For the 14th year, Rural Missouri is honored to welcome Missouri State Parks back as the sponsor of the Missouri Snapshots Photo Contest. The contest continues to draw top-notch photographers showcasing their artistic work. Winners of each category will have their choice of one of 10 Missouri State Parks Getaway Packages valued at approximately $500. Most packages include lodging for two nights, a state parks activity for two and dining or merchandise credits at Missouri’s most popular parks.
Open to amateur photographers of all ages, this contest features five categories. All eligible photos must be entered online at www.ruralmissouri.org/photo-contest. The first-, second- and third-place photographs will be published in the February 2025 issue of Rural Missouri. Second- and third-place winners will receive Missouri State Parks gift cards valued at $100 and $50, respectively.
Photos must be taken at a Missouri state park or historic site. Entries will be judged on sharpness, composition, lighting, creativity and adherence to the category’s theme. Deadline to enter is Nov. 15, 2024. Questions about the contest may be sent to pnewton@ruralmissouri.coop.
Categories
Making Missouri Memories – Memories are easy to come by in Missouri’s state parks. Whether it’s helping your grandkids cast their first lines or spending an afternoon on the water with family and friends, be sure to capture those unforgettable moments.
Capture the Beauty – Missouri’s state parks and historic sites are blessed with an abundance of natural beauty: rolling prairies, rugged hills and scenic rivers. Entries should be scenes worthy of a postcard.
Discover the Past – From covered bridges and mills to homes of famous Missourians to Missouri’s First State Capitol, history is everywhere inside the parks system.
Parks Less Traveled – Missouri’s parks are popular places. The judges are looking for the beauty you find in some of the less traveled parks or even less traveled portions of any state park. It’s up to you if you’re willing to share what you think is your secret state park spot.
Colors of the Season – A blanket of snow surrounding a bright red mill in the winter. Colorful flowers against impossibly green grass in the summer. Or the sun setting past trees in the fall as they begin to change colors. Reminder, photos entered do not have to be from 2024.
Rules
1. Photos must be taken at one of Missouri’s state parks or historic sites. For a complete list of all the eligible parks, visit www.mostateparks.com.
2. Photographs must depict activities that conform to all Missouri State Parks rules and regulations.
3. The contest is for amateurs only. If you earn any income with your photography, please refrain from entering. Up to five photos per category can be entered. Do not enter the same photo in more than one category.
4. All photos must be entered online at ruralmissouri.org/photo-contest. Entries must include information in all data fields. Omitting any may result in disqualification. Mailed entries won’t be considered.
5. Photos digitally altered beyond basic editing and toning or photos with watermarks won’t be considered.
6. Photographers may win no more than one first-place prize. Winning images from previous years are ineligible.
7. Employees of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Missouri’s electric cooperatives and their immediate families are ineligible to win.
8. By entering the contest, photographers give Rural Missouri and Missouri State Parks permission to publish the images in print and online.
9. The deadline to enter is Nov. 15, 2024.