Wild Desert Calendar Submissions

About ONDA’s Wild Desert Calendar

The only published collection of images devoted exclusively to Oregon’s high desert, this unique publication inspires action to protect and restore public lands, waters and wildlife habitat.

A volunteer-led effort, the calendar is now in its 22nd year of publication and features many generous, talented and passionate photographers. The Wild Desert Calendar is loved by many and reaches a broad audience. The publication is mailed to all ONDA members and is sold by retail vendors across Oregon.

View past calendars on our publications page.

2027 Submission Period

ONDA is accepting calendar photo submissions from Wednesday, April 1, 2026 to Monday, June 1, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. PDT.

Prizes

Selected photographers will have their image(s) featured in the 2027 Wild Desert Calendar, as well as receive prizes and complementary calendars. Past prizes have included gifts from MiiR, Patagonia, Arcade Belts, Tillak, and more. Additionally, selected photographers will be invited to an appreciation event hosted by ONDA.

Submit Photos

The submission period for the 2027 Wild Desert Calendar is NOW OPEN. Brush up on our tips, listed below, for the best chance of being selected.

Five tips for the best chance of being featured

1. Include a variety of shots. We need large-scale landscape images and also small-scale shots of plants, animals, insects, petroglyphs, and other desert details and small wonders. We often receive photos of the desert in the summer and fall but are often lacking winter images, which we highly value.
2. Show us desert-loving people. There are many ways to enjoy the desert—birding, hiking, camping, fishing, biking, and more—and all sorts of people who appreciate this landscape. While we don’t need all your family photos, we’d love to see some shots capturing people’s enthusiasm and love for the high desert!  
3. Think natural and public. Photos of roads, power lines, or other signs of permanent human development are unlikely to be selected. Photos of private lands and non-native species will not be considered. Consider engaging in Nature First Principles.
4. Focus on ONDA priorities. We love to feature the places we are focused on protecting and restoring. Learn about our priority regions or check out our recent work for specific ideas. For example, Smith Rock State Park is beautiful, but ONDA doesn’t work there. This year, we’re particularly interested in images from the McDermitt Caldera, Hart Mountain, and Lake Abert to support our timely work here, as well as seeking images from Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.
5. Look to the past. Past editions of our Wild Desert Calendar will give you a good sense for the kinds of photos we’ve loved before. For example, we’ll only select phone images for detail or people subjects.

For more tips, watch our YouTube video on choosing locations and types of imagery.