2024 Photo Contest

Living off the Land: Subsistence in Alaska’s national parklands

Fishing, smoking and drying fish, clamming, collecting eggs, picking berries and greens, hunting — for meat or mushrooms — Alaskans use national parklands as part of their way of life. Submit your best subsistence photos for a chance at winning cash prizes.

A man picks blueberries.
Blueberry picking is a subsistence activity lots of people enjoy all over Alaska.

NPS photo

How to Enter

Deadline: October 21, 2024 at 11:59 pm AKST

Enter the contest by submitting up to 5 photos by email at: akr_photo_contest@nps.gov. All photos must show people engaged in subsistence activities in a national park, preserve, or monument in Alaska. Winning photos will be picked by judges at the National Park Service regional offices of Subsistence and Native Affairs.

Winners Will Receive Cash Prizes

Multiple winners may be selected and will receive cash prizes. Winners will be announced on November 1. Winning photographs and other submitted photos may be featured in digital and printed National Park Service publications.

Contest Rules

  • All photographs must show people engaged in subsistence activities in a national park, preserve, or monument in Alaska. You must state the location and activity with your submission.

  • Entries must be your own and watermarks of any kind are not permitted. If there is a watermark on the image, your entry will be disqualified.

  • Maximum 5 entries per person.

  • Photographs submitted must be .jpg or .png files between 1 and 5 MB in size.

  • Photographs can only be submitted by email at: akr_photo_contest@nps.gov. You will get a return email confirming your submission and providing permission forms for you to fill out. Complete these forms by the contest deadline (Monday, October 21, 2024) for your photos to be considered.

  • Park visitors, local residents, park partners, and Commercial Use Authorization holder (CUA) employees are encouraged to submit photos. Entrants under 18 years of age require the documented permission of a parent or guardian. The contest is NOT open to National Park Service employees.

  • Photos must show best practices for visiting national parks and public lands. Photographers and visitors must respect the land and abide to Leave No Trace and other safety precautions at all times. Images containing illegal or prohibited activities will be disqualified.

  • All photographs that show people whose faces can be recognized are giving their permission for the National Park Service to use the image in public media.

  • All photographs and signed documents must be submitted by 11:59 pm AKST on Monday, October 21, 2024, to be eligible.

Last updated: March 12, 2024

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