The 2025 Outdoor Alabama Photo Contest will open for entries in September. Organized by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) and the Alabama Tourism Department, the contest invites amateur photographers to showcase their work.

Starting on September 3, 2024, participants can submit up to 10 photos in any of the 10 categories.

2025 Outdoor Alabama Photo Contest Categories

• Alabama State Parks
• Birds
• Bugs and Butterflies
• Cold-blooded Critters
• Nature-Based Recreation
• Scenic
• Shoots and Roots
• Sweet Home Alabama
• Wildlife
• Young Photographers (ages 17 and under)

All photos must have been taken in Alabama within the past two years. The contest is open to both residents and visitors, but professionals employed by ADCNR are not eligible to enter.

This year’s contest emphasizes traditional photography, encouraging the use of handheld cameras. While smartphone and tablet photos are accepted only in the Young Photographers category, other categories exclude photos taken with cellphones, drones, or game cameras.

Winners will be selected for first, second, third place, and honorable mention in each category. Winning photos will be featured online and in a traveling exhibit across Alabama in 2025. The current exhibit of the 2024 contest winners is on display at the Oak Mountain State Park Interpretive Center in Pelham, Alabama, until September 4, 2024.

Art teachers are encouraged to involve their students in the Young Photographers category as part of their fall curriculum. For more details, including category descriptions and rules, visit www.outdooralabama.com/photocontest.

If your organization or venue is interested in hosting the 2025 Outdoor Alabama Photo Contest Exhibit, please contact Kenny Johnson with ADCNR’s Communications and Marketing Section at kenny.johnson@dcnr.alabama.gov.