I’m pleased to announce the opening of the Naturescapes 2014 Photography Contest and Exhibition! We start accepting entries on April 1st. The contest is now in its tenth year and promises to be bigger and better than ever. Naturescapes is co-sponsored by the Hill Country Photography Club and the Hays County Master Naturalists.

Goals of the contest and exhibit include increasing public awareness of the importance of protecting our natural world and giving photographers at all levels of experience a chance to capture, share, and receive recognition for beautiful and inspiring images. Suggested subjects include natural scenery, wildlife, plants, and people and pets in the natural environment.

The contest is again accepting photographs taken in greenspaces and natural areas throughout Hays, Blanco, Comal, Guadalupe, Caldwell, and Travis Counties. We received many fine entries from the surrounding counties last year and look forward to more great images.

The contest is open to resident and visiting photographers of all ages. A $100 prize will be awarded for Best in Show, $75 for the best Youth Category photo, and $75 for the best Natural Waterscape photo. Up to four $50 Awards of Excellence will be presented for the next most outstanding photographs. Additional Awards of Merit will be presented at the discretion of the contest juror.

We’re pleased to have Mike Sloat as our juror. Mike is currently an aircraft Safety Inspector for the Federal Aviation Administration. Mike is also a decorated 36-year career military pilot, he has traded in his wings now, translating his enthusiasm for flying into being an avid photographer. It was more than 40 years ago that Mike picked up his first camera, a Kodak Box Camera that used 120 black and white film. The Kodak Box Camera is sadly long-gone, replaced now with an assortment of Nikon equipment to include the Nikon D4 and D800 camera’s for his digital work. He captures stunning landscapes with a Nikon 14 X 24 mm lens, and uses a 600 mm to be up close and personnel with the wildlife he enjoys photographing.

Mike’s work has been featured in such publications as Texas Highways, Nature Photography, Audubon, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Texas Monthly, Travel Host magazines, Corpus Christi Convention & Visitors Bureau, International Crane Foundation, Bugle Magazine and Windsport Magazine. Most of the images are from Texas, but some are from Alaska, Colorado, Oklahoma, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Washington D.C., and New Mexico.

Please visit the contest’s web page for complete information.

Here is the contest’s promotional postcard:

Naturescapes 2014 Postcard Front

Naturescapes 2014 Postcard Back

Grab your cameras, go outside, and take some photographs! Please help us spread the word about the contest and I hope to see your entries soon!