Capture the essence of Chicago Botanic Garden, in this new special award partnership with IGPOTY.

The Chicago Botanic Garden opened in 1972 as a beautiful place to visit, and it has matured into one of the world’s great living museums and leaders in plant conservation science. Every year, more than one million people visit the Garden’s 27 gardens and four natural areas, uniquely situated on 385 acres on and around nine islands, with six miles of lake shoreline. The permanent collection at the Garden boasts 2.6 million living plants. The Garden has 50,000 members—one of the largest memberships of any U.S. botanic garden. Its Lenhardt Library houses one of the nation’s best collections of rare botanical books.

The Garden’s mission motivates its many activities: we cultivate the power of plants to sustain and enrich life. The scientists in the Negaunee Institute for Plant Conservation Science and Action conduct a wide array of plant research throughout the world to protect plants and our planet. The Garden’s urban agriculture initiative, Windy City Harvest, grows more than 160,000 pounds of produce annually and builds healthy communities through its 15 urban farms and programs.

On land owned by the Forest Preserves of Cook County and managed by the Chicago Horticultural Society, the Chicago Botanic Garden belongs to the people of Cook County and serves the Chicago region as a resource for the beauty and restorative power of nature.

A selection of winning images is planned to feature alongside images from the main IGPOTY 16 exhibition when it tours to Chicago Botanic Garden in 2023 and is planned to go on display at the Regenstein Center – Krehbiel Gallery, Nichols Hall and Joutras Gallery.

Prizes

First adult prize:

By entering this category your image stands a chance to win the 'Chicago Botanic Garden Photo Award’ 1st place title.

Third adult prize:

General rules:

• You may not submit watermarked images with your name or website visible on the photo. Please do not frame your images with borders.
• Entrants may submit a maximum of 4 images per single entry token and a maximum of 6 images per portfolio entry token.
• For free-to-enter competitions you should enter 1 image per token given, up to a maximum of 8 images (8 tokens).
• Entrants' images must be .jpg or .jpeg format and of high enough quality.
• We recommend all images are output to 1920px on their longest side at 72 ppi (ideally with an sRGB colour profile). Any larger than this and you are supplying images bigger than they will be seen or used by IGPOTY judges; your files will take longer to upload and/or download to judges and viewers’ screens.
• The absolute maximum for each image must not be more than 7MB in file size and no more than 3000px on their longest side.
• All entrants must be able to supply a high-res image (300 ppi) suitable for printing/exhibiting should the image be shortlisted. You may be asked for this when the time comes.

N.B.

• High-res source file/s need to be at least 3780 pixels (longest side) @ 300 ppi, ideally larger (and ideally with an Adobe RGB (1998) colour profile).

Full competition rules:

Please see the IGPOTY competition rules, which always prevail:
https://igpoty.com/igpoty-rules/

Category rules:

Only photos captured at Chicago Botanic Garden are valid. Entries must capture the essence of Chicago Botanic Garden. Entries cannot win the overall IGPOTY prize.

Only photos captured during the last three years at Chicago Botanic Garden are valid for entry, however the minimum IGPOTY entry (size) requirements above must still be adhered to.

The competition is free-to-enter. Adults only (18+) may enter. Chicago Botanic Garden employees are excluded from entry; volunteers are permitted to enter. Each entrant may upload a maximum of 8 images. For any prizes awarded by Chicago Botanic Garden, the winner/s must be available to attend Chicago Botanic Garden premises/consent to contact using provided contact information. All awarded entrants are consenting to contact/publicity from IGPOTY and Chicago Botanic Garden by entering. No alternative prizes will be given. Standard IGPOTY rules apply. Closing time for entries on the deadline date is midday (noon) GMT.

Entry fees, booking and any current COVID-19 rules may apply to gain admittance to Chicago Botanic Garden.

Online submissions

For help please visit our Frequently-Asked-Questions page.