The 2011 Virginia Wildlife Photography Contest is under way. Conducted by Virginia Wildlife Magazine, the contest is a perfect opportunity for professional and amateur wildlife photographers alike to have their work admired by a captive audience. But like all contests there are rules, and in this contest important changes in these rules have been announced for 2011.

The first and foremost change is the fact that prints will no longer be accepted. All submissions must be in digital format. Although it is not specifically mentioned one can only assume that slides, which were once the preferred media of glossy publications such as Virginia Wildlife Magazine, will not be accepted either.

Other changes involve re-naming the eight categories to better reflect the true essence of the category and in some instances to broaden or narrow the definition of the category. Here are a few examples:

The category once known as “Cold and Clammy Critters” has been renamed “Under the Surface.” The category is intended for underwater photography or photographs of aquatic life. The former title could have been misconstrued to mean winter conditions, dead animals or hunters with their trophies.

The “Marvelous Mammal” category is now called “Furry Critters.” This new title better describes this category and discourages photographs of livestock and pets. Submittals of animals that do not qualify as wildlife will not be accepted.

In the same spirit as “Under the Surface,” the category formerly known as “The Sporting Life” is now “Gone Fishing.” This change will also discourage submittals of sportsmen posing with their trophy kills. The magazine wishes that this category reflect the entire experience of going fishing in salt or fresh water, not just catching fish. It is important to remember that people depicted in this or any category must be shown following proper safety procedures like wearing life jackets if required.

There’s been an interesting change in the category formerly known as “A Bug’s Life.” The category has been expanded to include the category formerly known as “Fantastic Flowers.” Conceptually this category could now include photos of any wild animal under proper conditions, reflections in a pool and repeating patterns, such as a flock of birds or a school of fish. Photos of anything that is more interesting up close, such as tree bark and tree leaves, fungus, lichens, etc. would now qualify. Polish up your macro lenses! Sorry bugs, you no longer have a category of your own. “A Bug’s Life” is now “Patterns and Textures.”

The aforementioned category “Fantastic Flowers” has been retired and a new category “A Dog’s Life” has been created to replace it. “A Dog’s Life” is dedicated solely to photos of hunting dogs in action; undoubtedly the most restrictive category.

Although photos printed on paper are no longer accepted you still cannot send your submittals electronically by email. Your photos have to be in the original JPEG, TIFF or RAW format and burned onto a CD or DVD. Only minor manipulation in cropping and color correction is acceptable. The disc must have your name and phone number on it. In addition you must include a “delivery memo” on paper with your name, address and phone number plus all pertinent data about each image such as the category you wish to enter, date and location where photograph was taken and as much technical data as possible, such as the type of camera and lens, shutter speed, aperture value and so on. Multiple entries can be submitted on one disc. Each image must be imbedded with your contact information. Also indicate the category of each photo or create a folder dedicated to each category you are entering. Entries cannot be returned so be sure to save copies.

The contest is open to anyone except employees of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Photos will be judged by Virginia Wildlife staff members and renowned wildlife photographer Lynda Richardson. Deadline for submission is Nov. 1. Send submittals to: 2011 Annual Photography Contest, c/o Virginia Wildlife Magazine, 4010 W. Broad St. Richmond, VA 23230-1104. It is recommended that you send your submission by certified, registered mail or by a courier who uses a tracking number to locate lost packages. See http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/events/photo-contest.pdf for the complete rules.