Image Library Policy

Downloading Images from the Image Library

Library visitors are permitted to download an unlimited number of images from the library for personal, educational, scientific or professional uses. Commercial use and further distribution of library images is prohibited. When using library images for allowed purposes, please credit the photographer. Copyrighted images are clearly marked. In cases when photographers copyright photographs, contact information and instructions are provided to obtain permission for use. Additionally, the best image from our library for each wilderness areas appears as the main image for that area (landscale or horizontal images only).

The above only applies to the Wilderness Connect image library. To download and use images from our Flickr group, please follow Flickr's guidelines.

Submitting Images to the Image Library

Submissions that do not adhere to the guidelines below will not be accepted. Please read thoroughly.

The purpose of the image library is to facilitate image exchanges between members of the wilderness community. Although Wilderness Connect has no content guidelines for submitted photographs, we suggest that submitters send in a variety of images that show not only scenic aspects of wilderness, but ecological, geological, scientific, educational, historical, recreational and other unique aspects as well. Visitors are allowed to download submitted images according to the guidelines above, therefore if you do not want your images downloaded or used under any circumstances, please do not submit them to the library. 

We are specifically looking for 1) images of wilderness areas for which we do not currently have any in our library and 2) high quality images to replace those of lesser photographic quality and composition. 

We also have a Flickr group where you can submit wilderness images.

Once images are submitted to the Wilderness Connect image library, they are reviewed and categorized. Images that are over-exposed, under-exposed or blurry are discarded. Once images have been approved and categorized, the resolution of each image will be adjusted to provide a low-resolution JPG file and two JPG thumbnails. Wilderness Connect reserves the right to reject any submitted images for any reason. Processing of images is performed by students at the University of Montana and may take a few weeks. Converted images might have color variances from the original photo.

To submit digital images for inclusion into the image library, please contact us.

Please send the largest image at the highest resolution you have available. Preferred file formats are JPG, PNG, and GIF.  Additionally, your images must be properly exposed, color corrected (if necessary), cropped and aligned horizontally or vertically. Include the following information in your email for each image.

  • Photographer name

  • Photographer email address

  • Photographer phone number

  • The filename of the image (so we know what information goes with which image)

  • The National Wilderness Preservation System wilderness area in which the image was taken. Please use the wilderness data search to find the official name of the wilderness (be sure to specify the state to distinguish between wilderness areas that have the same name). Non-wilderness images will not be accepted.

  • A description of the image, if relevant

  • How users should credit images when using them, if this is something other than your name (Ex. John Doe/Flathead National Forest)