Lake Superior's moods, natural environment and humanity's conflicting interactions with them are among the first annual Lake Superior Photo Contest entry categories, project sponsors announced recently.
Because Lake Superior is a wild, wonderful, and threatened resource, several environmental organizations decided to hold a photo contest showcasing the best-and worst-of life in, on, under or around its Minnesota or Wisconsin watersheds. In addition to producing a calendar of the winning photos, organizers hope the result will also help educate more people about protecting the lake.
Entrants are encouraged to explore photo possibilities in areas not always directly associated with the lake.
Contest sponsors seek color or black-and-white, previously unpublished slides from amateurs and professionals in the following six categories and their "beauty" and "beast" subcategories:
Category -- Life on the Edge
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Beauty: Shoreland restoration, natural coastline, beach or riverfront
Beast: Erosion, water (shore- or coastline) discoloration, unnaturally-developed waterfront
Category -- Human Use / Abuse
Beauty: Taking enjoyment from the water resource -- swimming, fishing, sailing, kayaking
Beast: Activities that degrade the resource -- burn barrels, illegal dumping, septic overflows
Category -- Above and Below the Waterline
Beauty: Healthy habitats -- for humans, plants and/or animals
Beast: Dead zone, underwater dumps
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Category -- Lake Superior's Moods
Beauty: The lake as "Beauty"
Beast: The lake as "Beast"
Category -- Rivers, Rapids, and Waterfalls
Beauty: Lush tributaries and watersheds
Beast: Impacts upstream which ultimately affect the lake
Category -- Close-up and Personal
Beauty: Subjective lake-related "best"
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Beast: Subjective lake-related "worst"
Award-winning nature photographer Craig Blacklock will judge the contest. Entries will be evaluated on the basis of creativity, photographic quality and effectiveness in conveying Lake Superior's unique character. Twelve winning photos, one from each of the six categories' "beauty" and "beast" subcategories, will be featured in a 2004 color calendar. Winners will receive a limited number of calendars; the rest will be distributed by the sponsors.
Entrants must be age 18 or older. All photos must be taken between Jan. 1, 2002, and Sept.30, 2003 and must be submitted in 35-mm slide or large-format transparency format. Please limit the number of slides to six per photographer.
An official contest entry form must accompany each slide submitted. Forms are available by calling the St. Louis River Citizens Action Committee at 733-9520 or visiting its Web site at www.stlouisriver.org .
The entry postmark deadline is Sept. 30. Entries should be mailed to Lake Superior Photo Contest 2003, St. Louis River Citizens Action Committee, 394 Lake Avenue South, Duluth, MN 55802. No entries will be returned.
