The editors of National Wildlife^® magazine invite photographers from all levels of expertise to enter National Wildlife's 2008 Photography Awards, its expanded 37^th annual photography competition.

Entry rules have changed from previous years. Please read the following rules carefully!

WHO: The National Wildlife Photography Awards (NWPA) competition is open to ALL photographers at least 13 years of age, except employees of the National Wildlife Federation and their immediate families. Your entry to the contest constitutes your agreement to allow your photographs — and your name, occupation, city and state of residence — to be published as selected award winners in National Wildlife; published or used on websites owned by the National Wildlife Federation (including PhotoZone pages); and used for promotions of the NWPA including, but not limited to, exhibitions, a photo contest calendar, a compilation book or electronic collection of photographs, online photo features and contests, and web pages providing NWPA information, updates, rules and photography tips. Entrants retain ownership and all other rights to future use of their photographs. The National Wildlife Federation shall have the right to verify, in their sole judgment, winner eligibility.

Divisions: Photographers must enter their images in one of the following divisions.
Pro - Full or part-time professional photographers who receive all or a major part of their income from nature photography. All images entered in the Pro division must be digitally uploaded (see "How" below).
Amateur - Beginning or amateur photographers at least 18 years of age, and experienced photographers who do not receive a major part of their income from nature photography.
Youth - Young photographers aged 13 to 17. Young photographers 12 and under, please enter our Ranger Rick Photo Contest at http://www.nwf.org/kids/kzPage.cfm?siteId=3&departmentId=80&articleId=956.

Legal conditions: By entering these awards, you agree to these entry rules, and the following legal conditions.

By entering, participants warrant that his or her entry materials are original, do not infringe on any third party's rights, and that participant has obtained any necessary permissions from any third party if a third party or third party's property appears in the photograph. NWF reserves the right to disqualify any entry if it finds in its sole discretion that any of the foregoing warranties are not true. Decisions of NWF shall be final and binding.

By entering, participants release and hold harmless the National Wildlife Federation, its respective subsidiaries, affiliates (collectively, the "Companies"), directors, officers, employees, attorneys, agents and representatives from any and all liability for any injuries, loss, claim, action, demand or damage of any kind rising from or in connection with the NWPA, or any prize won, any use of the entry materials by NWF, the warranties participants make, any misuse or malfunction of any prize awarded, participation in any NWPA-related activity, or participation in the NWPA.

Participant agrees that any and all disputes that cannot be resolved with the Companies, and causes of action arising out of or connected with the NWPA, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, before a court of competent jurisdiction located in Fairfax County, Virginia, which court shall apply the laws of the commonwealth of Virginia without regard for rules of conflicts of law. In any such dispute, participant shall, under no circumstances, be entitled to claim punitive, incidental or consequential damages, or any other damages, including attorneys' fees, other than participant's actual out-of-pocket expenses (if any) associated with participating in the NWPA. Participant hereby waives all rights to have damages multiplied or increased.

Any attempt by an entrant or other individual to deliberately damage any website or undermine the legitimate operation of the NWPA is a violation of criminal and civil laws, and should such an attempt be made, the Companies reserve the right to seek damages to the fullest extent permitted by law.

The Companies are not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by website users or by any equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the NWPA, or by any technical or human error that may occur in the processing of submissions to the NWPA, including but not limited to any misprints or typographical errors. The Companies assume no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, or alteration of, entries. The Companies are not responsible for any problems or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer equipment, servers, providers, computer on-line systems, software, or failure of email on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any website, including injury or damage to participant's or to any other person's computer related to or resulting from participating or uploading images or information in the NWPA.

All federal, state, and local taxes, fees and surcharges on prize packages are the sole responsibility of the winners. Winners may be required to execute and return an Affidavit of Eligibility/Release of Liability/Prize Acceptance Form. Return of any prize and/or prize notification as undeliverable or failure of any entrant to comply with any Official Rules may result in disqualification.

If, for any reason, the NWPA is not capable of completion as planned, including, but not limited to, by reason of infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures or any other causes beyond the control of the Companies that corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of the NWPA, the Companies reserve the right at their sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the NWPA.

In no event will the Companies, their advertising and promotional agencies, or their directors, officers, employees, attorneys, agents and representatives be responsible or liable for any damages or losses of any kind, including direct indirect, incidental, consequential or punitive damages arising out of participant's access to and use of the Companies' websites or the downloading or uploading and/or printing of material from said sites. Without limiting the foregoing, everything on the Companies' sites is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, either express or implied. Some jurisdictions may not allow the limitation or exclusion of liability for incidental or consequential damages, so some of the foregoing limitations or exclusions may not apply to you. Check your local laws for any restrictions or limitations regarding these limitations or exclusions.

NWF may share your contact information with sponsors of the NWPA. To opt out of this service, click here.

All decisions by the NWPA judges will be final and binding.

WHAT: We are looking for striking images of nature, creatures on land and life beneath the water's surface from anywhere in the world. These images may show animal behavior, portraits of wildlife in natural habitat, plant life, natural landscapes, weather or people interacting with nature. Please do not include photographs of pets or domestic animals. Images of captive animals photographed in game farms will be disqualified. Captive animals photographed in zoos, wildlife research facilities or rehabilitation centers are acceptable. Clearly label animals as wild or captive on mounts, backs of prints or in digital caption information. Previously published material may be entered; however, please include information on when and where the photo appeared. Images will be judged on originality, technical excellence, composition, overall impact and artistic merit.

Entrants must not infringe on the rights of any other photographer or person or submit images that involve the willful harassment of wildlife or damage to the environment by the photographer. All photographs should accurately reflect the subject matter and the scene as it appeared. Photos that have been digitally altered beyond standard optimization (removal of dust, cropping, adjustments to color and contrast, etc.) will be disqualified.

Categories: Photographers entering in the Pro and Amateur divisions must enter each image in one of the following categories. Photographers entering the Youth division do not need to specify a category, but images must follow the subject matter of one of the categories. Judges reserve the right to switch images to other categories.

1. Mammals - Portraits and Behavior
2. Birds - Portraits and Behavior
3. Underwater Life - Portraits and Behavior
4. Other Wildlife - Portraits and Behavior (includes reptiles, amphibians, insects, spiders, etc.)
5. New Life - Baby animals of any species, portraits and behavior
6. Connecting People and Nature - People enjoying the outdoors in some way
7. Habitat - Landscapes and plant life from wild areas
8. Nature’s Power – Extreme weather or its impacts (hurricanes, tornadoes, drought, lightning, floods, etc.) and signs of global warming

WHEN: Deadline for submitting entries is July 1^st, 2008. Online entries can be uploaded starting March 23, 2008, and must be uploaded no later than 11:59 pm Pacific Daylight Saving Time on July 1, 2008. Mailed or shipped entries must be postmarked no later than July 1^st, 2008. Receipt of packages cannot be acknowledged. Winners will be notified October 1, 2008. NWF will endeavor to return all properly prepared non-winning entries will be returned by October 15, 2008.

WHY: Prizes will be awarded as described below. A selection of winning photos will appear in the December/January 2009 issue of National Wildlife. Various winners as determined by National Wildlife will appear weekly on the magazine's website at http://www.nwf.org/PhotoZone.

Prizes: Prizes will be awarded to one winning image in each category for the Pro and the Amateur divisions, and one winning image in the Youth division. Judges will also select one image as Grand Prize and award Honorable Mentions in each category as they determine. Winners whose images are selected for publication in the December/January 2008 issue of National Wildlife magazine can be from Pro, Amateur or Youth divisions. These images will be chosen from the Grand Prize, Category Winners and Honorable Mentions. In addition to prizes listed below, $4,000.00 will be divided among the published first place winners and finalists at the discretion of the judges. All published winners will also receive two copies of the December/January 2008 issue of National Wildlife.

1. Grand Prize Package, one (1):	Total Value: $2019.95 $1,000 – Publication in National Wildlife $500 – Gift Certificate from the Tiffen Company for Tiffen products $500 – Gift Certificate to the Tamron Company for 90mm lens $19.95 - NWF Field Guide to Birds
. Category Prize Packages: Sixteen (16) prize packages, one for each category in both Pro and Amateur divisions.	Total Value: $219.95 $100 – Gift Certificate to National Wildlife Select catalog $100 – Gift Certificate for Tiffen products $19.95 – NWF Field Guide to Birds
3. Youth Prize Package, one (1):	Total Value: $219.95 $100 – Gift Certificate to National Wildlife Select catalog $100 – Gift Certificate for Tiffen products $19.95 – NWF Field Guide to Birds

Judges:

John Nuhn, photo director, National Wildlife magazine
Jillian Stanley, associate photo editor, National Wildlife magazine

HOW: Each participant may submit up to 20 photographs total. Entrants must designate the appropriate division in which all their images are to be judged. All images entered in the Pro division must be digitally uploaded. Images must also be entered in a category (except Youth division). Photographers may enter all entries in a single category or select different categories as long as the total submission does not exceed 20 photographs. Entries may be digital files, digital prints, color transparencies, color prints, or black and white prints.

Digital entries: Camera-made digital images or scans of slides or prints should be uploaded as low-resolution jpegs. An online form is provided for required information. Original slides or negatives must be available for scanned photographs. Original files of camera-made digital photos must be three (3) megapixels or larger. If you wish to donate any of your images to the National Wildlife Federation for its continuing educational efforts, please click the appropriate button.

Mailed or shipped entries: Only images entered in the Amateur or Youth divisions may be mailed or shipped. Each photograph must bear the photographer's name, address, phone number, email address if applicable, category and entry number (1 through 20). All images must be sent together as one package. Repeat this information one time on a separate, single sheet of paper; include the division you are entering and your occupation along with the focal length of lens used for each photo; type of film; special equipment, if any; and a brief description of where, when and how the photograph was taken. Please do not send a cover letter. Negatives must be available for all prints, and original slides for all duplicates, but please do not send them until contacted.

Place slides in a plastic photo sheet. Prints may be mounted, but print and/or mount size must be no larger than 11x14 inches. Sandwich sheets or prints between cardboard, wrap with a rubber band and enclose in a mailing envelope. Do not use tape, slide boxes or glass-mounted slides. Include a separate, self-addressed envelope (SASE) of the proper size with sufficient postage affixed, or entries will not be returned. Nonreturnable entries will be destroyed after three (3) years. The National Wildlife Federation cannot be responsible for lost, damaged, late or misdirected entries, or for uploading connections, garbled transmissions, unauthorized intervention or technical malfunctions. Void where prohibited.

WHERE: Send mailed or shipped entries to National Wildlife's 2008 Photography Awards, 11100 Wildlife Center Drive, Reston, VA 20190-6000, USA, phone 703-438-6000. Upload digital images at http://www.nwf.org/nationalwildlife/nwpa2007.cfm.

Questions and inquiries can be emailed to photoguide@nwf.org.