You Could Win

  • A $200 cash prize + $500 ACA professional development gift card* for first place
  • A commemorative plaque
  • Acknowledgement in Camping Magazine
  • Recognition at the ACA National Conference
  • Winning camp receives a 20x30 metal print (retail value $215)
  • Winning photographer receives an individual 8x10 metal print (retail value $38)

*The gift card can be used for ACA’s Online Learning Center, virtual events, webinars, and/or in-person events including but not limited to ACA’s National Conference.

The Golden Lens Award is sponsored by SmugMug.

SmugMug

Photo Requirements

Send us no more than 15 of your favorite photos that depict the camp experience and represent the best practices in the field and accreditation standards.

Camps entering photos must submit ACA's required online photo release form. Access ACA's online photo release.

(Note: ACA must be included on the permissions language of camp photo releases signed by parents. See the online photo release for a helpful example. Plan ahead and add ACA to your photo release language before taking all those great camp photos!)

  • Photos must be a TIFF or JPEG file and at least 300 dpi.
  • The winning photo will be featured on the cover of the May/June Camping Magazine, so for cover design considerations, please do not crop photos.

How to Submit

2025 contest submission deadline: November 10, 2024

Include with each submission: the photographer’s name, camp name, contact address, and phone number. Camps may submit multiple photos from multiple photographers, but please make sure to clearly designate the photographer of each photo. Please limit your submissions to 15 photographs per camp.

Email (preferred): magazine@ACAcamps.org

Photo Release Form

(Note: File sizes for photo entries may be very large. Sometimes, uploading photos to Dropbox might be the best way to submit photos electronically. If you would prefer to submit photos this way, please e-mail magazine@ACAcamps.org with instructions on how to access the files.)  

Past winners of the Golden Lens Award.