Send Us Your Best Photos
If you take any photos while visiting the park that you would like us to share with others, please send them to us! For consideration, a photo must be taken in the park, of high quality, and be pertinent to the natural, scientific, and historical resources of the Big Bend National Park.
HIGH QUALITY PHOTOS OF UNIQUE SUBJECTS CATCH OUR ATTENTION!
We review submitted photos and choose the best examples of Big Bend's scenery for our photo galleries and publications. To submit photographs for consideration please send a note to the park webmaster. We will provide you an email address where you may send your photos.
A note of advice about your pictures
We use your images not only in the photo galleries but also in park publications. Photographs showing people using the park or showcasing unusual features are far more likely to be posted than images of The Window or Santa Elena Canyon, due to the fact that we get so many pictures of our most common areas. Due to the huge number of photos we receive, please understand that less than 1% of photos are accepted into our photo collection.
PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING BEFORE SUBMITTING YOUR PICTURES:
Ideally, the photograph should illustrate the unique natural, scientific, and historical resources of the Big Bend National Park What type of pictures will be accepted?
- Minimum quality: 72dpi photographs with a minimum size of 8x10 inches for publication on our website. For print media, we require 4x6 inch minimum size at 300dpi. While 300dpi images are large files, this is what a printer requires for quality reproductions. Cameras set to SMALL or MEDIUM file size are not of adequate quality for our use. Rule of thumb - if the image is under 500K, it is too small.
- please limit your submissions to no more than a couple of photographs at a time
- digital image files (bmp, tif & jpg)
- NOTE: Links to photographs posted elsewhere on the Internet will not be accepted (i.e., other photogalleries); only attached image files will be considered.
When submitting digital photographs, the following information is required:
- photographer's name
- the photo's title, subject, or location taken
- the date the photo was taken
By submitting photos, you agree:
- that the submitted photos can be used by Big Bend National Park, park partners, and the National Park Service.
- Any added caption or personal trademark will be cropped.
- the submitted photos may be downloaded or copied by others.
- the photos are selected based on uniqueness and appropriateness.
- your photo may be used in a way you may not have intended. We may use submitted photographs that show risky visitor behavior in an effort to show the public what NOT to do at Big Bend. For example, we received a picture of a college student who had enticed a javelina to come to her, and her face was 2 inches from the teeth of the animal. It could have caused her grave bodily harm had it spooked and bitten her. Her decision to allow the animal to come close could have impacted the rest of her life. Likewise, in attempts to take photos of animals, do not get too close to them. Obviously unsafe photographic techniques such as getting too close to a rattlesnake may cause photos to be discarded. Thus, submit your photographs that are in accordance to park regulations and exhibit safe behaviour, not risky or illegal behavior. Do you want to see the person in your photograph next to text that says "Don't Do This"?
- that not all photos will be selected.
- that photos may be added to or removed from the on-line Photo Gallery from time to time.
- that you will not receive a reply email or confirmation that your photograph has been selected for the Photo Gallery.
