Please read the Official Contest Rules here and find Frequently Asked Questions here.

Photo Location

Photos must be taken on the lands, waters, or within the facilities of these participating agencies:

1. National Park Service
2. U.S. Bureau of Land Management
3. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
4. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
5. U.S. Forest Service
6. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Photos submitted featuring city or state lands and waters will be rejected.

Photo Timeframe

For the 2024 photo contest, photographs taken between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2024 will be accepted during the contest Promotion Period from June 13, 2024 to December 31, 2024. Winners will be announced Spring /Summer 2025. Photos taken prior to 2022 will be disqualified and any photo submitted outside the Promotion Period will be rejected.

How to Submit?

1. Submit photos at: www.sharetheexperience.org
2. Photos must be submitted in JPEG format. Please ensure submitted photos are high resolution (minimum 5 MP (megapixels)) as the winning photos must work in print. Note: To calculate your megapixels, multiply the X (width) by the Y (height) of your image.
3. Please ensure you and your photo meet all eligibility requirements by reviewing the OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES

Judging Criteria

Photos will be judged on the following criteria:

1. Originality
2. Artistic composition
3. Technical quality
4. Photographic technique
5. Whether the photograph showcases the best of America's recreational opportunities.

Eligibility

1. The Contest is intended as an amateur photo contest, professional photographers are ineligible to enter and win any prizes
   1. For the purposes of the Contest, a professional photographer is defined as anyone who anyone who meets one or more of the following criteria: (i) is or has been employed full or part-time as a photographer or in a like capacity; (ii) has an established photography business with the purpose of earning a majority of their income (iii) currently or previously identified as a professional photographer.
2. Legal residents of the 50 United States and DC, and at least 13 years of age or older as of June 13, 2024
3. Employees or volunteers of the participating agencies and sponsors, and their family members are not eligible to enter.
   1. Official volunteers of the Federal Recreation Agencies, part-time or seasonal employees, former employees or official volunteers of the Federal Recreation Agencies employed within two years of the start of the Contest Promotion Period, and those who become employees during the Contest Promotion Period are ineligible to participate.
   2. Employees and volunteers of the participating federal agencies are eligible to enter the Employee Contest.

What Not to Do

1. Do not excessively alter or manipulate photos. Alteration of the originally captured image should be subtle and nearly undetectable to the untrained eye.
2. Don't break any laws or rules of federal lands (current agency laws and rules will be considered)
3. Don't do anything unsafe
4. Don't photograph anything that is inappropriate, indecent or obscene
5. Don’t submit a photo taken by anyone other than yourself
6. Don’t include watermarks, writing or symbols of any kind on photos
7. Don’t submit more than ten (10) photos per month, any photos submitted after this monthly limit has been reached will be rejected
8. Don’t enter a photo that has previously been designated a winner in a contest or promotion of any kind, including previous Share the Experience Photo Contest years

Above all, please enjoy your experience and remember to share it with us and tell your friends!