Nature in Focus
FOHR Photo Competition & Exhibition - 2025
The Friends of Heinz Refuge (FOHR) Nature in Focus Photo Competition opens Monday, April 1, 2025 and ends Sunday, August 10, 2025.
Who May Enter
FOHR’s Nature in Focus photo competition is open to photographers of all ages and skill levels using any type of camera – film, digital, cell phone. Heinz Refuge employees, FOHR employees and current FOHR Board Members are not eligible to participate.
Age Divisions
- Children (12 and under)
- Teens (13 Thru 17 – 18 if in High School at time of contest entry
- Adults (18 and over.)
** Participants under 18 years of age must have their parent/legal guardian’s permission to enter.
Categories (In Each Division)
- Wildlife Photography – photos whose subject is a wild animal including birds, mammals, reptiles and insects.
- Nature Photography – includes a wide range of photography taken outdoors and devoted to displaying elements such as landscapes, plants, close-ups of natural scenes and textures. Wildlife may appear in the image but not as the primary subject of the photo.
Eligible Photographs
All photos submitted must be images captured within the confines of the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge and must be the original work of the entrant. No domestic animals, pets, or ornamental flora are permitted and invasive plants & species may not be the central focus of the submitted photo (e.g. Phragmites, Swans, Snakehead fish).
Photos generated using Artificial Intelligence are prohibited. Normal processing of the original photo is acceptable including cropping, minor adjustment to color, white balance, tone, lighting levels and curves, shadows and highlights, saturation, contrast, sharpness, moderate dodging and burning, and reduction of noise.
Photographs that have been digitally or otherwise altered beyond standard optimization will be disqualified.
Borders, signatures or watermarks imbedded in the photograph are not permitted.
Photos taken with drones are prohibited. (Drone photography is legally prohibited at the Heinz Refuge.)
How To Enter
All entries must be submitted online through SmarterEntry.com. First, go to https://client.smarterentry.com/FOHR to create a user a Username and Password. Once registered, log-in and select the appropriate FOHR Nature in Focus Contest: Children, Teen or Adult and follow the directions for submitting your photos. Photos submitted must be jpegs no larger than 5 MB.
Children and Teens
Children may submit 1 photograph for free. FOHR will print and mount all photos accepted for the exhibition at no cost. All Children’s photos will be on display at the Visitor Center Exhibition. Photos may be claimed by the child photographers at the conclusion of the exhibition.
Teens may submit up to 3 photos for free. FOHR will print and mount all photos accepted for the exhibition at the no cost. Teen photos selected will be on display at the Visitor Center Exhibition. Photos may be claimed by the Teen photographers at the conclusion of the exhibition.
NOTE: Parents/Guardians must register at: https://client.smarterentry.com/FOHR on behalf of their Children and Teens as required by Child Online Protection Act (COPA).
Adults
Adults will be charged $10.00 for each photo submitted, no limit on the number of photos submitted. Adult photos selected will be invited to submit matted or mounted prints for exhibition at the Heinz Refuge Visitor Center.
Adults with current FOHR Memberships may submit up to 3 photos for free with a FOHR Membership Coupon Code.
The coupon code may be obtained at the FOHR Nature Store located in the Heinz Refuge Visitor Center or you may request the code by sending an email to info@fohrefuge.org.
To become a FOHR member, go to https://fohrefuge.org/involved/join/ and sign up.
Judging Criteria
The Judge will score eligible photographs using the following criteria:
- Technical Excellence
- Composition & Visual Impact
- Creativity & Originality
- Wildlife & Habitat Representation
- Emotional Impact & Storytelling
A selection of the top scoring photos in each Age Division Category will be invited to display their photos in the Nature in Focus 2025 Exhibition at the Heinz Refuge Visitor Center.
Competition Judge
Julia Holz brings more than a decade of professional photography experience and a deep passion for wildlife to her work. As a Friends of Heinz Refuge Board Member and regular at the Refuge, she’s familiar with its inhabitants and the unique challenges of capturing Nature In Focus, at our beloved wildlife sanctuary.
Awards
**Photos must be displayed in the exhibition to be eligible for prizes.
Award Amounts
Adult (18 and over)
Wildlife
- Best Bird Photo – $150
- Best Animal Photo (Other Than Birds) – $150
Nature (Other than Animals)
- Best Landscape Photo – $150
- Best Nature Photo (Other Than Landscape) – $150
Teen (13-17) – 18 if in High School when submitted.
Wildlife
- Best Bird Photo – $100
- Best Animal Photo (Other Than Birds) – $100
Nature (Other than Animals)
- Best Landscape Photo – $100
- Best Nature Photo (Other Than Landscape) – $100
Children (12 and Under)
Wildlife
- First Place – $50
- Second Place – $35
- Third Place – $25
Nature (Other Than Animals)
- First Place -$50
- Second Place -$35
- Third Place – $25
All Photos Selected (Regardless of Age Division)
Funniest Photo – $100
The photo deemed to be the most humorous. Selected by the Exhibition Judge.
Best Macro Photo – $100
Macro Photography means extreme close-up of subjects such as flowers, bugs, insects or blades of grass. Selected by the Exhibition Judge.
Most Artistic Photo – $100
The photo that most creatively expresses the photographer’s vision, emotions or ideas. Selected by the Exhibition Judge.
People’s Choice Award – $100
This award will be based on voting of the viewing public. The public will be invited to vote for their favorite of all photos displayed at the exhibition in the Heinz Refuge Visitor Center.
Bill Buchanan Award – $100
Favorite photo in the Exhibition as chosen by the Refuge Manager.
Photo Exhibition
The Nature in Focus Photography Exhibition will be on display at the Heinz Refuge Visitor Center in September. Awards will be announced at a reception to be held at the annual Heinz Refuge Fall Festival.
If your photo is selected for the Exhibition, you will receive an email with instructions for dropping off the photo. Children and Teen Photos selected will be printed and mounted on foam boards by the Friends of Heinz Refuge at no cost to the photographer. (Note: Optionally, Teen and Children photographers may print and mount or mat their own photos for the exhibition.)
Adult photos selected for the exhibition must meet the following standards:
- Photos may be either mounted on a foam board or matted, but not framed.
- Photos may be no longer than 14 inches on the longest side including the mat or border.
Questions/Help Requests
Any questions regarding the competition or requests for help may be submitted by email to: info@fohrefuge.org.
