The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, in partnership with the 8th Annual Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition is excited to announce this year’s Share the Journey Category theme; The Parkway Tree Project.

The areas comprising the Blue Ridge Parkway boast nearly 100 tree species that contribute to ecological zones of unsurpassed diversity. The Parkway Tree Project seeks to bring greater public awareness to the rich natural resources of the region and to document significant trees that contribute to the character, environment, and/or aesthetic of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Photographers are encouraged to capture images of trees along the Blue Ridge Parkway that stand out as the most beautiful, the oldest or largest, trees that tell a story or have a place in history, and those that are unique for their shape, species or character.

Those submitting images to the Parkway Tree Project will be asked to identify the tree species, document the tree’s location (e.g. GPS coordinates, Mile Post, or other identifying indicators of the tree’s location), and describe in a short story of a paragraph or more why the photographed tree is of particular significance.

Entries will be judged on impact, subject matter, center of interest, and storytelling – effectively sharing the journey by celebrating trees along the Parkway.

The 8th Annual Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition (AMPC) APMC is open for registration and submissions on Friday, September 17. Amateur and professional photographers 13 years of age and older are encouraged to submit at www.appmtnphotocomp.org prior to the competitions close at 5pm on Friday, December 17, 2010.

The Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition offers seven separate categories for submissions and $4,000 in cash and prizes. Competition categories include: Adventure; Blue Ridge Parkway Vistas and Share the Journey; Culture; Our Ecological Footprint; Flora and Fauna; and Landscape. A panel of professional photographers is tasked with reviewing all entries and narrowing them down to approximately forty-six that will hang in exhibition at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, February 4 through June 4, 2011.

For more information visit www.appmtnphotocomp.org

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Take your own amazing Parkway photos! Whether it’s the wildlife you’re interested in or the spectactular vistas, learn to take pictures like the pros! Visit the Blue Ridge Book Store for books on photography and more!