Great Lakes Photo Contest

We want to share YOUR Great Lakes observations!

As we enter summer, warm weather, and lake days, we would love to see what’s happening around the basin. So get your gear and get out to the water and send us your best photo from a day out somewhere in the Great Lakes watershed.

Milwaukee Concrete Breakwater on Lake Michigan by SamJohnson

Details:

Submit a photo to GLOS you have taken of the Great Lakes or a body of water within the watershed.
When you do, you will be entered for a chance to be featured as Photo of the Month!
It is important that the photo is yours, original, with a clear subject that is taken near, at, or in one of the Laurentian Great Lakes. (bonus points if you find and photograph a data-collection buoy or other observation platform).
Although your photo can certainly have humans in it, please do not send us photos of people who have not consented to having their photo taken or who would have issue with it being used for future GLOS purposes.
Please do not submit any inappropriate content.
It is preferred that your photo is from this year (2025), but we will accept photos as far back as Jan 2024.
When you submit, please include your full name and a caption for the photo and the time/date and place it was taken.
All entries must be submitted by the 20th of each month (photos submitted after the 20th will be considered for the next month).
Winning photos will be decided by GLOS staff. The winner will be emailed by the 25th and will be announced in that month’s newsletter.
The contest will run for the 2025 months of May, June, July, August, and September
Entries will be limited to one per contestant per contest month

Each monthly winner will receive a GLOS swag bag, but will also automatically be entered in the winners’ round where we will open the vote to the GLOS community to vote for the Photo of the Summer from the five winning photos. Grand Prize yet to be determined.

Thanks in advance for sharing your photographic observations! We are excited to see what adventures you find throughout the summer around the Great Lakes!

Name *

First

Last

Email *

Photo Caption/Description *

Approximate Location and Date AND Name of Lake or body of water *

Ex: Sheboygan, WI, USA - Lake Michigan in February 2024

Caption/Description Approximate Additional

Photo Upload *

Click or drag a file to this area to upload.

The file size may not exceed 5MB. If you have issues with the upload please email the photo and details to Sam at GLOS at sam@glos.org.

Additional Information or Notes

I consent to the contest terms as stated below *

*If you submit your photo to Great Lakes Observing System via this photo contest, GLOS will retain the right to reuse the photo in any future feature or product that we choose. We will continue to credit you and the location the photo was taken, but you will not be consulted on how or when the photo is able to be used after it has been submitted to GLOS via the Great Lakes Photo Contest.

*If you submit your photo to GLOS via this photo contest, GLOS will retain the right to reuse the photo in any future feature or product that we choose. We will continue to credit you and the location the photo was taken, but you will not be consulted on how or when the photo is able to be used after it has been submitted to GLOS via the Great Lakes Photo Contest.