The Canadian Geographic Best Wildlife Pictures is the premier Canadian photography contest and a great way for amateur photographers to gain wildlife image exposure within the Canadian photographic community. Many of you already know all of the details on how this Canadian photography contest works however for those of you who don’t I thought I’d share what I have learned thus far having made it into the magazine in 2011 and 2013.
First you need to be a member of the Canadian Geographic Photo Club. The cost is $10 annually to enter the photo challenge and you get to enter up to 10 wildlife images.
The wildlife photography contest runs just once a year so check the Canadian Geographic Photo Club for the closing date.
If you win or are runner up your image will be printed in the December issue of Canadian Geographic Magazine. This also gains you a gallery spot at the Canadian Museum of Nature Wildlife image exhibition. And lastly all wildlife images are printed in the Canadian Geographic Best Wildlife Pictures of the year issue the following year. That’s a whole lot of exposure folks so if you are looking to build your brand as an amateur photographer this is a great photography contest to enter.
Like any photography contest, winning or placing requires that you create wildlife images that catch the judges eye. So what is a photography judge looking for when he/she are judging a wildlife image:
- A winning wildlife image leaves an impact on the photography judge, your image absolutely must have that “WOW” factor.
- Proper composition accompanies every winning wildlife image. Recommended reading, The Photographer’s Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos
- Wildlife images must be of quality. That means it has clarity, is exposed properly and is technically sound. Recommended reading: The Photographer’s Vision: Understanding and Appreciating Great Photography
- You must connect the photography judge to wildlife image you enter into the photography contest. The picture should be of interest and the scene should tell a story.
- And last but certainly not least if you want to win a photography contest your image must be unique and should demonstrate a level of creativity.
As you can see there’s a reason they call it a photo challenge, but if you pay attention to the points above you just might find your wildlife image in the next Canadian Geographic Best Wildlife Pictures issue.
Good luck and happy shooting!!!
