International Nature Photography Competition & Exhibition

The International Nature Photography Competition & Exhibition is a juried competition celebrating nature and highlighting conservation issues. The juror is award-winning National Geographic photographer Brian Skerry and the competition is organized by Chris Sloan, former Art Director of National Geographic and Arcadian Gallery owner. Award categories include wildlife, flora, landscapes, ocean, and aquatic life and conservation storytelling. This competition includes both a gallery exhibition and an online exhibition. Selected images will be shown at the Arcadian Gallery in Cumberland, MD, a growing arts destination within reach of Washington, DC, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh. Awards total $5,000, and 10% of gallery sales will support a conservation cause.

Key Dates

The call for entries is open.
Entry Deadline: Friday, May 15

Acceptance notifications: June 8
Opening Reception: Saturday, Sept. 5 at The Arcadian Gallery, Cumberland, MD. 6 to 8 pm.

Exhibition Dates: Sept. 4–Nov. 21

Competition & Exhibition Details

The International Nature Photography Competition & Exhibition celebrates outstanding nature photography—plants and animals, landscapes, and conservation storytelling—from photographers worldwide. Images accepted for exhibition will be presented in a professionally curated, in-person gallery exhibition in Cumberland, Maryland, a growing arts destination in the heart of the central Appalachians and within easy reach of Washington, DC, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh. Awards total $5,000 in prize money, plus a $500 conservation cause award to a conservation organization chosen by the Conservation Storytelling award winner.

Conservation commitment: 10% of the Arcadian Gallery’s commission from sales during the exhibition will be donated to a conservation organization of the juror’s choice.

Venue: Arcadian Gallery (The Arcadian), 47 Baltimore Street, Cumberland, Maryland, USA

Awards

• Best of Show–$2000

• Category Winners
           —Wildlife - $500
           —Flora  - $500
           —Aquatic Life - $500
           —Landscapes - $500

• Conservation Storytelling Award  –$500 to photographer plus $500 to a conservation organization of 
award-winner’s choice
• People’s Choice (selected by exhibition visitors) - $500
 

Awards will be announced at the Opening Reception on Sept. 4, 2026.

Rules: Be sure to carefully read the Application Requirements, Eligibility Criteria, and Rules & Terms to Apply sections below to be clear on what this competition is looking for and what you can expect as the competition and exhibition proceed.

About the Juror: Brian Skerry

This exhibition will be judged by one juror, Brian Skerry. The juror’s decisions are final.

Brian Skerry brings his unparalleled experience and credentials to this event. Each photograph submitted will be judged on photographic merit, originality, and alignment with the category themes. Be sure to read the Eligibility section for guidelines on what will qualify for this competition.

Since 1998 Brian Skerry has been a contributing photographer for National Geographic Magazine, where he has created and photographed more than 30-feature stories, including 7 cover stories. His work has also been featured in publications such as Sports Illustrated, The NY Times, The Washington Post, Paris Match, Esquire, and Audubon. He is an 11-time award winner in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition held in London. Brian has also been recognized with awards from Pictures of the Year International, Nature’s Best, Communication Arts and is the only photographer to win the coveted Peter Benchley Award for Excellence in Media.

In 2014 he was named as a National Geographic Society Photography Fellow and then named a National Geographic Society Storytelling Fellow in 2017 the same year he was awarded the title of Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year. In 2016 he received the National Geographic Magazine – Photographer’s Photographer Award, a recognition bestowed by his colleagues, other National Geographic Magazine photographers. In 2019 he received the NOGI Award for Arts. In 2021, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree by Worcester State University in Massachusetts.

Brian Skerry is a film producer/director and veteran photojournalist specializing in marine wildlife and underwater realms. Brian’s signature style is to create intimate stories and visuals that inspire audiences to see the world in new ways.  His recent documentary film credits include Secrets of the Whales and Return of the White Shark, both currently streaming on Disney+. In 2021 Brian received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary as a producer of Secrets of the Whales.

Brian is the author of 12 books including the acclaimed monographs Ocean Soul, SHARK and Secrets of the Whales. Brian frequently lectures on ocean exploration, storytelling and conservation, having presented at venues such as The United Nations General Assembly, The World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, TED Talks, The National Press Club in Washington, DC, The Royal Geographical Society in London and the Sydney Opera House in Australia.

He is a longtime consultant to the Conservation Law Foundation in Boston, the Explorer-In-Residence at the New England Aquarium and a Founding Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers.

About the Arcadian Gallery and Gallery Director

Christopher Sloan

Christopher Sloan, an accomplished artist, educator, and art director, brings a wealth of experience and a visionary approach to his role as owner and Gallery Director of the Arcadian Gallery in Cumberland, Maryland. With a career spanning decades, Sloan has established himself as a leading figure in the art world, particularly in science-related art. Sloan’s career is deeply rooted in his role as Art Director for National Geographic Magazine, where he worked for two decades. At National Geographic, he collaborated with a diverse range of photographers, photo editors, artists and illustrators, shaping some of the most iconic visuals in scientific and natural history publishing. Sloan’s discerning eye and creative leadership earned him recognition as a mentor and collaborator who elevated the standards of visual storytelling in science and nature.

Sloan is a member of Artists for Conservation and teaches animal anatomy at the Academy of Art University. Sloan is the founder of the “Art for Our Sake” movement which encourages artists to use art to engage the public on important topics such as extinctions, climate change, and fear of science and technology.

About the Arcadian Gallery

The Arcadian Gallery is on the main street of the newly renovated historic downtown of Cumberland, MD, which is easy driving distance from Washington, DC; Baltimore, and Pittsburgh. As Gallery Director, Sloan envisions the Gallery as a space where artists and audiences can connect over their shared appreciation for the beauty and complexity of the natural world, as well as a concern for the environment. The Gallery’s inaugural event, the American Wildlife Art Competition & Exhibition, exemplified this mission, offering a platform for artists to showcase their work and for the public to engage with exceptional wildlife art.

With this new competition, the International Nature Photography Competition & Exhibition, the Arcadian Gallery hopes to raise awareness of nature, the problems nature faces, as well as how photographers can impact the global conversation about solutions to current problems that threaten nature.

Please direct any questions about the competition or exhibition to the Gallery at naturephoto@arcadiangallery.com.

Contact

Arcadian Gallery 
47 Baltimore Street, Cumberland, MD, USA
Email: info@arcadiangallery.com
Website: arcadiangallery.com

Phone: 240-916-8840

Entry Fees

First 3 images: $35

Each additional image: $5

Maximum images per photographer is 20 (across all categories).

Entry fees are non-refundable.

Image submission guidelines (for entering the competition)

All entries for jurying are submitted digitally through the CaFÉ Call for Entry system. In order to do this, you must set up a free artist account with CaFÉ where you can load your images in preparation for entering. Here are some of the requirements for entries. Follow CaFÉ’s entry procedure.

• No signatures, watermarks, or decorative borders.
• File specs: JPEG, sRGB, 5 MB maximum. Entry JPEGs follow CaFÉ limits; images accepted for exhibition
  require a separate high-resolution print file (see Acceptance for Exhibition section below).
• Provide a title for each image, as well as a retail gallery price.
•  Add any information you think is important in the Statement section of the application.
•  All images accepted for the exhibition will be presented in standard gallery-provided framing. 
 See Accepted Image Submission Guidelines below for more information.
•  You will provide an Inventory List as part of the CaFÉ entry process.  This is simply a list of the
  images that you are submitting that includes the capture date, location, and the price you would like
 the work to be listed in the exhibition if it is accepted (see Sales section below). 
•  You will be asked if you are applying in the Conservation Storytelling category. If so, there will be 
 a place to describe that story (5000 character limit).
 
Note: If you are entering more than one image in the Conservation Storytelling category, such as for a series of images, please consider using a naming convention that will help the juror understand if there is a specific order to the entries.

Acceptance for Exhibition

From the total number of entries, approximately 75 to 100  images will be accepted for display in the physical and online exhibition. Acceptance count may vary based on total entries and exhibition layout.

Entrants may have multiple accepted entries.

Acceptance is per image, except in Conservation Storytelling (which may be judged as a series).

If an image is accepted for exhibition, photographers must follow the Accepted Image Submission Guidelines below.

Standard exhibition presentation

To reduce cost and shipping risk—especially for out-of-region and international photographers—no framed work will be accepted. The Gallery will present the exhibition in consistent, professional frames.

All accepted works will be exhibited in uniform 20×24 inch frames with archival mat (16x20 inch opening) for a cohesive, gallery-quality presentation. Every exhibited image must fit a 16×20 inch mat opening. If your image format is not 4:5, you may add a white padding to fill the 16x20 inch mat opening.  Cropping is permitted by the photographer, but the Gallery will not crop files to fit the standard mat. Images may be horizontal or vertical in orientation.

Accepted Image Submission Guidelines (if your image is accepted for exhibition)

File or print submission options for accepted images

Photographers have two options for submitting accepted work to the Gallery for the exhibition. These are Option A and Option B.

Option A — Gallery printing & framing (recommended)

• Photographers whose images are accepted for exhibition must submit the original
 capture file for verification, along with the corrected JPEG. 
 Acceptable originals include a camera RAW file (e.g., CR2/NEF/ARW), DNG/ProRAW from a smartphone,
 or the original HEIC/JPEG with intact metadata (no resaves/stripping). This is mandatory.
• The JPEG file must support printing to fit a 16×20 inch mat opening at 300 dpi 
 (minimum 4800×6000 px)
 sRGB. No 5 MB limit. No cropping required; use white padding to fill a 16x20 inch mat opening, 
 if needed.
• The Gallery prints on archival-quality fine art/photo paper and frames for exhibition.
• No additional printing/framing fee to the photographer.
 
Option B — Photographer-supplied print, gallery framing

We understand that some photographers may want to provide their own prints. In these cases, photographers must ship an unframed print (paper size-rolled or flat), with the image area composed to fit within the 16×20 inch mat opening. No cropping required; use white padding to fill 16x20 inch mat opening, if needed. Do not submit full-bleed 20×24 inch images. The Gallery will frame it for exhibition presentation using our standard frame. If the photographer wants the print returned after the show, they must provide a clearly marked prepaid, trackable return label in their packaging.
 

Eligibility

• Open to photographers worldwide, age 18+.
• Digital or film capture permitted; smartphone images welcome if they meet technical quality requirements, including being able to provide an original capture file for verification if accepted for exhibition. All entries are digital and are made through the CaFÉ Call for Entry system.
• AI-generated images are not eligible (see below).