Photo Contest

CCCC’s 2026 Photo Contest is open to all amateur and professional photographers through August 7, 2026. Participants can choose from four different categories, with prizes awarded in each category and displayed at the Yampa Valley Crane Festival.

Eligibility:
The contest is open to all photographers. Greater Sandhill Crane photos can be submitted in 4 categories:

  1. Yampa Valley Greater Sandhill Cranes (Routt & Moffat Counties) – Amateur Division
  2. Yampa Valley Greater Sandhill Cranes (Routt & Moffat Counties) – Professional Division
  3. Rocky Mountain Greater Sandhill Cranes – Locations outside the Yampa Valley (open to both Amateur and Professional photographers)
  4. Altered Reality Images of Rocky Mountain Greater Sandhill Cranes – locations both within and outside the Yampa Valley.

All photos submitted in any category must be taken between September 1, 2025 and August, 2026. Entrants must not infringe on the rights of any other photographer or person, or submit images that involve willful harassment of wildlife or damage to the environment by the photographer. No trespassing on private property to take photos.

All photographers should review and abide by the Audubon’s Guide to Ethical Bird Photography and Videography .

“Courtship, The Tossing Game” by Cyndi Marlowe; 1st Place in the 2025  Yampa Valley Greater Sandhill Cranes (Routt & Moffat Counties) Professional Division

Photo Categories:

Categories 1 and 2:

Greater Sandhill Cranes and/or Sandhill Crane habitat in the Yampa Valley (Routt and Moffat Counties).

Normal processing of the original file is acceptable. That includes:

  • Cropping
  • Minor adjustments to color, white balance, tone, lighting levels, curves, shadows and highlights, saturation, contrast, and sharpness.
  • Moderate dodging and burning
  • Removal of dust spots and moderate reduction of image noise.
  • AI generated images are not eligible.

Photographs that have been digitally or otherwise altered beyond standard optimization can be entered in the Altered Reality category 4.

Category 3: Greater Sandhill Cranes found outside the Yampa Valley:

Specifically the states included in the Rocky Mountain Population of Greater Sandhill Cranes – Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Montana, Idaho, Arizona, New Mexico. Category 3 is open to both Amateur and Professional photographers.

Normal processing of the original file is acceptable. That includes:

  • Cropping
  • Minor adjustments to color, white balance, tone, lighting levels, curves, shadows and highlights, saturation, contrast, and sharpness.
  • Moderate dodging and burning
  • Removal of dust spots and moderate reduction of image noise.
  • AI generated images are not eligible.

Photographs that have been digitally or otherwise altered beyond standard optimization can be entered in the Altered Reality category 4.

Category 4: Altered Reality Images of Greater Sandhill Cranes found within and outside the Yampa Valley:

Specifically the states included in the Rocky Mountain Population of Greater Sandhill Cranes – Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Montana, Idaho, Arizona, New Mexico. Category 4 is open to both Amateur and Professional photographers.

Eligible Photographs Include:

  • Images that display an obvious change in natural color, form, shape or any combination of these.
  • Images that have been enhanced or transformed beyond the way the subjects appear in nature.

You may be required to provide CCCC with original image files (RAW, jpg, etc.) in the timeframe provided upon request (generally within 7 days). Judges will determine whether changes to an image are significant enough to change an entry to the Altered Reality category. Failure to provide original files may result in the disqualification of the Photograph at CCCC’s sole discretion.

Photos of cranes may include other birds and wildlife that share crane habitat.

To Submit Photos:

To submit photos, please email photocontest@coloradocranes.org with the following information: photographer’s name, phone number, category of entry, location of photo, date it was taken, a title for each photo, and attach each photo in jpeg format. Submission due date will be announced in 2026. Two submissions per person are allowed in each of the applicable categories. Entrants are eligible to win one prize per category.

Photo and Use Rights:

By submitting photos to the contest, you are agreeing to allow the Colorado Crane Conservation Coalition, sponsor of the Yampa Valley Crane Festival, to use your photo or video with appropriate credits on promotional materials and as part of the festival. Photos submitted to the contest can be used by CCCC for promotion of the festival and other CCCC activities.