Spring is here and entries are now open for the annual Macarthur nature photography competition.
This is the perfect reason for budding photographers, seasoned snappers and nature lovers alike to venture out and capture the beauty of the Macarthur region’s natural environment through images.
Hosted by the three Macarthur councils – Campbelltown, Camden and Wollondilly – the annual competition showcases the region’s unique environmental landscape and aims to highlight the importance of respecting and protecting our natural areas.
The regular competition themes are back, with a focus on Waterways, Flora and Fauna, Nature Up Close and Environmental Impact, and the two age categories (young people 15 years and under and open 16 years and over).
Along with a primary and high school category, it makes this great local competition accessible to enthusiasts of all ages.
This year’s competition also boasts two new categories Snap A Selfie and Hollows As Homes.
Snap A Selfie encourages residents to snap themselves getting into nature – either alone, or with friends and family – and post their photos to Facebook with the hashtag #snapMNPC.
A $100 Macarthur Square gift card is up for grabs for the person who can post the most selfies in nature during the competition period.
No fancy cameras required – simply head out on a bush walk or visit your local waterway and snap a pic using your mobile device.
Each post will be counted as one image, so the more posts the better.
In partnership with the Royal Botanic Gardens, entrants capturing a photo of a tree hollow, an animal using a tree hollow, or an animal using an artificial nest box, will not only be in the running to win a prize in the Macarthur Nature Photography competition, but could also see their images used as part of the Hollows as Homes citizen science project.
This initiative is the first large scale study being undertaken to demonstrate the importance of hollows as habitat within our cities and agricultural areas.
For a little bit of extra inspiration, a special Walk and Talk event will be hosted at Dharawal National Park on Saturday, September 17.
The Nature stories photography trail event will give photography enthusiasts the opportunity to join NSW National Parks rangers on an exploration of the Dharawal National Park, including the stunning O’Hares Creek Lookout and the serene Minerva Pool.
This year will see the biggest prize pool in the competition’s history, thanks to competition sponsors Western Sydney University, Macarthur Square, Macarthur Centre for Sustainable Living and Macarthur Camera House.
With more than $5,000 worth of prizes on offer, the competition is a great incentive to explore Macarthur’s natural assets and capture the beauty of nature through the lens of a camera.
Entries close on Friday, September 23, and can be submitted online with a $10 fee per image to cover printing and mounting (excluding Snap A Selfie category), or entrants can print and mount their own photograph and submit it at their local council.
To enter, or for more information on award categories, prizes, judging criteria or the walk and talk event, click here.
All entries will be exhibited at Macarthur Square during October 4-18.
♦ The annual Macarthur Nature Photography competition awards night will be held at Campbelltown Performing Arts High School later in the year, and winning photographs will also form part of a travelling exhibition across the Macarthur region, with dates and locations to be determined.
