EAAF
Through
Eyes of Youth

International Youth Photo Contest

of EAAF Migratory Bird conservation

"Through their lenses, young photographers capture the miracles of nature. Every shutter click becomes an action to safeguard migratory bird pathways."

East Asia-Australasia Flyway (EAAF)

EAAF Overview:

Spanning 22 countries, the East Asian–Australasian Flyway supports the annual migration of approximately 50 million waterbirds.

Ecological Importance:

Yellow Sea wetlands are vital stopover sites, home to over 50 globally threatened species. The “avian Silk Road” fosters cross-regional genetic exchange and nutrient flow.

Background of the Contest

We, youths, are the future actors in ecological conservation. Photography is a carrier of ideas. Encouraging youths to observe, record and understand migratory birds through photography, an artistic and scientific medium, can stimulate our enthusiasm for nature conservation. This contest focuses on the youth photography competition and displays their works through exhibitions to build a bridge for young people to participate in ecological protection.

Rules & Way to Submit

Entry Criteria:

Open to All Youth Aged 7–17 years old from all countries

Awards and Honors:

Grand Prize:

Awarded the title of "2025 EAAF International Youth Photographer of the Year"
Grand Prize Winner will receive USD 300

5 Excellence Awards:

Each winner will receive USD 100

Submission Guidelines & Requirements:

Photographs must feature birds within EAAF habitats (alongside the habitat itself).
Each submission includes the species name, location, date.
A story behind the image (within 200 words)
Both color and black-and-white images are accepted with no restrictions on equipment
Submissions should be in JPG format, and size of each file is under 10MB.
Each participant may submit up to 3 single images or 1 photo series (4–10 images).
Email subject: EAAF photo contest submission
Submission format: “Name of photographer + Country + Title of the images”.

Please submit to this email address:

submission@eaafphotocontest.org

Contest Timeline:

May - June 2025: Open for submissions from May 1st. Deadline is on June30th
June - July 2025: Judge panel evaluates submissions and selects winners
1st week of Aug 2025: Winners being contacted and announced on the website
2nd week of Aug 2025: Exellent photos on exhibition at Chongming Dongtan Natural Reserve

Important Notes:

Participants must own full copyright to their submissions.
Entries must not infringe on any third-party rights (copyright, portrait rights, privacy rights).
Any violation of ethical standards (e.g., misleading information, fraud) will result in disqualification.
Selected works will require submission of original image files.
This is a non-profit contest with no fees.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Who is eligible to participate?

All youths (ages 7-17) from all countries

2. When is the deadline of submission?

June 30th.

3. How many awards will there be?

6 awards including 1 grand prize and 5 exellence awards.

Post-contest
activities &
Public outreach

Exhibition at Dongtan National Nature Reserve

It is planned to hold a one-month exhibition of outstanding works to explore the nature education model of "Art + Science", and call for further strengthening the protection of wetlands along the EAAF and the protection awareness of the public through the media of young people's works

Later, we may also hold mobile exhibitions among a few high schools in Shanghai.

* Chongming Dongtan National Nature Reserve, at the Yangtze River estuary near Shanghai, is a key wetland for migratory birds. Established in 1998, it protects endangered species and supports biodiversity with mudflats and reed beds. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on July 26, 2024, during the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee held in New Delhi, India.

Judges

A panel of professional ornithologists, photographers, and environmental experts will evaluate the submissions and decide the winners

Honorable Chair: Marissa Roth

Fellow of Royal Photographic Society (UK)

Fellow of Royal Geographic Soceity (UK)

Marissa Roth is a Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist, documentary and fine art photographer. She was part of The Los Angeles Times staff that won the Prize for Best Spot News, for coverage of the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Her assignments for other prestigious publications have taken her around the world, where she photographed stories encompassing social, political, and cultural subjects.

Prof. Zhijun Ma

Professor of Avian Ecology at Fudan University

Dr. Wenwei Ren

Professor of Tongji University

Director of WWF Shanghai Program

Baihui Cui

Deputy Director of Communications at Chongming Dongtan National Nature Reserve

Evan Chen

Senior Director of Canon (China)

Organizer

Raymond Zhang

raymondzcr@gmail.com

Vice President of Student Council of Hangzhou Bay Bilingual School

Passionate advocate for bird conservation and environmental sustainability

Photography Achievements:

2024 Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY)： Youth Category Champion (First Chinese winner in history)
2024 Royal Geographical Society (RGS) Earth Photo Contest: Youth Category Champion (David Wolf Kaye Future Potential Award).
2023 Px3 (Prize of Paris Photography) Honorable Mention Award
2021 Vienna International Photography Honorable Mention Award
2020 Royal Photographic Society (RPS) Young Science Photographer of the Year (Climate Change category champion)

EAAF Through Eyes of Youth