Adventures in Nature Photo Contest / Sean Stubben

First place: Killdeer by Sean Stubben of Tucson. Photo taken at the Riparian Preserve in Gilbert. Camera: Nikon D610. Lens: 500mm.

 Sean Stubben

Learning may have gone remote during the pandemic, but Arizona's fabulous wildlife and scenery are still accessible for young photographers who can get recognition through the Adventures in Nature photo contest.

The contest is open to Arizona students ages 13 – 18 to show Arizona’s natural beauty, wildlife and people.

Thanks to a generous endowment from Cox Communications, the top 10 winners receive up to $10,000 in prize money plus gift certificates and passes to Nature Conservancy preserves in Arizona. Winners will be announced during an awards ceremony on May 6.

Contest winners will also have their photos published by the contest sponsors: The Nature Conservancy in Arizona, Arizona Highways magazine and Cox Communications.

The judges include John Schaefer, former UA president and a co-founder of the Center for Creative Photography on the UA Campus; Jeff Kida, photo editor at Arizona Highways magazine, Mark Skalny and Suzanne Mathia, awarding-winning photographers from Phoenix, Rick Wiley, photo editor at the Arizona Daily Star, and, the contest’s brainchild, Bob Billups, a photography volunteer at TNC in Tucson.

There is no limit on the number of entries per person. The deadline for submitting photos is midnight April 16, 2021.

For contest entry instructions and rules, go to https://www.arizonahighways.com/adventures-nature

Second place, 2019: Ramsey Canyon Fall Colors by Trenton Gullikson of Prescott. Photo taken at Ramsey Canyon, south of Sierra Vista. Camera: Canon T6. Lens: 50mm.

Third place, 2019: Fox Tails by Dallin Webb of Gilbert. Photo taken in Flagstaff. Camera: Nikon D500. Lens: 500mm

2017 Adventures in Nature photo contest finalists

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Contact Rick Wiley at rwiley@tucson.com