LIGONIER, Pa., (Feb. 7, 2019) – The Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau® (LHVB) invites photographers to enter the 2019 Laurel Highlands Photo Contest.

A panel of judges will select the top images, which will be published in the bureau’s 2020 Destination Guide, on www.laurelhighlands.org and displayed in special exhibits at high-profile locations in the Laurel Highlands. First place in each of the four categories will receive $500; second place, $200; and third place, $100. Winning photos may also be featured on the bureau’s social media, billboards and more.

Only photos taken in the Laurel Highlands (Pennsylvania’s Fayette, Somerset, or Westmoreland counties) will be eligible. Use of watermarks on the photo is prohibited. Photo entry categories include:

  • Category 1: People
  • Category 2: Plants and Animals (Nature)
  • Category 3: Places (Attractions and Landscapes)
  • Category 4: Special Events and Festivals

Please attach one high-quality image per submission. Participants may submit an unlimited number of images for the contest. Photos of private property are not eligible. Black and white photos will not be accepted. Only high-quality digital photo submissions will be accepted for the contest.

Deadline for submissions is July 31, 2019. Please name files as such: "Photographer's Name, Photograph Location, Town Name" (ex: John Smith, Living Treasures Animal Park, Donegal)

For complete details and to upload photos for consideration, please visit www.laurelhighlands.org/about-us/photo-contest/ or call (724) 238-5661.

The LHVB congratulates the 2018 Photo Contest winners, whose images are featured in the 2019 Laurel Highlands Destination Guide and have been used in the bureau’s tourism marketing efforts. 

Category 1: People

  • First place | Rusty Glessner of State College, photo of Ohiopyle State Park
  • Second place | Amber Hebenthal of Pleasant Unity, photo of Laurel Hill State Park
  • Third place | Suzanne Enos of Somerset, photo of Somerset Historical Center

Category 2: Places

  • First place | Carolyn Anderson of New Alexandria, photo of Keystone State Park
  • Second place | Brandon Hirt of Ebensburg, photo of Quemahoning Reservoir
  • Third place | Diana Sanner of Rockwood, photo of Laurel Hill State Park

Category 3: Plants and Animals

  • First place |Courtney Burnsworth of Mill Run, photo of cat in Ohiopyle
  • Second place | Linda Seanor of Berlin, photo of bird at Laurel Hill State Park
  • Third place | Paul Valerio of Irwin, photo of bee and waterlily at Seven Springs Mountain Resort

About Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands
A magnificent mountainous region, the Laurel Highlands spans 3,000 square miles in southwestern Pennsylvania. Located an hour east of Pittsburgh, the beautiful four-season destination offers spectacular natural scenery, outstanding outdoor recreation, historic sites and attractions, family activities and world-class resorts. Notable destinations within the region include four architectural masterpieces by Frank Lloyd Wright – Fallingwater®, Kentuck Knob, Mäntylä and Duncan House – Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, Seven Springs Mountain Resort, Flight 93 National Memorial, Idlewild and Soak Zone, whitewater rafting at Ohiopyle State Park and more.

Located within 200 miles of the major metropolitan areas of Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Cleveland and Washington D.C., the Laurel Highlands can be easily accessed from exits 67, 75, 91 and 110 of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Visitors to the Laurel Highlands can find information online at www.LaurelHighlands.org, calling 724.238.5661, www.facebook.com/laurelhighlandsPA and www.twitter.com/laurelhighlands. Established in 1958, the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau is the official destination marketing organization for Fayette, Somerset and Westmoreland counties in southwestern Pennsylvania.

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