The Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance (SAACA) and the Town of Fountain Hills are joining forces to capture the essence of life in Fountain Hills.

The announcement of the inaugural “Fountain Hills Photography Competition” will feature landscapes, everyday living, wildlife, dark skies and more.

This creative placemaking project encourages creativity and exploration while illuminating the community through diverse perspectives and eyes. Through this contest, people will be able to see the landscapes, everyday living, wildlife, dark skies, culture, and commerce that make the Fountain Hills community and region.

The Fountain Hills Photography Competition is open to both amateur and professional photographers, allowing them to explore and appreciate the unique landscapes, culture and wildlife in the community. Photographers don’t have to live in Fountain Hills, but all photos must be taken in Fountain Hills. The contest will award cash prizes in multiple categories, publish the winning photographs locally, and showcase the winners through media outreach and social media promotions. Additionally, all winning photos will be displayed on a dedicated website.

The Fountain Hills Photography Competition not only aims to celebrate the town but also provides an opportunity for photographers to showcase their talent. This competition will not only capture images but also help foster a sense of community pride and appreciation for the unique features of Fountain Hills.

Contest entries will be judged on overall quality, creativity, and how well the photograph portrays the Town of Fountain Hills.

2024 CATEGORIES

Category 1: Life in Fountain Hills and surrounding neighbors in Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation and Salt River Pima – Maricopa Indian Community.

Photos should reflect what people do or see every day – photo examples include special events or community celebrations, sports, parades, people taking a walk and having fun, positive aging, children playing, street scenes, town crews at work, etc.

Category 2: Places in Fountain Hills, Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation and Salt River Pima – Maricopa Indian Community, Photo examples include neighborhoods, shopping districts, streets, parks, trails and green spaces, businesses, etc.

Category 3: Plants and Wildlife in Fountain Hills - Photos should reflect the close-up beauty of Fountain Hills - its environment and wildlife.

Category 4: Digitally Altered Artistic Photographic Images - This category is designed for more than just enhanced photographs through digital fine-tuning. Alterations may include using an oil paint effect or significant digital alteration of light and lines. The photographer should describe the digital enhancement or manipulation applied to the image.

Category 5: Youth (entrant/photographer must be under 18) - Photos taken in Fountain Hills, Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, and Salt River Pima – Maricopa Indian Community can reflect any subject matter the entrant wants to submit.

Category 6: Dark Skies - Fountain Hills is designated as an International Dark Sky Community. Photo examples include deep space objects with telescopes, wide fields, moonlit and long exposure landscapes, timelapse and stargazing, panoramas and community members enjoying and experiencing the dark skies.

Learn more and submit photos at fountainhillsphotocompetition.com/

The photo competition is open for community submissions Jan. 23, 2024, through May 1, 2024

Submit entries online at fountainhillsphotocompetition.com/

There is no cost to submit to the competition.