The Coquinas
A Celebration of Conservation Photography Excellence
Sept. 4 - Oct 4, 2026
The Coquinas is an annual celebration of Conservation photography excellence in Florida.
Categories
PEOPLE
WILDLIFE
WATER
LAND
WILDCARD
Conservation
Florida's natural beauty deserves more than awe and admiration. It deserves advocates. At Flamingo, we believe conservation begins with connection. That's why we created The Coquinas, a Florida conservation photo contest. We're inviting photographers to capture the landscapes, waterways, wildlife and wild places that make our great state unlike anywhere else. Every image has the power to spark curiosity, deepen appreciation and inspire others to protect the Sunshine State that we all love.
Meet The judges
Carlton Ward Jr. has devoted his life to capturing images that illuminate Florida’s past and raise awareness about threats to its future. From founding the nonprofits Florida Wildlife Corridor and Wildpath to spending years chasing the Florida panther for his National Geographic film, “Path of the Panther,” Ward’s mission to keep Florida wild is unrelenting. His work has appeared in Flamingo, the Smithsonian and National Geographic, among others.
Carlton Ward Jr.
Meet The judges
Equal parts entertaining host and conservation enthusiast, Chad Crawford has brought awareness to Florida’s wild side through projects like the TV series “How To Do Florida” and, most recently, “Protect Our Paradise,” a docuseries in collaboration with Conservation Florida that exposes environmental threats to Florida’s natural habitats. He currently serves in a leadership role at Conservation Florida where he combines his passion for storytelling and preserving Florida’s wild places.
Chad Crawford
Meet The judges
As director of marketing and communications at The Nature Conservancy, Eric Michael has channeled his editorial expertise into maximizing conservation efforts. With extensive experience in journalism, including writing an outdoor column for Orlando Sentinel, working as editor in chief of Sport Diver Magazine and teaching journalism at the University of Central Florida, Michael understands the power a single story or image can have.
