Rural Missouri - June 2023 - 27

MO
SNAPSHOTS
CONTEST
here's plenty to keep you busy during a visit to one of Missouri's state parks. Go for an aquatic adventure on the
water trails at Stockton, Lake of the Ozarks or Finger Lakes state parks. Take your family for hikes, admire the
beauty and spend the night under the stars at Echo Bluff State Park. History buffs have plenty of options including
Dillard Mill, Missouri Mines and Union Covered Bridge state historic sites.
One of the best parts of a state park trip is the cost of admission: $0. They're free thanks to the citizen-supported onetenth
of 1% sales tax - last renewed in 2016 by nearly a 4-to-1 ratio - that ensures future generations will enjoy Missouri's
beauty. Nearly 20 million visitors took advantage of the parks last year, and surely some of them were shutterbugs.
Rural Missouri welcomes Missouri State Parks back as the sponsor of the 13th annual Missouri Snapshots Photo Contest.
Contest veterans will recognize a few popular returning categories as well as a few new ones, including Colors of the
Season and Parks Less Traveled. Winners in 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.
The contest is open to amateur photographers and photos must be entered online at ruralmissouri.org/photo-contest.
First-, second- and third-place photographs will be published in the February 2024 issue of Rural Missouri. Second- and
third-place winners will receive Missouri State Parks gift cards valued at $100 and $50, respectively.
Entries will be judged on sharpness, composition, lighting, creativity and adherence to the category's theme. Deadline
to enter is Nov. 15, 2023. Questions may be sent to pnewton@ruralmissouri.coop.
CATEGORIES
1. MAKING MEMORIES - Memories are easy to come by in
Missouri's state parks. Whether it's helping your grandkids
cast their fi rst lines or spending an afternoon on the water
with your family and friends, be sure to capture those
unforgettable moments.
2. 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 capture scenes worthy of a postcard.
3. 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.
4. PARKS LESS TRAVELED - Missouri's parks are popular
places. The judges are looking for the beauty you fi nd 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.
5. COLORS OF THE SEASON - A blanket of snow surrounding
a bright red mill in the winter. Colorful fl owers 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 2023.
RULES
1. Photos must be taken at one of Missouri's state parks or
historic sites. For a complete list, visit 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 fi ve 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
fi elds. Omitting any may result in disqualifi cation.
5. Photos digitally altered beyond basic editing and toning
or photos with watermarks won't be considered.
7. Photographers may win no more than one fi rst-place
prize. Winning images from previous years are ineligible.
8. Employees of the Missouri Department of Natural
Resources, Missouri's electric cooperatives and their immediate
families are ineligible to win.
9. By entering the contest, photographers give Rural Missouri
and Missouri State Parks permission to publish the
images in print and online.
10. The deadline to enter is Nov. 15, 2023.
T

http://www.ruralmissouri.org/photo-contest http://www.mostateparks.com http://www.ruralmissouri.org/photo-contest http://www.ruralmissouri.org/photo-contest

Rural Missouri - June 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Rural Missouri - June 2023