Summer Photo Contest
Calling all amateur photographers! Do you enjoy taking pictures when you go for a hike? Summer is a great time to see our world in a different light. Capture the beauty around you and the magic of the season with changing landscapes of places, wildlife, and people. We invite you to capture a photograph of the unique look of a summer season during your adventures in Stark Parks during these months. Pictures must be taken at a Stark Parks trail or park.
Contest runs from June 1 to Sept. 11, 2026
Who can enter?
Anyone. The Photo Contest is open to amateur/hobby photographers only. A professional photographer is defined as one whose primary source of income (50% or more) results from his/her photographic work.
Age Classes:
Youth: 9-13 and 14-17
Adult: 18+
Categories:
Wildlife: Any living wild organism spotted at the parks. No pets, domestic animals, farm animals, or captive/non releasable wildlife. This also includes animal ambassadors on display at the Wildlife Conservation Center. Baiting wildlife is not permitted or legal.
Landscape/Scenery: May be any sights or views around the parks. Photos could also focus on park structures, plants, and trees.
People Enjoying Nature: Patrons enjoying park activities. Examples include biking, running, hiking, fishing, etc. Permission of photo subject must be obtained and a signature must be included in the photo release waiver.
Rules
Photos must be taken in Stark Parks.
- Photos must be taken between the time frame of June 1, 2026 through Sept. 11, 2026.
- Participants can submit one photo per category or three photos total. Participants may only win first place in one category.
- Only minor editing is acceptable such as brightness, contrast, saturation, cropping, greyscale, etc. The picture should best represent the natural beauty of nature without major computer manipulation.
- Stark Parks employees may not enter the contest.
- Drone photography will not be accepted.
- Stark Parks retains the right to reject inappropriate photo entries (ex: breaking Stark Parks rules/regulations to obtain a photo, excessive editing, etc.)
- Photos with signatures, watermarks and time stamps will not be accepted.
- Winners will be notified by provided phone number or email address.
- Photo submission MUST be accompanied by a signed waiver and all other information found in the How to Enter section.
Judging and Prizes
A panel of 3 judges (professional photographers) will judge the entries based on creativity, quality, originality, representation of the park, and overall impact. All decisions are nondiscriminatory and final.
Top three place winners will receive a unique and personalized award.
People’s Choice: All photos will be displayed on Facebook and the single photo with the most likes will win the People's Choice Award.
How to Enter
To register, send an email to photocontest@starkparks.com with the following information and attachments. All information must be present for the submission to count.
- First and Last Name
- Email Address and Phone Number
- Age Category (9-13, 14-17, 18+)
- Photo Category of Consideration
Wildlife: Any living wild organism spotted at the parks. No pets, domestic animals, farm animals, or captive/non releasable wildlife. Baiting in wildlife is not permitted or legal. Landscape/Scenery: May be any sights or views around the parks. Photos could also focus on park structures, plants, and trees. People Enjoying Nature: Patrons enjoying park activities. Examples include hiking, biking, running, fishing, birding, kayaking, etc. Permission of photo subject must be obtained and a signature must be included in the photo release waiver. - Park or Trail location where photo(s) taken
- Date photo was taken
- Name of photo
- Attach high-resolution .jpg image(s)
- Attach signed photo release waiver. If you are unable to scan the waiver on a computer or phone, you can drop off the physical form at the Exploration Gateway. 5712 12th St. NW, Canton, OH 44708
