Young S.A. photographers can win cash, get their work in museum

Every year, as flowers bloom and animals arise from winter slumber or return from migration, the arrival of spring is a wildlife photographer’s paradise.

San Antonio youths with a knack for photography can enter three naturethemed images in the 2024 Picture Your World Youth Photography Exhibition and compete for a top prize of $300 offered by the Green Spaces Alliance of South Texas.

The citywide contest is open to residents ages 8 through 18. The organization’s website says photographs can be of “wildlife (birds, mammals, insects, spiders, reptiles, and amphibians), landscapes (rock formations and plant life), people enjoying nature, art in nature (patterns, textures and closeups), and architecture in nature.”

An invited juror will select 30 winning photos and award prizes in two age groups, 8-12 and 13-18. A top prize of $300 will be awarded to the first-place winner in each category, followed by $200 for second place and $100 for third place. Winning photos will be framed and exhibited at the Witte Museum.

“The photos of our Texas flora and wildlife enthusiastically captured in the Picture Your World spring exhibition illustrate why Green Spaces Alliance is dedicated to conserving the natural environment and engaging a diverse community in the enjoyment of the outdoors,” the website says.

Submissions must be sent to info@greensatx.org by 5 p.m. April 10. There is a $20 registration fee and a $5 per student institutional rate for school groups, but fee waivers may be available upon request. A submission form, along with the photos chosen for the 2023 exhibition, can be found online.

Award winners will be announced on the evening of May 15 at Trinity University. Information about the award ceremony and reception will be posted in the coming weeks.

In addition to the contest, the Picture Your World Photography Program

also connects youths to the natural world through weekend workshops, which cost $15 per youth participant, and outreach programming for Title I elementary schools.

Its goal is to encourage “a creative approach to digital photography while advocating a personal connection to nature and promoting environmental stewardship among youth,” according to its website.