2021 Winners

Art is a natural way for people to express their love of animals and appreciation of nature,” said Zoo Director Gregg Dancho. “The Photography Goes Wild Exhibit will help to showcase the stunning diversity of species at the zoo, and we hope, encourage people to focus on preserving wild habitats and animal conservation in new ways."

Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo is proud to announce its fourth annual photography contest is open for submissions, an opportunity for the Zoo’s many dedicated amateur and professional photographers to submit their best work for public viewing. The contest, sponsored by Milford Photo, will combine digital submissions with an in-person exhibition.

This year, the Zoo is adding a special Youth Category, with a separate prize for submissions by children 16 years and younger. Contest sponsor Milford Photo will be at the Zoo on Saturday, June 11, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. demonstrating cameras, Sigma lenses, and sharing photography techniques for photographers at all levels, beginner to advanced.

The contest and exhibition this year is presented in honor of Kathy Brady, an avid photographer who loved nature, the Zoo, and photographing wildlife. A NY resident, Kathy passed away after a brief illness. Several of her favorite photographs will be featured at the event.

Photos are to be submitted digitally for a first round, with the top 100 selected for exhibition and judging. Photographers selected for the in-person exhibit will be asked to print and mat their photo (size 8 x 10). Judging will take place in July, with an in-person show held on Thursday, July 28 in the Zoo’s Hanson Building.

Exhibit Rules

• Each photographer can submit three photos, with a $10 fee per photo. For our youth category, the fee is $5 per photo.
• For the best quality for viewing the photos online, the recommended image size is 1088 x 816 pixels with a maximum file size of 1MB.
• Photos must have been taken on Zoo grounds. Plants and grounds photos are allowed. They may be older photos from a previous year as well as current photos.
• Milford Photo will provide First, Second, and Third prizes in the form of gift certificates to the store. First prize is $200, second prize is $100, and third prize is $50. In addition, Milford Photo will also provide a gift certificate for the Youth Category.
• In addition to the judged photos, a People’s Choice will be selected. The public can vote on their favorite by making a one-dollar donation for each vote. Voting will take place online.
• Digital, first round photos are due to be submitted by July 4 at 11:59 p.m.
• Photographers are invited to upload their submissions here
• If you have questions, email Jessica Taylor at jtaylor@beardsleyzoo.org.