The first zoo can be traced back to Egypt, archeologists discovering a menagerie of animals buried in a private cemetery dating 3500 B.C. Humans have been fascinated with wild animals for centuries and the zoo provided a place to see something a bit exotic in the everyday. Modern opinions have shifted over time, questioning if these creatures should be held in captivity at all. Whether preserving an endangered species or offering a glimpse at the unfamiliar, zoos are a unique and somewhat surreal fixture of Western culture. That’s why for our next group show, we want to see your photos of the zoo.

The selection will be made by photographer and writer Emma Kisiel. From taxidermy to roadkill, Kisiel’s personal work presents ideas of animal death as a means of confronting our own issues with mortality and the worth we place on non-human creatures. Her engaging blog Muybridges Horse features artists’ work that centers around animals and the wild.

Top three winners will receive a free one-year subscription to Squarespace, the intuitive website publishing platform that makes it simple for photographers to build creative and professional sites with their combo of award-winning designs, hosting, domains, and commerce. Selected photos will run on the Feature Shoot website and be promoted through our social media channels. Copyright remains with the photographer.

To submit, email up to five images (620 pixels wide on the shortest side, saved for web, no borders or watermarks) titled with your name and the number of the image (ex: yourname_01.jpg) to submissions (at) featureshoot (dot) com with “Zoo” in the subject line. Please include your full name, website and image captions detailing the names/locations of the zoos within the body of the email.

Deadline is October 17th.

Squarespace is a Feature Shoot sponsor.