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<\/p>\n2025 winning entry by Conrad Peloquin.<\/p>\n
Enjoy capturing photos of wildlife or can\u2019t get enough of the city\u2019s official bird? The\u00a0Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife\u00a0will accept entries for its fifth annual Burrowing Owl Photo Contest starting Friday.<\/p>\n
The non-profit organization committed to protecting the city\u2019s wildlife is looking for the best the public has to offer when it comes to pictures of the city\u2019s official bird.<\/p>\n
Photo contest submissions need to be in by May 17, and the grand prize winner will have their photo used on CCFW\u2019s 2027 official Burrowing Owl Festival T-shirt. The contest is open exclusively to amateur photographers, who must self-certify their eligibility upon entry.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is one of our favorite events for several reasons,\u201d said CCFW spokesperson Janet Windisch. \u201cThe photos submitted to us are always so beautiful. The talent and enthusiasm of local photographers is truly inspiring. We are also always excited to see the photo chosen as the grand prize winner because it will be featured on next year\u2019s Burrowing Owl Festival T-shirt. The 2027 festival will be our 25th annual, so it will be especially special.\u201d<\/p>\n
There are two division categories for the contest: amateur youth (7 to 17) and amateur adult. No professional photographer can enter the contest.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a great opportunity for young photographers and wildlife lovers to put their photos on display,\u201d Windisch said. \u201cCCFW hopes that encouraging young people to participate will help them appreciate and love wildlife as we do. The youth of today will be the stewards of our environment in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
Participants may submit just one photo. <\/p>\n
Permitted photo editing is limited to the following: Crop; make minor adjustments to color, white balance, lighting levels and curves, shadows and highlight, saturation, contrast, sharpness; moderate dodging and burning; removal of dust sports and moderate reduction of image noise. Photographs that have been digitally or otherwise altered beyond standard optimization will be disqualified.<\/p>\n
Windisch said Pelican Baseball Complex and the Cape Coral Lee County Public Library are great spots to capture photos.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMornings are usually the best time for owl viewing, because they frequently retreat into their burrows to escape the heat of the afternoon,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
In years past, CCFW has received more than 100 submissions and always looks forward to seeing the different ways the city\u2019s favorite bird is captured.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are always amazed at the great shots submitted,\u201d Windisch said. \u201cSome of them are breathtaking, some are cute, and some are amusing.\u00a0It\u2019s also interesting to see where the owls are \u2014 at their nest, on front porches, fire hydrants, road signs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Judging will be conducted by a CCFW-appointed panel that includes expert photographers. Judges will score eligible photographs on technical quality (30%), originality (30%), and artistic merit (40%).<\/p>\n
A final group of pictures will be passed along to judges who are Cape Coral City Manager Michael Ilczyszyn, NBC2 Meteorologist Rob Duns, and last year\u2019s photo contest winner, Darlene Coughlin.<\/p>\n
There will be first-, second-, and third-place prizes given to the highest-scoring photograph from the adult division and youth division. Prizes include CCFW swag and a one-year membership to the group.<\/p>\n
CCFW encourages every photographer to practice responsible bird photography. Prior to submitting any photograph, participants are strongly encouraged to read Audubon\u2019s Guide to Ethical Bird Photography and Videography. A photograph that appears to the sponsor or judges to reflect a harmful situation is not eligible for submission, and if submitted, will be disqualified at CCFW\u2019s sole discretion.<\/p>\n
Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife is a volunteer-driven organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing habitats for protected wildlife species while educating the community about Cape Coral\u2019s unique wildlife resources.<\/p>\n
\u201cHopefully, the contest provides a little incentive to get outdoors and enjoy the local wildlife,\u201d Windisch said. \u201cOnce you spend a little time watching the owls, you can learn about their habits. Sometimes you\u2019ll see sand flying as they clean out their burrows. Sometimes you\u2019ll notice bits of trash and debris around the nest-that\u2019s called \u2018decorating the nest,\u2019 and owls do it for a number of reasons during nesting season. It\u2019s normal, so don\u2019t be tempted to clean up the trash. Sometimes we get photos or owls eating insects or feeding their young which is really neat.\u201d<\/p>\n
Winners will be revealed during a special awards ceremony on May 30 at noon at Rotary Park. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Photo contest submissions<\/p>\n
Photo contest submissions need to be in by May 17, and the grand prize winner will have their photo used on CCFW\u2019s 2027 official Burrowing Owl Festival T-shirt. The contest is open exclusively to amateur photographers, who must self-certify their eligibility upon entry.<\/p>\n
There are two division categories for the contest: amateur youth (7 to 17) and amateur adult. No professional photographer can enter the contest.<\/p>\n
Participants may submit just one photo. <\/p>\n
Permitted photo editing is limited to the following: Crop; make minor adjustments to color, white balance, lighting levels and curves, shadows and highlight, saturation, contrast, sharpness; moderate dodging and burning; removal of dust sports and moderate reduction of image noise. Photographs that have been digitally or otherwise altered beyond standard optimization will be disqualified.<\/p>\n
For full contest rules, prize details, more information on CCFW, and to enter the photo contest, visit\u00a0ccfriendsofwildlife.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n