Historic Highway Photo Contest

It's the centennial year of the Historic Columbia River Highway! This fall, we’re celebrating America’s first scenic highway with a photo contest. While inspired by the concurrent Historic Highway Bingo challenge, this photo contest celebrates the entire Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. We're challenging you to capture your best fall shots!

This photo contest is now over. Stay tuned for information about next year's contest!

View 2016 Photo Contest Winners and Honorable Mentions  

Categories

Send us your best photos in the following categories:

• Beauty Spots – Landscapes, waterfalls, and other natural delights throughout the Gorge: The highway’s engineer Samuel Lancaster looked for “beauty spots” in the Columbia River Gorge and found ways to take users to these waterfalls and scenic vistas. Find your own place along the Historic Highway that you find beautiful. Snap a photo and share it on Instagram #gorgebingo or any other way you prefer. Make sure you park your car in an official parking area and stay on the trail when selecting your beauty spot.
• Historic Highway – Bridges, tunnels, architecture, and other places along the Historic Columbia River Highway
• Happy Hikers – You and/or your family and friends enjoying your trail experience! Photos must show hikers, preferably from the front, not behind.
• Youth Photographers – We will be recognizing shutterbugs under 18 years old in all of the above categories.

Above photos by (L-R): Joan Amero, Djambel Unkov, Debbie Askakawa
 

 Contest Rules

• Photos you submit must have been taken by you in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area (see map);
• Photos must be an autumn scene in any year
• Five (5) photographs may be submitted by each photographer for the duration of the contest. If you submit more than five, only the first five submitted will be considered for the contest.
• Please do not submit photos that clearly identify the faces of people not accompanying you.
• People in photos must be demonstrating good stewardship ethics and behaving in a lawful manner. Inappropriate photos will be ineligible for the contest.

Contest Judging

Winning photos will be selected by a committee consisting of volunteer photographers and Friends of the Columbia Gorge staff.
 

Prizes

• A single winner will be selected for each of the three categories (Beauty Spots, Historic Highway, Happy Hikers). Category winners will receive a Columbia Sportswear backpack and a Friends of the Columbia Gorge pint glass.
• One Youth Photographer winner will be selected for each of the three categories.
• Honorable Mention photographers will receive a Friends of the Columbia Gorge pint glass.
• Prize winners will be notified by email to the address from which the photo was submitted or by the method provided for mail entries.

Gorge on Tap in Portland: Winners will be recognized at Friends of the Columbia Gorge’s Gorge on Tap event held on the evening of Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016 in Portland. Winners may claim their prize at this event, but need not be present to win.
 
Get snapping in the Gorge…and have fun!

How to Submit Your Photo

• Photo submissions will be accepted between Sept. 24 and Oct. 31, 2016.
• Please submit photos in the largest file size possible, with no watermarks.
• Preferred method to submit photo(s) is emailing them in .jpg format to gorgepics@gorgefriends.org. In the body of the email, please include the following:
  • Your name and the ZIP code where you reside
  • Date photo(s) were taken
  • A brief description of what each photo depicts
  • The contest category for each photo
  • The approximate location where you took the photo(s) (example: “at Starvation Creek”; “Mosier Twin Tunnels”)

Alternate submission formats:

• Email a link to your photo-hosting page provided that your photo(s) are in their own clearly labeled “Photo Contest” album and can be downloaded at full resolution.
• Save photo(s) to a flash drive  and mail to Historic Highway Bingo Photo Contest, Friends of the Columbia Gorge, 333 SW Fifth Ave., Suite 300, Portland, OR 97204. Please include the above information about each photo, as well as an email address or phone number so that you may be contacted if you are a winner. Flash drives will be returned if a self-addressed, stamped envelope is included.

Important! Please read below.
By submitting a photo, you recognize and agree to the following: Every photo entry that Friends of the Columbia Gorge receives as part of the contest becomes Friends’ property. Friends will have non-exclusive, unlimited use of the photo(s). Use of the photo(s) shall include, but is not limited to, audiovisual programs; websites; social media usage; subscription emails; publications; news releases; public service announcements; and internal communications. Additionally, you waive the right to inspect or approve any use of the material and any right to royalties or other compensation arising or related to the use of the material. We will provide photo credit when Friends’ staff determines it practicable. You still own the image and may use it however you see fit. Submitting photos for the contest implies that you have read and understand these contest rules, intend to have your photo(s) be part of the contest, and understand that the copy of every photo received as part of the contest becomes property of Friends of the Columbia Gorge. Friends of the Columbia Gorge staff, board and committee members and their immediate families are excluded from participation in the photo contest.