Foothills Forum and the Rappahannock News are inviting photographers to showcase the people, places and moments that make Rappahannock County unique in the second annual Community Photo Contest.

Last year’s inaugural contest drew submissions from across the county and culminated in a community gallery reception that brought together photographers, readers and residents to celebrate local perspectives through photography. We hope to build on last year’s success with another collection of images that reflects life in the county.

Whether it’s a striking portrait, a depiction of farm life, a creative, abstract image or a photo that tells a compelling local story, we’re looking for images that capture our community. Entries will be judged in six categories: Best in Show, Portrait, Abstract/Pictorial, Agriculture/Farm, Picture and Story, and Budding Photographer for participants under age 18.

Winning photographs will be featured online and in print in the Rappahannock News and displayed at a community gallery reception in September. An independent panel of judges will select winners in each category, including Best in Show awards with cash prizes of $125 for first place, $75 for second place and $50 for third place.

Photographs must have been taken within the past year (June 2025 or sooner) and may not have been entered in last year’s contest. For contest rules, category descriptions and to submit a photo, visit: https://tinyurl.com/RN-FF-PhotoContest 

Category descriptions:

Best in Show
Awarded to the overall strongest photographs in the contest, regardless of category. Judges will consider creativity, technical quality, composition, originality and impact.

Cash prizes for this category are:

1st place: $125

2nd place: $75

3rd place: $50

Portrait
A photograph that captures the personality, character or emotion of a person or group of people. Portraits may be posed or candid.

Abstract/Pictorial
Creative and artistic images that emphasize design, color, light, texture, pattern, mood or perspective. Photographs in this category may be interpretive rather than documentary.

Agriculture/Farm
Images that showcase the agricultural heritage and rural life of Rappahannock County. Subjects may include farms, barns, livestock, crops, farmers at work and agricultural traditions or scenes. 

Picture and Story
A photograph paired with a caption that helps tell a compelling story about a person, place, event or moment in the community. Judges will consider both the strength of the image and how effectively the caption adds context, meaning or narrative.

Budding Photographer

A category celebrating the overall winner from entries entered by children under 18 years old.

Best Budding Photographer, People’s Choice 2025: “Grain of Wheat” by Allison Baldwin, Amissville, Va.