Have you taken an amazing wildlife photo? Did you spot a pollinator up close? Have you spent some time in a park or out on the water? Did you watch the leaves turn brilliant oranges and reds? Show us! The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Bureau of Natural Resources announces a brand new Discover Outdoor Connecticut Photo Contest. Photographers from any state may participate, but all submitted photos must have been taken in Connecticut. Enter your best shots and possibly win some great prizes donated by the Friends of Sessions Woods.

Photographers may enter one photo in each category:

Judges will select first, second, and third place winners for each category, plus winners in a separate youth category (ages 15 and younger). All submitted photos will be displayed at DEEP’s Discover Outdoor Connecticut Day, scheduled for September 22, 2018, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, at DEEP’s Franklin Swamp Wildlife Management Area, 391 Route 32, North Franklin, CT. During the event, a “People’s Choice” award will be selected by popular vote.

ENTRY IS BY MAIL ONLY: Entries must be postmarked by September 1, 2018. Instructions, rules, prizes, mailing instructions, and other details are on the official entry form, which can be found on the DEEP website at www.ct.gov/deep/DiscoverOutdoorCT (select “Photo Contest”).

First place winners will have their photograph published in the department’s bimonthly Connecticut Wildlife magazine. First, second, and third place winners will have their photographs displayed on the DEEP Website (www.ct.gov/deep).

PRIZES (donated by the Friends of Sessions Woods) include:
First place in each category – $50 gift card to Milford Photo
Second place in each category – $25 gift card to Cabela’s
Third place in each category – $15 gift card to Cabela’s
First, second, and third place also receive ribbons and a one-year subscription to Connecticut Wildlife magazine.
People’s Choice Award – A copy of Macrophotography, Techniques for Exploring the Natural World by Ecologist and Conservation Biologist Dennis Quinn of Connecticut.