Our photo contest is an annual event where we enjoy and learn from mushroom photography by our members. It’s never too early to start taking photos and planning each year’s photo submissions. If you have not started on this yet, time to get busy!
An Online Photo Contest (our second)
This contest has been held for many years, but last year was our first online photo contest. It was very successful and we learned a lot! Our contest will be online again this year for both submissions and voting, with a few changes to make it even better!
Let me tell you about at least one change because it can affect photo preparations for your contest entries. If you have entered our photo contests in the past, know that you won’t need to fuss with a photo file-naming convention ever again! However, if you want to save a step when you submit your photo to the contest, name it with it’s exact intended title: the genus and species of the mushroom, or a caption as appropriate for the contest category. Other changes will be noted in the instructions provided later on for photo submissions and voting.
Photo Contest Submissions
October is the month in which to submit your photos into any of the three contest categories:
- Pictorial – single photo of any species.
- Scientific – single or multiple photos in a collage depicting key features identifying a species or comparing/contrasting species.
- Activity/Humor/Other – any other photos depicting mushroom-related activities, humor or anything else.
The deadline for submittals is 11:59 pm on October 31, 2026.
The complete contest rules can be found here: MMS Photo Contest Rules 2026. Please direct any questions you may have to the Photo Contest Director, Nan Etzwiler, at photos@minnesotamushrooms.org or 651-367-4813.
📋 General Rules & Eligibility
- 📸 Image Date: Photos do not have to be taken this year (it’s been dry!), but they must have been taken while you were an active MMS member.
- 📍 Location Limits: Submissions are not restricted to Minnesota; photos from any location are welcome.
⚙️ Technical Requirements
- 💾 File Format: All entries must be submitted in JPEG format, with each individual file not exceeding 25 MP in size.
- 🖼️ Collages: Allowed for the Activity/Humor/Other or Scientific categories. You can create them in PowerPoint or something similar, but must export it as a JPEG format for submittal (contact the Contest Director if you need help).
🔍 Identification Guidelines
- 🔬 Species Identification: Be sure to identify the genus and species of your Pictorial and Scientific submissions.
- 💡 Expert ID Assistance: Contact the Photo Contest Director before the contest deadline to be connected to an identification expert!
🗳️ Voting, Prizes & Resources
- 🏆 Inspiration: You can view last year’s contest winners, and even more winners from past years to get ideas.
- 🗳️ Voting: Members and judges (for the Scientific category only) will vote on submissions later on this year.
- 💵 Rewards: Winners receive cash prizes, certificates, official recognition, and valuable educational experience.
- 🐯 Tiger’s Eye Youth Award: Children (under age 18) in family memberships are eligible by submitting their photos to the contest.
