2021 Photo Contest Teaser

Announcing the 2021

Waterman Center Photo Contest!

Submissions will open this spring

Details coming soon...

2019 Nature Now Contest Results

Images from the 2019 Photo Contest Awards Ceremony

Photographer Mary Lou Shapinas

We're in the News!!!

Our contest received excellent coverage from WBNG 12 in Binghamton. Follow the link to view the video and read the full story! If you were at the event, you might be in here!

Thank you to Cal Dymowski for your thorough reporting!

Thank you to our previous Judges

Melissa Penta

Melissa Penta has been casually photographing nature since 2006 when she purchased her first point-and-shoot camera. She made the change to a DSLR two years later when her love for wildlife photography took off. She has since grown a passion for birds and considers herself more of a "birding" photographer. She currently lives in Van Etten, New York and travels as much as she can to find new bird species and gain new experiences, behind her lens and binoculars. Melissa is a web designer for Cornell lab of ornothology and a brand ambassador for Carl Zeiss Sports Optics. See Melissa's work on her website at digitalbirder.com.

Dave Williams

Dave Williams is the owner of Beyond the Print, a small photo printing lab with high quality standards. Dave believes that you should have the best photographs of your art work or family memories you can possibly get and strive for that every day!

Bill Baburchak

President of the Two Rivers Photography Club board of directors and owner of Long Creek Photography, Bill's interest in photography began in 1984 shooting a Canon AE-1, and he has been shooting off and on since then. In 2008, Bill began taking photography a bit more seriously, and now there is nothing he won’t photograph! Wildlife, Landscapes, and Sports are his favorite types of photography and he is out there every chance he gets to improve his skills and just enjoy being outdoors. Teaching photography is another area that Bill truly enjoys. Bill writes, "There is nothing like helping a beginner get hooked on photography!!!"

Submission Format

Submit your jpeg images in any aspect ratio with the longest side no smaller than 1024 dpi. Image size must not exceed 4meg. Include your name, image category and image title.

For example, for entrant Kathy Smith, white-tailed deer photographed, filename:

KathySmith_Deer_Wildlife.jpg

Images must represent the scene as it appeared to the photographer. Minor editing is permitted, including contrast, brightness, sharpening, color, black and white, cropping. Sensor dust cleanup is permitted but no physical elements may be removed or added to the scene. Winners will be notified in early December and will be required to provide the raw or original jpg image.

You retain full copyright of your images. By entering this photo contest you are agreeing that Waterman Center may choose to display a print of your image in their contest gallery. At the end of the display period you will receive the printed image. Images may also be used in publicity surrounding the contest. Waterman Center will not use your images for any non-contest related purpose without express, written consent from the photographer.

Photography Ethics

The rules of ethical photography, especially when photographing wildlife, will be strictly enforced. Photos created through baiting or other questionable means will be disqualified. No captive wildlife images will be considered for selection. See further details about what is and isn't acceptable at the following links:

North American Nature Photography Ethical Field Practices

Audubon guide to Ethical Bird Photography