DEEP photo contest

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Bureau of Natural Resources announces a brand new Discover Outdoor Connecticut Photo Contest. Photographers from any state may participate, but all submitted photos must have been taken in Connecticut. Enter your best shots and possibly win some great prizes donated by the Friends of Sessions Woods.

Photographers may enter one photo in each category: 1) wildlife (including fish and insects),2) people enjoying the natural world, and 3) scenic landscapes and flora.

Judges will select first, second, and third place winners for each category, plus winners in a separate youth category (ages 15 and younger). All submitted photos will be displayed at DEEP’s Discover Outdoor Connecticut Day, scheduled for Sept. 22, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at DEEP’s Franklin Swamp Wildlife Management Area, 391 Route 32, North Franklin. During the event, a “People’s Choice” award will be selected by popular vote.

First place winners will have their photograph published in the department’s bimonthly Connecticut Wildlife magazine. First, second, and third place winners will have their photographs displayed on the DEEP Website (www.ct.gov/deep).

Prizes (donated by the Friends of Sessions Woods) include: First place in each category – $50 gift card to Milford Photo Second place in each category – $25 gift card to Cabela’s, and Third place in each category – $15 gift card to Cabela’s. First, second, and third place receive ribbons and a one-year subscription to Connecticut Wildlife magazine.

People’s Choice Award – A copy of Macrophotography, Techniques for Exploring the Natural World by Ecologist and Conservation Biologist Dennis Quinn of Connecticut.