Photo Competition

August 25 - October 15

Photography Contest

Sponsored by:

The Raptor Trust Second-Annual
Photography Contest

This Year's Three Categories Are:

Friends and family

Photos of more than one of the same species.

Pretend to be a...

Photos of a bird or birds camouflaged by their surroundings.

Just passing through

Photos of migratory birds making their way to or through New Jersey.

TRT’s second-annual photo contest, running from August 25 until October 15, is open to all residents of the United States age 18 and older. The contest entry fee is $10 and allows contestants to electronically submit up to 3 photos

All photos must be the original work of the contestant. Three category winners will be selected and one Grand Prize winner will be determined from among the category winners. Winners will be notified by email or telephone by November 1, 2022. 

A winner for each category will receive a Raptor Trust gift bag, while the Grand Prize winner will receive a private, guided tour of The Raptor Trust plus a photo session with some of The Raptor Trust’s educational ambassador birds. Each winner will be featured on our website, social media, and in our 2022 annual report. 

Contest Judge

Nikki Nobles is an accomplished wildlife photographer and rehabilitation technician here at The Raptor Trust. She began her wildlife photography journey as an avid birder seeking a way to identify birds better in the field. What was initially a tool to grow as a birder soon became a huge passion in her life. 

“My biggest goal as a photographer is to  produce images that are not only aesthetically pleasing but place a strong emphasis on the importance of native habitat preservation.”

Nikki’s specialty lies in capturing birds and the beauty of their immediate surroundings, creating true works of art with her shots. Check out Nikki’s beautiful work here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Entries must be submitted via email. Once you register you will receive a confirmation email with instructions for how to label and send your photos.

No. Only photos of wild birds are eligible for judging in this contest. We also will not accept or consider any photos showing birds in or near their nests.  All photographers are encouraged to practice ethical wildlife photography and should not disturb wild animals or use any type of baiting during their photography. 

All photos must be submitted as .JPG and not be larger than 4 MB.

Please label or “name” your photos according to this system:
Photo title in parentheses: (Fly Away)
Photographer’s First Initial followed by a period: A.
Photographer’s full last name followed by a period: Thomas.
Three-letter photo category: FAF
         Friends and Family– FAF
         Pretend to Be A PTB
         Just Passing Through – JPT

Yes, but keep digital processing to a minimum, such as color balance, cropping, sharpening and contrast. Do not remove distracting elements, or edit your background or foreground. Your photo should reflect what you saw at that moment.

Winners will be announced by early November on our social media and will be notified by email. 

Yes. While you can only submit 3 photos total, they can each be for a different category or all can be for a single category or any mix you would like. 

Guidelines and Consent

ELIGIBILITY: Open to all residents of the United States age 18 and older. Best in Show winners must visit New Jersey within 2022 to claim the entirety of their prize. Sponsor reserves the right to verify all eligibility requirements. *Birds must be native to the mid-Atlantic US, photos do not have to be taken in NJ.

CONTEST PERIOD: Contest will open August 25, 2022 at 8:00am EST. Contest will close on October 15, 2022 at 5:00 pm EST. 

HOW TO ENTER: Contestants must submit the electronic form on our website. Upon completion of the form you will be emailed a confirmation with instructions for how to submit your photos. Please be sure your name and email address are spelled correctly. The contest entry fee is $10.  That one time fee allows you to submit up to 3 photos. Contestants may not submit more than 3 photos. 

All photos must be the original work of the contestant and the contestant must be the sole owner of the copyright for each entry. 

GRAND PRIZE JUDGING: Three (3) category winners will be selected from among all eligible entries received by our judges. One (1) Grand Prize winner will be determined from among the category winners.  

WINNER NOTIFICATION: Contest winners will be notified by email or telephone by November 15, 2022. 

PRIZES: A winner for each category will receive a Raptor Trust gift bag. A “Best in Show” photo will be chosen from among the category winners and will receive a private, guided tour of The Raptor Trust plus a photo session with some of The Raptor Trust’s educational ambassador birds. 

**ETHICAL PHOTOGRAPHY GUIDELINES: The Raptor Trust and Unique Photo will not accept or consider any photos showing birds in their nest or near their nests. All photographers are encouraged to practice ethical wildlife photography and should not disturb wild animals or use any type of baiting during their photography. 

EVENT SPONSOR: Unique Photo, 123 US-46, Fairfield, NJ 07004, 973-377-2007

RIGHTS RETAINED

Entrant will retain all rights to any photograph submitted.

CONSENT TO USE

Entering of photographs constitutes consent for The Raptor Trust and Unique Photo to publish and reproduce the photographer’s name and photo in the Raptor Trust newsletter or on the The Raptor Trust or Unique Photo websites, digital versions or social media pages or in promotional uses relating to the Photo Contest and/or The Raptor Trust or Unique Photo.

By submitting an entry, winners agree to allow use of his or her name, and/or photograph, for promoting this contest without compensation, unless prohibited by law. All photographs remain the property of the photographer and may not be used by The Raptor Trust or Unique Photo except as described in these rules.

By submitting a photograph to enter the Photo Contest, the entrant grants Sponsors a royalty-free, nonexclusive right to:

  1. Display the photograph on any and all Sponsors’ websites and digital publications.
  2. Allow third parties to share the photograph on social media.
  3. Use the photograph on the Internet and in social media to promote the contest and Sponsor businesses.
  1. Use the photograph in Sponsors’ internal and external communications materials, including but not limited to websites and web publications and printed materials and periodicals.
  1. Provide your photograph to other individuals and organizations for use in news stories, newsletters, reports, slide shows, displays, web pages, videos, and the like.
  1. Use, in connection with the Photo Contest, your name, city and state in promotions and other publications.

Sponsors will endeavor to credit all photographs with the caption “Person’s Name” when the full name is available.

Registration will remain open through October 15th. Please contact photocontest@theraptortrust.org with further questions.

2022 Winners






FRIENDS AND FAMILY
Winner Richard Mariani
"Mirror Image"





PRETEND TO BE A...
Winner Scott Miller
"Snowy in the Snow"





JUST PASSING THROUGH
Winner Shannon Merolla
"May I Have This Dance"





BEST IN SHOW
Winner Chris Dobre
"My Best Side"

2022 Honorable Mentions

These photos were so outstanding that they deserved a mention here as well!

“Proud Mama” by N. Gregorio

“In the Weeds” by K. Halloran

“Oh Hello There” by N. Bird

“Food Delivery” by M. Sterling

“Lift Off” by A. Sauppe

“Bobolink” by D. Robinson