Photo Contest

The Missouri Department of Conservation invites you to enter our 75th Anniversary Photo Contest. Get out those cameras and search those photo files for your best images that celebrate the natural wonders of Missouri and the75-year legacy of MDC. Winners will be featured in the October issue of the Missouri Conservationist, as well as on the MDC website and other media.

A full list of rules and guidelines can be found on our website: mdc.mo.gov/node/16689. Entries will only be accepted via Flickr, an Internet photo sharing service. If you are not on Flickr, it is easy to join. Just go to our 75th anniversary photo contest Flickr site for more information: www.flickr.com/groups/mdc75thanniversary/.

There are seven categories you can enter (see examples to the right):

1. Mammals
2. Plants
3. Reptiles and Amphibians
4. Insects and Spiders
5. Birds
6. Outdoor Recreation
7. Habitats and Landscapes

Entries will be accepted through May 15. After that date, a panel of photography and nature experts will select the best entry in each category. These category winners will be posted on the MDC website starting July 1, when the public can vote for their favorite. The photo with the most votes will be named “Best of Show.” All seven winners will be displayed in the October magazine and other MDC media.

So grab those cameras and head outside to capture your best shot and help us celebrate our 75th anniversary!

Photo Tip of the Month

Great wildlife photography requires more than just long zoom lenses— It requires planning and patience. Most wildlife photos don’t happen by chance. The best images are usually captured by careful research and planning so the photographer knows the best place and time to capture the elusive critter. Then patience must be observed, as it often takes several hours or even days of quiet waiting for the subject to appear.

Wildlife photographer Noppadol Paothong spent two months researching the Missouri endangered king rail and another four months of repeated trips to the marsh (with very early mornings), before finally capturing this and other photos of the elusive bird. During those frustrating four months, Nop talked to experts and did more research to better understand the bird’s behavior. That work finally paid off with the photos that appeared in the April 2007 issue of the Missouri Conservationist.