Vancouver Audubon Society (VAS) has taken the reigns for running the 2024-25 youth photography contest, after the Gorge Refuge Stewards (GRS) closed their doors on September 30, 2024. The GRS board gifted VAS enough money to continue an eleven-year effort to engage youth with nature photography for another five years.
Who is eligible: This contest is open to any youth, 8-18 years of age, who have visited Steigerwald Lake NWR, and have taken photos within the boundaries of the refuge during the time between June 1, 2024 and May 31, 2025.
Sponsors: The contest is sponsored, hosted, and run by the Vancouver Audubon. Corporate sponsors are Columbia Credit Union and HD Aluminum Prints.
Division Categories and Prizes: Participants can enter a total of 5 JPEG formatted images to any of the following 4 categories:
Smartphone/Mobile Device Camera – This category has been created to include the most popular camera used by youth. Smartphone and/or tablet phone photos of any content taken within the confines of the Steigerwald Lake NWR are eligible, including, but not limited to, the other three categories.
Plants, Animals, and Fungi – This category is for photos of any life, other than people, identifiable at the refuge. It could be from micro to macro and include any animals, plants, fungi, algae, or other life forms. Smartphone photos are eligible in this category.
Landscape – This category is for any photo that is focused on the beauty and intricacies of the setting of the refuge. It could include shots from the refuge of scenery, like The Gorge and the Columbia River. Smartphone photos are eligible to enter.
People in Nature – This category is for showing people and nature interacting with each other. It could be visitors enjoying viewing the wildlife and /or scenery the refuge trails offer. Smartphone photos are eligible to enter.
Winning Photos: Winners will be eligible for a maximum of three (3) cash prizes per contest year including “people’s choice” awards. If a participant wins more than three cash prizes, they will be awarded the three highest in total value, including the prints.
1st, 2nd, and 3rd prizes for each category include a high quality 12×18” metal print of the photos that will be displayed at various locations around Clark County for one year. Additional prizes include:
1st – $200 cash; 2nd – $100 cash; 3rd – $50 cash
Honorable Mention (2 in each category) – Large print 12×18″ print of photo on professional paper
People’s choice award in each category – $100
Entry of a photo and/or acceptance of a prize constitutes consent for the Vancouver Audubon Society and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to use winners’ names and images for editorial, advertising, promotional literature, publicity, fundraising and website purposes without further compensation, except where prohibited.
Eligible Photographs: All submitted photos must be taken within the boundaries of Steigerwald Lake NWR, and specifically by the youth individual submitting the photograph. Only photos taken from public trails are allowed. The eligible period that photos can be taken can range from June 1, 2024, and May 31, 2025. JPEG images submitted can be altered in the following ways in optimizing their presentation:
They may be cropped and should be at a 3:2 aspect ratio (standard), approximately 2700px by 1800px or larger and 300 dpi.
Minor adjustments may be made to color, white balance, tone, lighting levels of shadows, highlights, saturation, vibrance, contrast, and sharpness.
Sensor dust spots may be removed, and noise reduction is allowed.
Small annoying elements may be digitally removed, but no elements absent in the original can be added.
Composite photographs (2 or more photos digitally combined), including sky replacements, are not eligible for this contest.
Borders, signatures, or watermarks are not allowed to be added to the photos. Judging is done anonymously, so no identification should be visible in the photo.
Originals of the photograph may be requested at any time during the judging, and/or during the preparation for printing the winners for public display. Entries must include a full name, an email address, and photo caption.
Only photos submitted by midnight of May 31, 2025, are eligible.
How to Enter: Photos should be submitted at the highest quality/resolution. Each photo you enter must be submitted separately into the category of your choice. You can follow the links to each category:
Your photo will be observed by a volunteer upon your submission, and if allowed, will be made visible in a gallery on the Vancouver Audubon webpage within a short period of time. You may visit the gallery of entries for each category by following the link for submission and going to the gallery.
Winner Notification: Winners will be notified by the submitted email address after approximately two weeks of judging. The awards ceremony will take place on June 25, 2025, at Cascade Park Library community room from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.
What are judges looking for? You may find it helpful to see the top three photos from each category in last year’s contest, what the judges liked about them, and suggestions for taking them to the next level. We are all on a journey to improve our photography, so we hope you find this useful. Good luck!