Ostrich by Shaun Palus It’s time to submit your photos for the 2027 Zoo Calendar Contest. We look forward to seeing your view of the Zoo! Download Rules Here Entering 1. Submissions for the 2027 Conservation Calendar may be submitted via e-mail to PZSphoto@potawatomizoo.org between July 6 and August 7. 2. Please follow the Submission Guidelines and Subject Matter Guidelines to make sure your photos can be considered. Submission Guidelines 1. You may enter one photo per category, for a maximum of 12 photos. 2. Submissions must include your name, mailing address, and daytime phone number. If the photographer is under 18, please include their age and a parent or guardian’s contact information with permission to enter. 3. Due to the number of submissions received, we may not be able to respond to each message or submission. 4. Photos must be landscape/horizontal orientation to be considered. 5. Current Potawatomi Zoo staff, consultants, volunteers, and docents may not participate. 6. Photos should be at least 3000 x 2000 pixels at 300 dpi (as a guideline, file size should be at least 2 MB for a color photo). 7. If cell phone photos are submitted, please make sure the photo is submitted “full-size.” Do not submit screen shots or images saved from social media. Cell phone photographs must be horizontal/landscape orientation. Subject Matter Guidelines 1. Photos must be taken at the Potawatomi Zoo within the last 12 months. 2. Photos should not include animals no longer living at the Potawatomi Zoo. 3. Photos must be landscape/horizontal orientation. 4. AI generated or substantially altered photographs will not be accepted. 5. If there are people in your pictures, please provide explicit permission to use the pictures via a model release. Model release available on website or by request to pzsphoto@potawatomizoo.org. 6. Do not enter photos that you didn’t take or that infringe upon anyone else’s copyright. 7. We reserve the right to disqualify photos for any reason. Photo Categories 1. Birds 2. Black and White (does not have to be black and white animals)
11. Wild Card (any photo that doesn’t fit into the other categories)
12. Zoo Farm
Voting
1. Voting will take place from August 12 to September 11.
2. At least four photos will be submitted to the public in each category for voting on Facebook and Instagram.
3. The finalists’ photographs will be posted in separate albums on the Zoo’s Facebook and in separate posts by category on Instagram.
4. Anyone can vote for their favorite photo by using the “like” feature on each photo on Facebook and commenting with the number of their favorite picture on Instagram.
Winning
1. The photos with the most votes in each category will be the winners of each category.
2. No one photographer may win more than 2 categories.
3. Winning photographs must be fit in the calendar’s dimensions to be included in the calendar.
4. In case of a tie vote, the category winner will be chosen by the panel of judges.
5. The 6 photos that receive the most votes (one per category) will go to a panel of judges to select the cover image.
6. The second highest vote tally in the same category as the cover image will win that category.
7. Winners from each category will be announced around September 18 on the Potawatomi Zoo’s social media sites.
8. The winning photos of each category will be featured in the Zoo’s 2027 calendar.
Prizes
1. The 12 winners from each category will receive a copy of the 2027 calendar.
2. The photo selected for the cover by the panel of judges will be considered the Grand Prize Winner. The Grand Prize Winner will receive a one-year membership to the Potawatomi Zoo and two copies of the 2027 calendar.
3. Submitters are not eligible to win the Grand Prize in consecutive years.
We reserve the right to change or amend any of the above rules at any time.
Permission to Use Submitted Photos by Potawatomi Zoo and Zoological Society.
By submitting any photos into the contest, you give Potawatomi Zoo and Potawatomi Zoological Society permission to use them now and in the future for purposes of publication, including but not limited to marketing and promotional materials, educational materials, printed materials, television broadcasts, web sites, internal communications and signage. You will not be compensated for such use outside of prizes awarded as described above at the discretion of the Potawatomi Zoo. However, whenever possible, we will give you credit for the photos. By entering the contest, you agree to all of the above.
We truly appreciate all submissions for our contest, and we hope it will serve as a fun and exciting way to showcase the Potawatomi Zoo and promote civic pride in this unique community amenity.
Calendars will be mailed to Zoo Members around December 2026.
