BLUE RIDGE SUMMIT – Leaf peepers, take note. As you venture out to get a glimpse of fall foliage, consider making a stop at Monterey Pass Battlefield Park and snapping a photo or two for the 1st Annual Four Seasons at Monterey Pass digital photo competition sponsored by The Friends of the Monterey Pass Battlefield, Inc.
The theme of the contest is the four seasons at Monterey Pass Park, including the Monterey Peak overlook and the Monterey Pass Battlefield Park and Museum.
Contest organizers are looking for striking digital images to celebrate Monterey Pass during any of the four seasons of the year between Sept. 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021.
“We’re looking for any picture you want to take over the four seasons, but we wanted to start it now to get some nice fall pictures,” explained Lee Royer, of the Friends group. “We want anything you can find—fall, winter, spring, summer—scenes, rock formations. There’s interesting places up there for photographers.”
Images will be judged on their technical excellence, composition, overall impact and artistic merit.
Friends will select the three best photos that meet contest requirements and the winning entries will be posted on the Friends website.
First ($150), second ($75) and third ($50) prizes will be awarded. Entry is free.
The competition is open to amateur photographers only. Professional photographers (anyone who earns more than 50% of their annual income from photography) are not eligible.
Photos must be taken between now and June 30 and have been taken by the entrant.
No more than four photos per entrant may be submitted.
Photo captions must accompany all submissions, and submissions must also include the subject of the image, the location and date the image was taken, and your name, email address and phone number. Please do not submit images that have been heavily manipulated. It is acceptable to adjust images to achieve color balance that reflect the scene as you observed it. Cropping is also acceptable. Friends has the right to disqualify any image that it feels has been overly altered.
Photos must be submitted in digital format to Friends via email at montereypassbattlefield@gmail.com by 11 p.m. on July 15, 2021.
“We hope it gets interest in the park and gets people out to enjoy it and realize what we have up there,” Royer said.
