In recognition of Robert (Bob) W. Hansen’s 30-plus years of service to the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles (SSAR), and to the general herpetological community, we are proud to announce a new award that honors outstanding herpetological photography, one of Bob’s great passions.
With Bob’s great leadership, Herpetological Review transformed from a societal newsletter and research bulletin into a globally acclaimed flagship publication. A visually arresting color cover image of an amphibian or reptile is just one of the many improvements that Bob introduced to HR, and a fitting one to honor his long and prosperous tenure as Editor. Under Bob’s tenure we have also seen the addition of many new sections in the journal, including the expansion to include full-length peer-reviewed research articles, and a tremendous increase in both the quality of the published articles and notes as well as a crucially important expansion of the diversity of the now-global authors.
Bob with a beaded lizard (Heloderma) in Alamos, Sonora, Mexico in August 2015. Photo by J. D. Shedd.
Requirements:
Applications for this award must include the scientific name and the preferred name of the featured species, general location where the image was taken (captive specimens are acceptable), a concise summary of the natural history of the species, a brief biography of the photographer(s), and technical information about the image including specific gear, lighting, and techniques used. Membership in SSAR is not required. Submissions should be in a jpeg or tiff format. High resolution images are not initially required (3-5 MB is sufficient). Individuals may submit no more than two applications per year. Applications should be sent to this Google Form (https://forms.gle/zK4DEmkYh85NG8rx5) by the 1st of April each year. Questions should be sent to the award coordinator, Paul Freed, at herps2apes@gmail.com.
The Board of Directors will select the winner, and up to two honorable mention runners-up during the annual Board Meeting, and the recipient will be announced at the annual Business Meeting. The winning image will be featured in issue #4 of Herpetological Review each year. Submitted images may be used in other SSAR publications and digital media. Recipients will be notified by email. To be eligible for the award, images should depict live reptiles and/or amphibians in naturalistic settings, preferably in situ and with minimal post-production processing.