Virginia Wildlife Magazine

Virginia Wildlife Photo Showcase

Photographers—amateur and professional—are invited to submit images to Virginia Wildlife magazine’s annual Photography Showcase Issue. The Photography Showcase recognizes the rich heritage of Virginia’s wildlife and natural resources and pays tribute to the mission of the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR).

The magazine’s editorial staff will choose images to publish from those submitted through our online entry form. Selected images will appear in the July/August 2027 issue of Virginia Wildlife magazine, and some entries may also appear on DWR’s website and social media channels to promote the mission of the agency and future photography showcases.

The Categories

Virginia Fauna

Native mammals and birds, insects, reptiles and amphibians, underwater images of fish, and other aquatic life.

Youth Virginia Fauna (NEW!)

Native Virginia wildlife images captured by photographers under the age of 18.

Explore the Wild

Images of landscapes, wildlife, native plants, textures, and patterns captured on public lands found through the DWR Explore the Wild online tool, including DWR Wildlife Management Areas, Virginia Bird and Wildlife Trail sites, and state and local parks. Entries in this category must include the public land location where the image was taken.

Bonus: Calendar Cover Opportunity!

Again this year, DWR plans to select one image of fauna from the 2027 Virginia Wildlife Photography Showcase submissions for the cover of the 2028 Virginia Wildlife calendar. There is no separate category for the calendar cover; all eligible showcase entries will be considered.

The Virginia Wildlife calendar has become iconic and is sold and distributed to thousands in Virginia and across the United States. We source interior calendar photos from professional wildlife photographers, but we wanted to give Virginia Wildlife Photography Showcase photographers the chance to be included as well.

There is no separate category for the calendar cover; DWR will select the winning image from entrants to the usual categories for the Photography Showcase Issue, and all entry rules and directions apply.

How to Enter

The showcase is open to any photographer, amateur or professional, young or young at heart, including employees of DWR.

Each photographer may enter up to three (3) images per category.

We are only accepting digital submissions uploaded through the category forms below. Email submissions and printed entries will not be accepted.

Entry Guidelines

All entries must:

• Be uploaded through the individual category form linked below.
• Be submitted by the original photographer, who must hold full usage rights to the image.
• Be taken in Virginia within the past five years and feature native Virginia plants, animals, landscapes, or natural resources.
• Feature wild animals in their natural habitat whenever possible. DWR does not condone images of animals restrained in any manner.
• Appear natural and true to life, without excessive sharpening, saturation, cropping, or color correction.

You will be asked to provide:

• Your name, city/state of residence, email address, and age if submitting in the youth category.
• Location is required for entries submitted to the Explore the Wild category.
• Camera and lens information: ISO, shutter speed, aperture, and f-stop.
• Images should be submitted at the highest resolution possible, preferably 240/300ppi and at least 8″ x 10″, with a maximum file size of 64MB per image.

Image Authenticity and Usage Rights

Upon upload, photographers grant the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) usage rights to use submitted images for publication, including but not limited to Virginia Wildlife magazine, DWR’s website, social media, educational materials, promotional campaigns, and other official DWR purposes.

DWR takes pride in sharing authentic, true-to-life visuals that reflect Virginia’s natural world. AI-generated, AI-enhanced, or digitally altered imagery that misrepresents reality will not be accepted. Basic photo adjustments such as exposure, color balance, and cropping are acceptable, but fabricated, composited, or artificially generated content is not.

Submission Deadline

Entries must be uploaded by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, February 8, 2027.