areas into more “symbiotic cities”–places where people, plants, and other animals coexist. You can see more of their work here.
Landscapes: Morning Commute by Michael Perry
Michael first began photographing nature during the pandemic lockdown, and has since taken thousands of pictures, mostly in Griffith Park. His day job is as a film and television writer, a career he has pursued for more than thirty years. You can see more of his work here.
People in Nature: Daydreams by Nav Tombros
Nav has been based in California for the last 10 years, where he explores and documents the state’s stunning ecology and passes on his love for nature to his two young sons. You can see more of his work here.
Abstract & Conceptual: Symbiosis by Kat Superfisky
Kat is an urban ecologist, artist/designer and educator who devotes their days, nights and dreams to transforming urban areas into more “symbiotic cities”–places where people, plants, and other animals coexist. You can see more of their work here.
We’re honored to have for our judges this year:
Denis Callet, wildlife and camera trap photographer
Althea Edwards, photographer and artist
Miguel Ordeñana, wildlife biologist, photographer, and environmental educator
2022 Contest Winners
Grand Prize Winning Photograph: Falcon Landing by Neal Parekh
Category Winners:
Birds: Falcon Landing by Neal Parekh
Landscape & Plants: California Hope by Andrea Donnellan
People in Nature: Lower Arroyo Seco by Christine Hessler
Mammals: Wandering Coyote by Neal Parekh
Young Photographers: Solitariness by Paul Agulian
Other Wildlife: The Lynx and the Spider by Neal Parekh
Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to everyone who submitted their photographs and voted for the grand prize!
