Best in Show 2025 Winner – “Peter Pan Into The Light” by Debbie Durham
We are excited to announce that Selby Gardens will celebrate our VIRTUAL 46th Annual Juried Photographic Exhibition, hosted in partnership with the Observer Media Group!
Submissions for this juried show will be accepted online beginning Monday, August 3. Check back here for the link to enter!
CATEGORIES:
A – Living Art – Express your creativity and artfully interpret nature through the play of light, color, and composition.
B – Make a Splash – Showcase the scenic beauty of the aquatic environments at Selby Gardens’ two bayfront campuses.
C – Plant Portraits – Capture the character of the plants that are the real stars of the show at Selby Gardens.
D – The Birds and the Bees – Highlight the wonderful wildlife at the Downtown Sarasota and Historic Spanish Point campuses.
E – Black and White – Convey the beauty of nature at Selby Gardens through the elegance of black-and-white photography.
A $5,000 photography prize will be awarded to the best representation of orchids in one of these categories.
IMPORTANT DATES FOR PARTICIPANTS
SUBMISSION: Online submissions accepted Monday, August 3 through Monday, August 10, 2026
AWARDS ANNOUNCED ONLINE: Thursday, August 27, 2026
EXHIBITION: August 27 – September 30, 2026
ENTRY RULES, DETAILS, AND DIRECTIONS
- Photographs must follow the theme of one of the five categories above; be original; be taken within the past year on the grounds of Selby Gardens (at either the Downtown Sarasota or Historic Spanish Point campus); and be owned by the entrant.
- Photos must be submitted digitally; in-person submissions will not be accepted.
- Entry is open to everyone, including Selby Gardens volunteers; however, photos taken in the capacity of volunteer service and therefore owned by Selby Gardens may not be submitted.
- No watermarks, words or graphics on images.
- Photos with faces of people that are clearly visible will not be accepted.
- Entry fee must accompany submission:
- Selby Gardens’ Members: First entry $30, $10 for each additional (up to three entries total)
- Non-members: First entry $45, $15 for each additional (up to three entries total)
- Maximum of three entries per person allowed.
- Any photograph not accompanied by its proper entry form and fee will not be considered for the exhibition.
- All entries are subject to acceptance for exhibition. Juried awards are final and not negotiable. All accepted entries and winners will subsequently be posted to selby.org and yourobserver.com
- Cropping is permitted, but no special effects or techniques such as adding or removing objects, etc. allowed
- Please refer to entry details for more information
- Photos accepted from 10 a.m. on Monday, August 3, 2026, through 11:59 p.m. on Monday, August 10, 2026
HOW TO ENTER
- Register and pay entry fees
- Upon payment, submit your photos by category (up to three submissions per user)
- Edit or update your entries in your profile through 11:59 p.m. on August 10, 2026
- Photos will be reviewed to ensure accordance with entry rules and eligibility
- Winners will be selected by a jury and announced on August 27, 2026, on selby.org and yourobserver.com
- For help with the registration process, use the step by step registration guide HERE.