Puget Sound Bird Fest Photography Contest

Photographers may submit entries starting Friday, May 1st through Sunday, May 31st at 6:00 p.m. PDT. No entries will be accepted after that time.

Pilchuck Audubon’s 2026 Puget Sound Bird Fest Photography Contest is open to all residents of the United States. The Contest Coordinator, Contest Judges, Puget Sound Bird Fest planning committee members, employees of the Pilchuck Audubon Society, its Board of Directors, and their immediate families are not eligible to participate.

Eligible individuals may submit multiple photographs that depict birdlife (i.e., contain at least one bird or bird part) to their appropriate category:

1. Adult Category (18 years of age or older as of date of submission)

2. Youth Category (17 years of age or under as of date of submission)

All photographs must be taken in Washington State between the dates of June 1, 2025 and May 31, 2026. Normal processing of original file is acceptable, including:

• Cropping

• Minor adjustments to color, white balance, tone, lighting levels and curves, shadows and highlights, saturation, contrast, sharpness

• Moderate dodging and burning

• Removal of dust spots and reduction of noise

Over-manipulation of photographs may be grounds for disqualification at the judges’ discretion. Examples of over-manipulation include:

• HDR frame stacking

• Stitched panoramics

• Images that have been manipulated by the addition, removal, or alteration (painting over, cloning, or blurring) of anything in the original subject and scene that were photographed

• Borders, signatures, or watermarks

• Changes in color so significant that the processed colors are widely different from the original colors

• Changes in density, contrast, color and/or saturation levels, and dodging and burning that significantly alter content by obscuring or eliminating information in the pictureon

Pilchuck Audubon encourages every photographer to practice responsible bird photography. Prior to submitting any photograph, you must read Audubon’s Guide to Ethical Bird Photography. A photograph that appears to Pilchuck Audubon or the judges to reflect one of the following situations is not eligible for submission and, if submitted, will be disqualified at Pilchuck Audubon’s sole discretion. That includes:

• Birds (including chicks) that appear to be stressed or harassed by the photographer

• Birds at nests taken with wide-angle or macro lens

• Birds (including but not limited to hawks, owls, eagles, ospreys, roadrunners) lured with bait. “Bait” includes live animals (such as snakes, fish, mice, crickets, worms), dead animals or parts of animals, processed meat, and decoys such as fake mice.

• Nocturnal birds (e.g., owls, nightjars) taken with a flash at night

• Birds photographed by or with drones

• Birds photographed with a remotely triggered camera that uses a direct flash or for which bait or another lure has been supplied to attract the animal. Setting a camera trap around a fresh kill or cache is generally acceptable, as is the use of a flash with a filter that only lets through infrared light.

Entry fees are $10 per photograph in the Adult Category and $5 per photograph in the Youth Category. There is no limit to the number of photographs an individual may submit. Submissions will not be judged unless entry fees have been received.

Entry fees help support Pilchuck Audubon’s programs throughout the year, including developing educational programs, providing opportunities for community science, and advocating for birds at local, county, and state government levels.

All entries and payments shall be submitted through the online form below:

Please submit your photos using this form.

If you need to pay by check, please email your photos to photo@pilchuckaudubon.org. In your email, please indicate that you will be sending a check. Mail your check to:

Pilchuck Audubon Society

1429 Ave D, PMB 198

Snohomish, WA 98290

Judging will be conducted by a panel of impartial judges from the community, that may include photographers, bird experts, Pilchuck Audubon Board members, and sponsors. Judges will score eligible photographs using the following criteria: a) Technical Quality (30 percent); b) Originality (30 percent); and c) Artistic Merit (40 percent). Prizes will be awarded as follows: a) 1st place in each category to the highest scoring photograph; b) 2nd place in each category to the second highest scoring photograph; c) 3rd place in each category to third highest scoring photograph; d) one People’s Choice Award to the photograph that receives the most votes from the public.

No photographer may win more than one prize. In the event of a tie for any prize, the judges will use the Artistic Merit score of each tied photograph to rank the photographs. The photograph with the highest Artistic Merit score will be the winner of that prize. If there continues to be a tie after the Artistic Merit scores are compared, the judges will compare and rank the Technical Quality scores, and then the Originality scores, in that order. The decisions of the judges and Pilchuck Audubon will be final. Winners will be contacted by email and/or telephone on or about July 1, 2026.

There are seven prizes available to be won: top three places in each category, and one People’s Choice Award. Prizes will be awarded only to the person whose name is on the winning entry at the time of submission. Prizes were generously donated by Puget Sound Express, Kenmore Camera, and Laura Brou.

Social media takeovers - you will be featured on Pilchuck Audubon’s social media accounts for one day. You will have 4 photos featured throughout the day (your winning photo and 3 others of your choice).

Adult Category:

• 1st Place: Gift certificate for a 2026 bird watching and puffin cruise out of Edmonds with Puget Sound Express for winner plus a guest ($240 value); 1-day social media takeover

• 2nd Place: One year subscription to Adobe’s Photography Plan ($119.88 value); free registration to one Pilchuck Audubon class

• 3rd Place: Gift card to Kenmore Camera ($50 value); free registration to one Pilchuck Audubon class

Youth Category:

• 1st Place: Gift certificate for a 2026 bird watching and puffin cruise out of Edmonds with Puget Sound Express for winner plus a guest ($240 value); 1-day social media takeover

• 2nd Place: One year subscription to Adobe’s Photography Plan ($119.88 value); free registration to one Pilchuck Audubon class

• 3rd Place: Gift card to Kenmore Camera ($50 value); free registration to one Pilchuck Audubon class

People’s Choice:

• 1st Place: 1-day social media takeover; free registration to one Pilchuck Audubon class

All photos submitted will be eligible for the People’s Choice Award, regardless of the category submitted. All submitted photos will be displayed on an online contest platform for voting by the public. A link to the contest platform for voting will be provided on the Pilchuck Audubon website. Voting will open on June 1, 2026 and end on June 15, 2026. The photograph with the highest number of votes will be crowned the People’s Choice Award Winner.

Photographers will retain the copyright for all photographs submitted to the contest and agree to grant Pilchuck Audubon perpetual use of the photographs for promotional and educational purposes related to Birdathon and the Birdathon Photography Contest, including but not limited to: brochures, flyers, website, social media, newsletter, and slideshows.