Amateur photo hounds could win $500 state park getaway
For the third consecutive year Rural Missouri and Missouri State Parks have teamed up to sponsor the Missouri Snapshots Photo Contest. Amateur photographers across Missouri will have a chance to showcase their talents and win one of five State Park Getaway Packages valued at $500.
The contest, which was announced in the magazine’s May issue, features five categories for adults and a category specifically for shutterbugs age 17 and younger. In all six categories, a first-, second- and third-place winner will be selected. Winning entries will be published in the January 2014 issue of Rural Missouri.
New this year is the option of entering photographs in the contest using the website, Flickr.
“Only the judges have seen all the great photographs that have been entered the past two years, and we wanted to change that,” said Jim McCarty, editor of the 545,000-circulation publication. “Missouri’s state parks and historic sites offer a lot of opportunities for spectacular photography, and now folks will be able to go online and see all the digital entries. We’re excited to see what folks upload.”
The themes for this year’s categories include “Capture the Beauty,” “Spend the Night,” “Catch Your Limit,” “Discover the Past,” “Hit the Trails” and “Share the Wonder.” All photographs entered must have been taken at one of Missouri’s 87 state parks or historic sites. Entries will be judged on sharpness, composition, lighting, creativity and adherence to the category’s theme.
“From scenic photos of our award-winning trails to snapshots of families enjoying a day of fishing, we are really looking forward to seeing the entries,” said Bill Bryan, director of Missouri State Parks, a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. “The Missouri Snapshots Photo Contest provides a great opportunity to highlight Missouri’s parks and historic sites, and we’re appreciative of Rural Missouri for publishing them for everyone to enjoy.”
In the categories for adults, each first-place photographer will win a Missouri State Park Getaway Package that will be tailored to the winner’s recreational interests. Valued at $500, the package will include lodging, meals and a state park activity. Second-place winners will win a $100 Missouri State Parks gift card. Each third-place photographer will win a $50 Missouri State Parks gift card. In the youth category, the first-, second- and third-place photographers will win $100, $50 and $25 Missouri State Parks gift cards, respectively.
The contest is open to amateur photographers only. Deadline to enter is Friday, Oct. 25, 2013. For instructions on entering online, visit www.flickr.com/groups/mo-snapshots13. Those who wish to enter a print may find more details at www.ruralmissouri.coop/photocontest.php.
