Wildlife photography contest for a good cause
By Contributor
Calling all shutterbugs! The BC SPCA’s sixth annual Wildlife-In-Focus Photography Contest is now open for entries. Whether you’re enjoying a staycation in your own backyard or planning outdoor adventures in B.C.’s vast wilderness, bring your camera and show off your best wildlife photos. All amateur photographers are invited to enter the sixth annual Wildlife-In-Focus Photography Contest, which runs from July 1 through September 30 by submitting their most impressive digital images.
The contest supports the BC SPCA’s Wild Animal Rehabilitation Centre (Wild ARC) on southern Vancouver Island, where nearly 2,500 orphaned and injured wild animals are cared for every year.
“We are excited to help British Columbia’s wildlife photographers showcase the amazing diversity of animals we have throughout our province, in both urban settings and isolated locations,” says Sara Dubois, chief scientific officer BC SPCA. “From bluebirds at the bird bath to adorable bear cubs, from rascally raccoons to eagles feeding their young, the images we receive each year are stunning and really make it hard for judges to choose the winning photos.”
Photos entered in previous contests have been featured in the BC SPCA’s Animal Sense and Bark! magazines as well as in BC SPCA educational materials, local newspapers, websites and social media – a testament to the calibre of the photos that are entered.
Prizes are awarded for the top three photos in each of two categories: Wild Settings and Backyard Habitats. The competition is open to all amateur photographers aged 14 and up. All photos of wildlife entered must be taken within the province and submitted digitally. “Wildlife” includes free-living birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, fish and insects, but not exotic, feral or domestic animals, or wildlife in zoos or rehabilitation facilities. Learn more about this year’s contest and view past winners’ images at spca.bc.ca/wildlife-in-focus.
The annual contest encourages participants to explore green spaces, roadsides, beaches and backyards to find striking photo opportunities that represent the resiliency of local wildlife living at the interface with humans. Photographers can even get inspired online by the live-streaming Wild ARC Critter Cam, which features wild patients in the facility, at spca.bc.ca/crittercam.
For more information, email contest@wildarc.com.
