Amateur photographers have a little more than a week to enter the Agri-heritage Photo Contest, part of the second International Cowpea Festival and Cook-off, set for Sept. 14 in Charleston, Tenn.
"The contest officially began on March 1 and will end on Aug. 9," says contest coordinator Nancy Neal, vice president of communications for the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce. "The idea is to continue creating a greater awareness and appreciation of our agri-heritage in the Ocoee Region through pictures."
According to Neal, contest organizers are looking for photos "from all corners of the Ocoee Region that depict farm work, crops grown in the region, rural scenic beauty, things disappearing from the rural landscape like old barns and farm buildings, farm machinery and anything else related to our agri-heritage."
Photos taken in 2012 will be accepted if they were not submitted for the first contest. Competition is open to any amateur photographer (one who does not regularly receive income from photography) who lives in the Ocoee region, which encompasses Bradley, McMinn, Meigs, Polk and Hamilton counties.
This year's categories are: Kids and Critters on the Farm, Grown in the Ocoee Region (plants and production), Rural Beauty, Disappearing Landscape (barns, rural buildings), Agri-tourism (corn mazes, apple festivals, country fairs, orchards, vineyards, farmers markets) and Budding Artists (photographers age 13 and younger).
Entrants may submit up to three original photographs in digital format online. No cellphone photos will be accepted.
Judging will begin Aug. 14, with winners displayed and announced at the festival. Top photos in each category will be part of a temporary display housed in the new Hiwassee River Heritage Center in Charleston. CPQ Professional Imaging Inc. will print the award-winning photos.
For submission information, visit www.cowpeafestival.com.