In an effort to promote the visual wonders of the county’s waterways and woodlands, the Schuylkill Conservation District and Schuylkill County Conservancy are once again hosting a photo contest this year.
Last year’s competition attracted shutterbugs like Melissa Steigerwalt, Lake Wynonah, who keeps her digital cameras at the ready.
“Ask anyone who knows me, I always have a camera with me, no matter where I go, even if it is just a trip to the grocery store. Sometimes the best photos come when you least expect it. Just being at the right place at the right time,” Steigerwalt said Tuesday.
She was the grand prize winner in the “People In Nature” category. Her winning image was of her husband, Ken, kayaking at Tuscarora State Park in 2014.
It will grace the cover of the conservation district’s upcoming annual report, Patrick M. “Porcupine Pat” McKinney, the district’s environmental education coordinator, said Tuesday.
While showing McKinney recent photos she took of deer, a squirrel and an eagle, Steigerwalt said she’s planning to enter the contest again.
“We so often take the beautiful outdoors for granted. When we moved to Lake Wynonah about four years ago, I found my back yard full of natural beauty including deer, birds, trees, sunrises, sunsets and the lake,” Steigerwalt said.
She’s been taking photos since she was 10, and said she learned to appreciate nature more over the years.
“I always share my photos on Facebook and I know a lot of my friends appreciate the beauty I capture and share. Many have printed them out and those photos are now hanging on their walls to add a touch of happiness and beauty to their homes. If I can brighten someone’s day with the beauty of a photo, whether it be wildlife, a special moment shared with my family or a picture of my grandson, it makes me feel happy,” she said.
The conservation district will collect entries for the second annual “Give Us Your Best Shot Photo Contest” from Feb. 1 to April 1.
“We had a decent response from our first annual contest and wanted to offer it again with thanks to our sponsors from the Schuylkill County Conservancy and the Schuylkill Conservation District,” McKinney said.
There is no entry fee.
“All ages are welcome. Submissions must be the original work of the photographer. And photos must have been taken between Jan. 1, 2015 and April 1, 2016,” McKinney said.
There will be winners in two categories: “It’s Schuylkill County — Naturally!” and “Nature Matters To Me.”
There will be three cash prizes for each theme: first place, $50; second place, $35; and third place, $25.
Grand prize winners will also be chosen in each category.
“One grand prize includes the notoriety of the photo being enlarged, mounted and framed. It will then be presented to an award recipient at our annual awards ceremony. The other grand prize winner’s photo will grace the cover of the annual report of the conservation district and be viewed by thousands,” McKinney said.
This year’s contest will be judged by Robert “Bob” Evanchalk, Schuylkill Conservation District’s parks and recreation supervisor, and Krista Gromalski, co-founder of Heron’s Eye Communications, a publishing, marketing and project management firm which serves Pike County.
“Judging is based on originality, technical quality, creativity and sheer natural beauty. All photos must be taken in Schuylkill County,” McKinney said.
To submit, photographers must send an 8-by-10 print to: Schuylkill Conservation District, Attn: Porcupine Pat, 1206 Ag Center Drive, Pottsville, PA 17901.
“Only copies will be accepted as no photos will be returned. All photos, including the winners’, will be displayed on the district’s Facebook page,” McKinney said.
Entries can also be sent as JPEG files via email to McKinney at porcupinepat@yahoo.com.
Winners will be announced on Earth Day, April 22.