Colorado Outdoors Magazine – Call For Entries
Eligibility requirements and deadlines for
Colorado Outdoors magazine’s annual photography issue.
Since 2007, we at Colorado Outdoors magazine have dedicated our November/December issue to photography. It has been a way to showcase the beautiful, dramatic and inspiring images that come our way, from both professional photographers and hobbyists, that we would not normally have a place to include in our pages. Unlike some other magazines, this is not a contest. A panel is not involved to judge and award first place and prizes, etc.; our magazine staff selects all the images. Since this is not a contest, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) employees are allowed to submit and share images that readers might not otherwise get a chance to see.
While up until 2025, Colorado Outdoors magazine has paid for published photo submissions in the photography issue (a small amount, usually under $100), now, due to the vast number of submissions received and tightening budget strings, beginning with the 2025 photo issue we will no longer pay for the images chosen to be published in the issue. We encourage submissions just as we have in years past, but now with the caveat that the image in the issue, along with the photographer’s credit, will be the only compensation for this one-time use. As always, the photographer retains all rights to their photograph. In addition, should Colorado Outdoors magazine request to use the image in any other capacity, or in any other issue than the photography issue, appropriate monetary compensation will be made.
Eligibility:
- At Colorado Outdoors, we encourage everyone to practice ethical photography. This means keeping your distance, and respecting animals and the law (no trespassing and no stopping in areas where it is unsafe or illegal to do so). Learn and follow the laws and regulations of local, state and national parks. Do not submit photographs of captive animals (zoos, game farms, rescues, etc.). Do not destroy habitat to get a better photographic angle. Do not use drones for wildlife images. Animals need to be Colorado natives in Colorado locations, with a few exceptions.
- Landscape photographs can be taken anywhere it is legal to do so, but preference will be given to images taken in state parks, state trust lands and state wildlife areas managed by CPW.
- Photographs of people participating in activities overseen by CPW will also be considered.
- Photos may not have been previously submitted to (or taken on assignment for) Colorado Outdoors.
- Photos must have been taken by the person submitting the entries and may not infringe on the copyright of others.
- By submitting, the photographer is giving permission for that photo to be used.
If it is discovered entrants have not followed the above rules in the images they submit, they will be disqualified.
Submitting Photos:
Submissions will be accepted Sept. 15, 2025 through Oct. 15, 2025.
Contributors can send their files via digital transfer to this email: colooutdoors.submission@state.co.us. They can also be sent via Dropbox or by online large-file-transfer services like WeTransfer, Hightail or FileSender. Make sure file-folder sharing is available through the end of November. Images can also be sent via mail on CD/DVD or flashdrives (they will not be returned).
Colorado Outdoors Photography Issue Submissions
C/O Wayne D. Lewis
6060 Broadway
Denver, CO 80216
Label each file with how you want your credit to appear and the species. For example, a mule deer photo by John J. Smith would be labeled John-J-Smith-mule-deer.TIFF.
Digital images should be submitted as uncompressed 8-bit TIFF files or high-resolution JPEGs with a minimum resolution of 2400 x 3600 pixels. Please do not upsize. We prefer digital files that have only little or no color correction or sharpening. We may ask to see the RAW file before publishing. Some of this work must be performed on our end, in order to optimize photos correctly for process-color magazine printing.
