Watchable Wildlife

Game and Fish seeking photo entries

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s Watchable Wildlife Photo Contest is accepting entries. The deadline for submitting photos is Sept. 30.

The contest encompasses all North Dakota wildlife in a variety of categories – nongame species, game species, insects and plants. The winning photograph will appear on the department’s 2009 Watchable Wildlife program promotional poster.

The photographer submitting the poster winner, and all place winners in each category, receive prizes. Each of the prize-winning photographs will also appear in North Dakota OUTDOORS.

The poster image will be selected from entries that are original, vertical-composition transparencies (slides) or a minimum 8.0 megapixel digital image.

Prints, slides and digital files are all acceptable formats for entries in each category. Photos are judged on quality, composition, content and general appeal. Preference will be given to nongame species for the poster.

The contest is open to both amateur and professional photographers. North Dakota Game and Fish Department employees and immediate family members are not eligible. Photographs must be taken in North Dakota.

The contest is limited to 35mm slides or larger format transparencies; 5x7-inch or larger color prints made from color negatives or digital files; or digital files submitted on disk or via e-mail. Photographers are limited to no more than five entries. The overall winner must be in vertical format, or allow for cropping and manipulation into a vertical poster.

The Game and Fish Department reserves the right to copy and print winners to promote the Watchable Wildlife program. By submitting an entry, photographers grant permission to Game and Fish to publish winning photographs in its magazine, North Dakota OUTDOORS, as part of the magazine on the department’s web page, gf.nd.gov, and also for use for contest and poster publicity and reference. Appropriate credit will be given in any publication where such photos are used.

Slides, prints or photo disks should be sent to: Watchable Wildlife Photo Contest, North Dakota Game and Fish Department, 100 N. Bismarck Expressway, Bismarck, ND 58501-5095.

E-mailed JPEG digital files should be cropped to 5x7 inches at 200 to 300 dpi, but otherwise unaltered, and sent via e-mail to ndgf@nd.gov, with “Photo Contest” noted in the subject line. Digital submissions can be either digital photographs, or scans made from prints or slides. Photographers will need to supply a high-resolution copy of the original file if an image is chosen for publication.

Unused slides and prints will be returned if requested following contest judging. Photo disks will not be returned. All entries must be accompanied by the photographer’s name, address, phone number and e-mail address if available. Other information such as photo site location and month taken would be useful.

Although care will be taken with submitted material, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department assumes no financial responsibility for lost or damaged materials.

Please respect private lands by obtaining permission and be sure to use proper wildlife-watching ethics while photographing.

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