To ensure a fair and enjoyable contest for all participants, please review the following guidelines:

• Photos must be taken during the Headlands Birding Festival
• Images must feature wild birds observed at the festival
• Each photographer may submit up to five (5) photographs. There is no need to select a contest category when submitting your photos.
• All eligible photographs will be considered by the judges for Best Overall Photo, Best Bird in Natural Habitat, Funniest Bird Photo, and selection for the festival calendar. The judges will determine which award or recognition, if any, is most appropriate for each photograph.
• A photograph may be selected for both a category award and the festival calendar.
• Basic editing is allowed (cropping, exposure, color correction), but composite images or heavy manipulation are not permitted
• AI-generated images will not be accepted. Standard photo editing and processing are permitted, but images created wholly or substantially using generative AI are not eligible.
• Submissions must be the original work of the entrant
• Contest is open to ticketed festival attendees only (verified via General Registration ticket)
• Original File Requirement. Contest administrators may request the original image file, including available metadata, to verify eligibility. Screenshots, images downloaded from social media or other websites, and images that cannot reasonably be verified may be disqualified.