Wikipedia:Meetup/NYC/Birds of NYC Photo Contest

Birds of NYC Photo Contest The contest has ended! Click here for the winners!

Essential information

 * What: A bird photography contest hosted by Wikimedia New York City and the Brooklyn Bird Club
 * Where: Anywhere in New York City
 * When: September 21 - October 31, 2022
 * Why: Become part of the largest free media repository and the most popular encyclopedia in the world. Also, prizes!

Convenience note: This page has a long url, but can also be accessed using the shorturl https://enwp.org/WP:BROOKLYNBIRD or https://bird.wikinyc.org

What is Wikimedia Commons?
Wikimedia Commons is the largest repository of free-to-use images in the world. It's home to more than 60 million pictures, including the photos and illustrations you see in Wikipedia articles. Without photographers uploading their work to Wikimedia Commons, Wikipedia would just be text! If you take a high quality photo during this contest, in addition to possibly winning a prize, it might wind up being seen by millions of people through Wikipedia.

What is Wikimedia New York City?
Wikimedia New York City is a local nonprofit which brings New York together to share in the free knowledge ecosystem. It runs events to help the people and institutions of New York to understand and contribute to projects like Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons. To learn more about us and to find future free events, check out our page on Wikipedia.

What is the Brooklyn Bird Club?
The Brooklyn Bird Club has organized birding events in Brooklyn and beyond for more than 100 years. It also publishes the Clapper Rail magazine and collaborates with a variety of local organizations and institutions for birding-related education and conservation.

How to enter
Upload photos of birds and upload them to Wikimedia Commons using the dedicated link. If you don't already have an account, you'll be prompted to create one. When you do, be sure to include your email address. This is very important. Winners will be notified on their Wikimedia Commons "user page" and notified with the email you provide when you sign up.

Who can participate?
Anyone! This competition invites brand new and experienced photographers to take pictures and upload them to Wikimedia Commons.

Rules

 * Photos must be your own work.
 * Photos must be uploaded to Wikimedia Commons during the contest period, September 21 - October 31, 2022
 * Photos must be uploaded to Wikimedia Commons by October 31 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Uploads after that time will not be considered, so please allow some extra time to be safe. See below for how to get help.
 * Photos taken before the contest period are allowed. In other words, feel free to upload your best work.
 * If you've previously published the photo (for example, posting to social media or eBird), you may be contacted to complete an additional step to make sure you're the same person who published it elsewhere.
 * Photos must depict wild birds. Pets and other captive animals (inside a zoo, for example) cannot win prizes, although you're still welcome to upload them to Commons.
 * Be respectful of the birds and each other while you're out there!

Prizes
Prizes will be awarded in several categories. Each photograph can only win one prize, but one photographer can win multiple prizes with multiple photos.

Main categories (must be taken in NYC)

 * Best overall: $250, $150
 * Bird in flight: $50, $25
 * Bird in its habitat: $50, $25
 * Best photo of a common bird: $50, $25

Site-specific categories (Brooklyn)

 * Best in Prospect Park: $50
 * Best in Green-Wood Cemetery: $50
 * Best in Floyd Bennett Field: $50
 * Best of the Brooklyn shore (Plumb Beach, Calvert Vaux Park, Coney Island, Bush Terminal, etc.): $50

Other prizes (can be taken anywhere)

 * Best bird outside of NYC: $50, $25
 * Best with a phone camera: $50, $25

In-person events

 * For a full listing of Brooklyn Bird Club events, check the calendar on their website here.

Judging
A volunteer jury will judge the photos following the conclusion of the contest.
 * Jen Kepler, Brooklyn Bird Club
 * JJ Harrison, Wikimedian and wildlife photographer
 * Sammy Siharat, Brooklyn-based photographer

Results
We received 321 total entries from 34 photographers!

A full list of winners is available here.

Got questions?
If you have questions about the contest, either leave a message on the discussion page (where your comments will be public), or email ryan [AT] wikimedianyc.org