thanks guys....so whata a regulation size than for the pics...cause my cams 10mp too and i made it a bit smaller and wasnt sure what size is accepted....what programs do you guys use to resize...thanks alot!!!
We had 43 entries and only a limited number of final slots. The competition was very tough. I grade each photo using multiple categories and your lowest ranking was the background; in general a natural looking background is preferred. There are exceptions, which is why it is not listed as a hard rule. There are also themes that might encourage different backgrounds. Your panther looked great and the image itself was of good quality.
This contest IMO, makes everyone a better photographer. I've learned quite a bit in the small amount of time that I've been entering my photos. Seeing pictures that win the photo contest is really helpful and gives us ideas for our next photo shoot.