Hills & Dales hosting photo contest starting next month

Published 7:27 pm Sunday, February 25, 2018

One of LaGrange’s most photogenic locations will host a photo contest starting this week to challenge amateur photographers to find a new angle for their photos.

The Hills & Dales Estate Photo Contest will begin on March 1 and will end on July 31 and will focus on the 175-year-old terraced estate and the 102-year-old home that serves as the estate’s focal point.

“We are interested in seeing a new perspective, a fresh perspective from these photographers, and what they see,” said Lauren Clark, director of marketing and communication at Hills & Dales Estate. “Every day we see beauty in all the right places, but I’m sure there are new takes that we haven’t seen. We are excited about that.”

There is no cost to enter the contest, but participants are encouraged to purchase a multi-use garden ticket at the visitor center so that they will be able to take photographs when different plants are in bloom. Contestants are permitted to submit up to three photographs.

“We are looking for ways to strategically get people to the estate on a seasonal basis, and this came about in that it is a really nominal fee to get into the gardens — in March it will be $10 —and to let those people return as many times as they want — I think it is up to three days — to really enjoy the gardens during its peak season and have a new playground to shoot (photos in),” Clark said. “We also wanted in turn to have whoever wins the categories and then the grand prize to be displayed in the visitors’ center, so (we will) really create an exhibition out of it that visitors can enjoy through the fall.”

A panel of three professional photographers will select the winning photos from five categories and a grand prize winner. The grand prize winner will receive $250, and each of the category winners will receive $100. Images will be judged based on originality, technical excellence, composition, overall impact and artistic merit. The contest categories are landscape, plant and flower, architecture, people and wildlife.

All photos must be submitted online by July 31. Printed photos will not be accepted. To submit a photo or for more information, visit Hillsanddales.org/hills-dales-photography-contest/.