Charlotte, NC –  Partners for Parks and the Carolinas' Nature Photographers Association invite photographers to enter the 2008-2009 "The Nature of Mecklenburg" Photography Contest and "juried photography exhibition" to benefit Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department and Partners for Parks. Partners for Parks is a private, non-profit organization which promotes parks, greenways and open space in Mecklenburg County. 

Photographers may submit as many as three photograph prints for the competition, for each entry fee of $15. Entries must be received at the office of Partners for Parks, 5841 Brookshire Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28216 (in the Park and Recreation Administrative Office Building) no later than July 15, 2009.  A panel of jurors will choose contest-winning photos and others to be displayed in the exhibition. The decisions of the jurors will be final, and winners will be notified by September 1, 2009. Winners must also provide electronic versions of winning photos.

Photographs may be taken, by amateurs or professionals, in any of Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation's parks, nature preserves, playgrounds, or greenways. Pictures must be taken between September 15, 2008 and July 15, 2009.  Photos may be entered one of the following categories: Plant Life, Landscapes/Scenic, People in Parks, and Wildlife.

Prizes will be:

• First Place Overall: $300 cash (One prize awarded)
• Second Place:  $150 Gift Certificate to Biggs Camera  (Four awards, one in each category)
• Third Place: $100 (Four awards, one in each category)
• Honorable Mention:  (As many as 35 images to be displayed at exhibition)

This competition is co-sponsored by Partners for Parks, the Charlotte Region of the Carolinas' Nature Photographers Association, and Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department. The Park and Recreation Department will retain the right to use entry photos to promote its facilities and activities. Partners for Parks may reproduce and sell photos to support its programs and activities.

Jurors for the contest and exhibition will be:

• Joe Ciarlante:  Director of the photography program, Art Institute of Charlotte
• Jane Faircloth, Owner Transparencies Inc, a Photo Stock Agency
• Dennis Kiel, Curator of The Light Factory
• Bert Fox:  Director of Photography for the Charlotte Observer

For complete details and rules, check  www.cnpa-charlotte.org or www.partnersforparks.org.