2026 Calendar Photography Contest

Carolina Raptor Center invites you to help create our 2026 calendar by submitting your most powerful photographs of raptors native to the Carolinas or our avian ambassadors. Selected images will be featured in our beautifully printed calendar distributed to CRC members and supporters!

We are accepting submissions through June 30, 2025. Winners will be notified by the end of July 2025.

Submit your photos here.

Eligible Photo Subjects:

CRC’s Avian Ambassadors:

• Our resident birds who represent their species for conservation
• Photos may be taken at PhotoWILD, on the Raptor Trail, or in other educational settings

Wild Raptors Native to the Carolinas:

• Photos of raptors in the wild exhibiting natural behaviors, including perching, flying, hunting, and raising their young
• Full list of birds of prey native to North and South Carolina

Submission Guidelines:

Each photographer may submit up to six images for consideration. Please ensure your submissions meet the following specifications:

• File Format: JPEG or TIFF
• Resolution: At least 3000 pixels on the longest edge, 300 DPI
• Orientation: Landscape only (will be cropped fit 8.5” x 11” calendar layout)
• Color Profile: CMYK (for print accuracy)
• Editing: Basic corrections like cropping and minor color and lighting corrections are acceptable. However, we do not accept composites, AI-generated content, or heavily manipulated images.
• Watermarks or Signatures: Not allowed on submitted images. Selected photographers will be credited via text on their image.

Images that do not meet these technical criteria may not be considered for final selection.

Judging Criteria:

A team of CRC staff members will evaluate photos. Images will be selected based on:

• Brand Fit: Alignment with CRC’s educational and visual identity
• Visual Impact: How compelling and emotionally resonant the image is
• Technical Quality: Sharpness, exposure, composition, and resolution
• Species Diversity: A variety of raptor types across submissions
• Seasonal Variety: Images that fit well with different months

How to Submit Images:

1. Upload your images to Google Drive, Dropbox, WeTransfer or another file-sharing platform. Please ensure your permissions are set to allow [email protected] to access the files.
2. Fill out the Photo Submission Form, which will ask for:
   • Photographer information
   • Link(s) to images
   • Photo details
   • Photographer agreement to image and contest guidelines

Winners Will Receive:

• 5 complimentary copies of the 2026 calendar
• 5 free passes to the Raptor Trail
• Photo credit on their image and on the back of the calendar
• Recognition in CRC’s newsletter and social media

Copyright and Usage Rights:

You will always retain full ownership and copyright of your images. By submitting photos, you grant CRC non-exclusive, royalty-free rights to use selected image(s) in the 2026 Calendar and related promotional materials. You will always be credited wherever your image appears, and we will not alter your work beyond necessary formatting for layout and print.