Big Picture Competition

2020
Competiton
Details

Open To All Photographers Worldwide

BigPicture is open to all photography enthusiasts and professionals alike worldwide to compete for a chance to win the $5,000 grand prize. See eligibility restrictions below.

Competition Overview

Now in its seventh year, BigPicture encourages photographers from around the world to contribute their work to this competition that will both celebrate and illustrate the rich diversity of life on Earth and inspire action to protect and conserve it through the power of imagery. Chaired by award-winning conservation photographer Suzi Eszterhas, this competition welcomes high-quality nature, wildlife and conservation images and is open to all photographers around the world. Enter your nature, wildlife and conservation images for a chance to win cash prizes and be exhibited at the California Academy of Sciences.

Entry Fees

Each photographer can enter photos as follows:

$25 for up to 10 single image submissions in any category

$15 for 1 Photo Story submission (4–6 images)

Entrants are limited to up to 10 single image submissions per registered email address and may register an unlimited number of email addresses. Payment is made on a secure web page using a major credit card. Entry fees must be completed by the competition deadline (March 1, 2020) to be eligible to win. Images are not entered into the competition, eligible for prizes, or made viewable to judges until the contest fee is paid. Entry fees are used to provide the competition prizes and help the Academy in its mission and are non-refundable.

Competition Period

The BigPicture Photo Competition begins at 12:00 am North American Pacific Standard Time (PST) on December 1, 2019 and closes at 11:59 pm North American Pacific Standard Time (PST) March 1, 2020. Presented by the California Academy of Sciences.

Eligibility

BigPicture is open to all photographers worldwide, except employees, volunteers and Board Members of the Academy (as well as their sponsors) and the immediate families and individuals living in the same household as such employees, volunteers and Board Members. Academy reserves the right to verify, in its sole judgment, entrant eligibility. Void where prohibited.

Image Rights

Entrants retain ownership and all other rights to submitted photographs subject to the following: By entering the Competition, each Entrant grants to the Academy a non exclusive, irrevocable license to reproduce, publish and display submitted images in all media throughout the world directly in relation to the Competition in perpetuity. This includes but is not limited to use in the context of the Academy website and social media sites, the exhibition of winning images* at the Academy, and promotional and marketing materials regarding the Competition and Exhibition. In other circumstances, commercial opportunities may exist for awarded photographers to benefit from the use of their image, such as print sales or merchandise: where a commercial benefit is likely to arise, permission will be sought in advance and terms and conditions will be agreed upon with the photographer.

*Winning images include images designated as grand prize, first place, and finalist images.

Additional Information

Full Rules, Terms and Conditions

2020
Competition
Categories

$12,000 in Cash Prizes to be awarded to the 2020 winners!

The Grand Prize winner will receive $5,000 for the best overall image in the 2020 BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition and be featured in the annual exhibit at the California Academy of Sciences. The first place winners of the seven official categories will each receive $1,000 in cash and also have their winning images featured in the annual exhibit. Up to 6 additional finalists will be awarded a certificate of recognition for each category, with the exception of the Photo Series category. The Photo Series category will have one First Place awarded.

Competition now open!

Ready to submit your entries to this year’s photo competition?
Please review the image checklist below and make sure you have completed those
steps before you begin. Have questions? Email us at bigpicture@calacademy.org.

Image Checklist

  • All files should follow these image specifications: .jpg or .jpeg format in Adobe RGB; must be 120 dpi; should be a minimum of 1500 px on the long edge and maximum 3000 px. No borders, watermarks or signatures allowed. Your image(s) will be immediately disqualified if these elements are included.
  • All files for the Individual Photo categories, should be submitted with the following naming convention: lastname_firstinitial_title.jpg (replace spaces with underscores).
  • All files for the Photo Story: Coexistence category, should be submitted with the following naming convention: lastname_firstinitial_story_title.jpg (replace spaces with underscores).
  • If you are submitting to the Photo Story: Coexistence category, please have 4–6 images prepared.
  • Please read the 2020 Guidelines and Rules.