Photographers across the state could soon have their photo on the cover of a magazine, but time is running out. Alabama Living is hosting its sixth annual Alabama Living Photo Contest.
This year’s contest features three categories: nature, at play and travels. Participants may submit pictures of animals, insects, scenery, sports, recreation, events and places of interest.
All photos must be submitted to Alabama Living by 11:59 p.m. this Friday, July 7. The winning participant will receive $100 and have their photo on the cover of the magazine’s September issue. Judges will also select additional photographs to show inside the magazine and online.
Allison Law is the managing editor of Alabama Living. She said the goal of the photo contest is to capture the brilliance of everyday Alabamians.
“I just wanted a way to highlight some of the talent that a lot of amateur, everyday people have in photography,” she said. “I think, particularly with the advent of cellphones, a lot of people have picked up [an] interest in photography. We wanted to tap into some of that talent.”
However, Law said the contest does not just benefit photographers; it also benefits Alabama Living and its readers.
“I think it’s one more way for our magazine to further [its] reader engagement,” she said. “We take pride in engaging with our readers. Everything from our recipes, which are submitted by readers, to the little features we have [like] ‘Take Us Along,’ where people take our magazine on vacation with them. That’s what we really have prided ourselves on is being able to engage with our readers. We hear from them all the time.”
The contest is open to all ages. Photographers do not need a professional camera to participate. Though the contest is available to everyone, there are some guidelines and restrictions. Participants may submit no more than two photos per category. This means an applicant can submit up to six pictures in total. All photos must be taken in Alabama. Participants also cannot submit hard copies. All photographs must be submitted to Alabama Living’s website.
Even with guidelines in place, Law said it is hard to have any expectations. She said she is always amazed by what these photographers have to offer.
“Every year I’m surprised by at least one or two photos that just are incredibly eye catching. The composition, the color, the facial expression, any number of things,” she said. “I’ll go to my boss, and I’ll say, ‘I have a cover! You’re going to love this photo.’ … I always get excited thinking, ‘Maybe this next one is going to be really awesome [and] will make everybody want to read more and look at it a little more closely.’”
Law said she hopes everyone interested participates in this year’s contest.
“The old adage [is], ‘You can’t win if you don’t enter,’” she said. “I would encourage anyone who really thinks they have a special photo to go ahead and enter because you just don’t ever know [that] what you have might really shine. Sometimes we don’t give ourselves enough credit if we’re an amateur. We think, ‘Nobody’s going to want to look at that photo.’ But I think all of us have at least one good photo that could be a winner.”
Once the submission process ends Friday, judges will begin sifting through and selecting their favorite photos. Alabama Living will not announce the winners of the contest. Instead, photos will be published in the September issue as well as the website without prior notice.
“It’s kind of like the element of surprise,” Law said. “The winners just open their magazine one day and [they’re] like, ‘That’s my photo! This is so cool.’”
Alabama Living is a Montgomery-based monthly published by the Alabama Rural Electric Association of Cooperatives. It is also the largest circulating lifestyle magazine in the state, reaching more than 415,000 electric cooperative members. In 2019, Alabama Living reached more than 1 million readers every month.
