Kit & Sidney Chertok Florida Native Nature Photography Contest 

Capturing Florida’s Wild Beauty

The Kit and Sidney Chertok Florida Native Nature Photography Contest has as its mission to promote interest and concern for preserving the native fauna and flora of Florida and to encourage nature photography. 

In 2024, Orange Audubon Society’s 36th annual contest has an entry deadline of April 18, 2024. There are three contest divisions: Novice, Advanced, and Youth (open to photographers 17 years of age or younger, as of the entry deadline). A maximum of 5 images can be submitted. The entry fee is $5 per image for Novice and Advanced for Audubon members and $2 per image for Youth Audubon members, slightly more for non-members. For details on prizes, requirements to include only native components in the photos, to follow NANPA ethical practices, and for how to submit your photos, see the entry form. If you have any questions, contact photocontest@orangeaudubonfl.org.

Associated with the annual photo contest is a fund-raising auction, to be held from Jun 13, noon–Jun 24, 2024, 7 PM at https://www.biddingowl.com/OrangeAudubonSociety. If you have any questions, email auction@orangeaudubonfl.org or call (941) 704-1189. All auction proceeds will benefit Orange Audubon Society’s Nature and Environmental Education Center Fund and educational programs that connect people with nature.

Novice

  • For new and less experienced amateur photo hobbyists.

Advanced

  • For experienced photographers who have practiced and honed their skills over time.
  • Advanced amateurs and professionals are both welcome.

Youth

  • For participants 17 years of age or younger at time of entry.

How To Enter

Each photographer may enter up to five images. Fill out the entry form (see the link above for the category in which you want to enter). Submit the form along with your images.

Images may be submitted via mail or hand- delivery to a committee member on a CD or flash drive (non-returnable) and labeled with your name and address, or electronically via e-mail or photo sharing applications to mwilliams@cfl.rr.com.

ELIGIBILITY SCREENING: All entries must be postmarked by April 18, 2024 and will be screened to assure that they meet eligibility requirements. To increase knowledge of Florida native fauna and flora and enhance other educational aspects of the contest, participants will be notified soon thereafter if any entry is disqualified. Photographer may optionally replace such image with no additional entry fee, but such replacements must be submitted by May 16, 2024 (postmarked by date) and meet all other contest eligibility requirements.

Contest Rules

  • Images must depict Florida’s native animals, plants, natural landscapes, seascapes, etc.
  • Images cannot show humans, human-made structures, other artifacts or discernible fauna and/or flora that are not native to Florida.
  • Images will be disqualified if they are altered beyond standard adjustments, such as exposure and contrast.
  • Image files must be submitted in .jpg format and a size of not more than 6 MB per image. Image file names must include numbers (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) to correspond with the numbers on the application form. Numbers, dates, borders, copyright symbols, etc. cannot be part of the actual images.
  • All images must be owned by, and the original work of, the person entering the contest and have been taken while complying with NANPA code of conduct.
  • OAS board members and Chertok committee members are not eligible to enter.
  • Each participant (or guardian, if 17 or younger) submitting entries must sign the entry form to acknowledge acceptance of all entry rules.
  • A panel of three independent judges–a photographer, an artist and a naturalist–will determine award recipients from qualified entries.
  • Winners will be announced during Orange Audubon Society’s June 15, 2023 program at Harry P. Leu Gardens (Orlando). Contestants need not be present to receive awards. Participants are invited to join us that evening or visit the OAS website (www.orangeaudubonfl.org) afterwards to see the winning photos.
  • OAS will not be responsible for damage or loss of entries. Any entry may be used for any educational or Chertok contest promotional purpose, including but not limited to Audubon publications. Colonial Photo & Hobby may also display enlarged prints of selected entries within its retail premises and entries may be used by Orange County as described above. Any such use of entries will credit the featured photographers. Prints, negatives and slides (transparencies) may be converted to digital images for entering this contest.

2022 Winners

Previous Winners

Note: as we’re updating our website, we will be slowly migrating over our historical Photo Contest winners. Please bear with us as we make this change!