Keep Iowa Beautiful 15th annual photography contest

Keep Iowa Beautiful's 15th Annual Photography Contest is in full swing! This annual contest aims at raising awareness of Iowa's natural and environmental beauty.

The two-phase contest ends on Friday, December 13, 2024. Each of the six categories will be awarded $100 for first place, $75 for second place and $50 for third place. 

"This is a great way for Iowans to share what they like about Iowa," said Andy Frantz, Keep Iowa Beautiful Executive Director. "There are six categories to enter your favorite photo of what makes you proud to be an Iowan and captures the beauty and spirit of Iowa," added Frantz. "Again, this year our contest will feature over $2,000 in cash awards." 

In February, the six first-place winners will be featured on Keep Iowa Beautiful's social media for public voting to select the Public Favorite Photo. The winner will receive an additional $100. 

The Robert D. Ray Best of Show Awards, determined by a distinguished panel, will also be announced at that time. The Robert D. Ray Best of Show award amounts are $500 for first place, $250 for second place and $100 for third place. 

The six categories are:

Iowa Landscape: Capture Iowa's beauty through depictions of Iowa's landscape, including but not limited to: farm fields, rolling hills, and wooded forests.

Iowa Water: Feature Iowa's beautiful water systems with depictions of Iowa rivers, streams, ponds and lakes.

Iowa Cities: Iowa's urban centers are hubs of history, culture, and beauty. This category features depictions of Iowa's cities, street scenes, and urban landmarks.

Iowans in Action: This category aims to capture the spirit of Iowa through depictions of the people that live, work, and play in Iowa. All means of action that can be captured: biking, running, fishing, hunting and hiking are but a few.

Iowa Wildlife: Iowa is home to a variety of beautiful critters. This category aims to showcase Iowa's beauty through depictions of Iowa's wildlife animals: mammals, fish, birds, bugs and more!

Hometown Pride: 100+ Iowa towns have participated in our "Hometown Pride" program. This category features depictions of Hometown Pride towns and/or photos of activities by Hometown Pride committees. Please review the list of Hometown Pride towns to see if your photo qualifies.

A $5 fee is required for each photo entered. Contest rules and entry guidelines can be found on Keep Iowa Beautiful's website: https://keepiowabeautiful.org/photography-contest/