The Crookston Chamber’s 3rd Annual Photo contest got underway Monday and will run through August 1. Chamber Executive Director Terri Heggie said photos from the contest are used to help promote Crookston through the lens of community members. “We utilize the images that people are out and about taking in the community and the area surrounding Crookston for the marketing of Crookston,” said Heggie. “For example, we use it on our Google page, Facebook, website, and other material that may get published out of the Chamber office for marketing outside the area. Last year, it was kind of exciting to have one of the pictures picked as the cover of the Yellowbook phone book. That was a beautiful image of a sunflower that Preston Hoiseth took.”
The Chamber Board will select the top 20 images from submissions, and then the community will vote for the four winners said, Heggie. “The first year that we did this, we had over 80 submissions of photos,” said Heggie. “Last year was similar in size, and we put it to a voting contest. This year, the Chamber Board will pick out the top 20 images, and we’ll let the public vote on the top four.”
Photos should be submitted to the Chamber’s Facebook explains Heggie. “We do have a designated spot on the Chamber Facebook page where we want all images submitted,” said Heggie. “We also need to know the location so we can make sure that it is in the Crookston area or just the surrounding area. And if the image is used in the future for any marketing, we want to know the area the image was from. You don’t have to be a professional photographer. I’d say 80 percent of the images submitted the first and second year were taken with a cell phone.”
Those without a Facebook page can submit their photos by email to theggie@visitcrookston.com. The rules for the photo contest are available on the Chamber’s Facebook page, and website, and any additional questions can be directed to the Crookston Chamber office at 281-4320.
