Before the cooler weather slowly draws you inside, we’re putting in one last bid for greenery and cuddly animals. We’ve dubbed September’s photo contest “Flora and Fauna” in hopes of bringing in pictures of super-cute zoo babies, the beauty of our local parks, gardens, conservatories, and of course, the awe and intrigue of the Washington wild. Or, you know, the backwoods of your Bethesda neighborhood. C’mon, Washington, we know you can do it! Especially considering the amount of National Zoo and cherry-blossom photos we receive regardless of the theme.

Here’s how the contest works: Submissions will be accepted until noon on Monday, September 20. Our judges will select the finalists, then we’ll open it up to you to select a favorite. The winner will be published in the November issue of The Washingtonian.

Photos—one per e-mail, please—should be sent to photocontest@washingtonian.com. Be sure to include the photographer’s name, phone number, e-mail address, and place of residence along with a sentence or two about the photo, where it was taken, and an explanation of why it fits the theme. You can submit as many photos as you’d like, but just make sure each is 300 dpi and at least four by six inches. And remember, the photographer and the subject must be from the Washington area, which includes the Maryland and Virginia suburbs.

>> See a slide show of past winners

Our policy on photo rights: The photographer retains the copyright. However, because the photographer has submitted his or her photo to the contest, the magazine has the right to print the winning photograph in the current issue of the magazine and online as well as in any future issues as long as usage is related to the photo contest. The magazine also has the right to use the finalists online in relation to the photo contest.

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