Chicago Botanic Garden

CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN

Special Events

The Summer Digital Photography Contest is now open!

Entries accepted July 15 – September 7, 2010
Winners announced September 20, 2010

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PHOTO: water lilyNew for the summer contest: in addition to the audience choice and judges' choice grand prize winners, the panel of judges will also recognize:

Best landscape photo
Best close-up photo
Best wildlife photo
Best friends or family photo
Best black and white photo
Best photo by a contestant under 18 years of age

The audience choice award winner will be selected through online voting, September 10–17, 2010.

Winners of our contest will have their photographs featured on our website, which is seen by close to a million people each year. The grand prize winners will each receive complimentary one year memberships to the Chicago Botanic Garden.

A photo gallery will be updated each week during the contest, so that all visitors to our website will see contestants’ work.

The two Grand Prize winners, and first and second runners-up, and category winners will be announced on our website on September 20, 2010.

Questions? Contact or call (847) 835-6844.

How to Enter

Step 1. Pick your very best photo taken at the Chicago Botanic Garden.
(For tips on picking your best photo, click here.)
Step 2. Resize your photo.
Entries must be less than 2MB
(For tips on how to resize your photo, click here.)
Step 3. Name the file you are submitting with your first and last name.
Example:  Jane Doe.jpg
(If the filename of your entry is not your name, we will not know who you are,
and your photo will not be included!)
Step 4. Upload your photo using the online form.
Click here to enter your photo, beginning July 15 at 9 a.m.
Step 5. Look for your photo in the online gallery the Tuesday following your date of entry.
(The gallery is updated every Tuesday at noon.)
Step 6. Vote for the audience choice award winner, September 10–17, 2010.
Step 7. Become a fan of the Garden on Facebook or join our flickr group to share more of your beautiful garden photos.

rules (FULL RULES AVAILABLE HERE)

  • One submission per person.
  • Accepting digital submissions only. No prints or slides accepted.
  • Open to all amateur photographers not employed by the Garden; the contest is closed to Garden staff and professional photographers.
  • Photographs will be judged by a team of judges selected by the Garden.
  • Additional voting will be by the community at large through the website when the contest closes.
  • Photographers agree to let the Garden use both their photograph and their name on the Garden website and in Garden publications; however, names will not be public during the public voting period.
  • Photographs must be accompanied by a description of the photo including the date and Garden location.
  • Photographs must be taken at the Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe IL, 60202.
  • Photographs must be jpg format
  • File size may not exceed 2MB.
  • No cash prizes—Grand prize winner and audience choice award receive Garden membership.

bonus photography insights

Join staff photographer Robin Carlson on the first Saturday of each month in the East Greenhouse Gallery at 9 a.m., and get expert tips on photographing the natural world of the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Social Media and eNewsletter

Sign up for our eNewsletter to ensure you receive information about future photo contests with the Garden. To see more Garden images, visit our Flickr photo group.