By Kristen Huffman
As the leaves change color along Middle Path and the air turns brisk, students are picking up their cameras to capture the beauty of Knox County.
The 16th annual Knox County Nature Photography Contest was one of the Brown Family Environmental Center’s first initiatives.
With the addition of the student division to the BFEC photography contest, Kenyon students now have the opportunity to get involved with the greater community through the arts and celebrate scenic Knox County.
“It’s a great way to involve people of all stripes at the BFEC, bringing them together to appreciate this beautiful place we live in,” Heather Doherty, program manager for the BFEC, said.
The BFEC has partnered with the Gund Gallery and Mount Vernon Nazerene University to provide free photography workshops in the weeks leading up to the contest, as well as publicity for the event.
“We’re looking for scenes of Knox County nature, but the style and specific content is completely open: landscapes or close-ups, literal or abstract ﾅ no need to be an expert,” Doherty said.
The contest is part of a larger effort to garner appreciation for the beauty of Knox County.
“People who live here take pride in the natural beauty that surrounds us, and I think that’s pretty special. ﾅ Taking a photo forces you to slow down and really look, if only for a moment,” Doherty said.
The BFEC organizes a variety of events throughout the year to help students appreciate the surrounding environment and grant them a sense of place at Kenyon.
“In addition to topics like our local food supply, connecting with our natural landscape is a part of the [Kenyon] experience,” Doherty said.
Representatives from the Kenyon Art Department, the Gund Gallery and MVNU will judge the contest.
The winning photographs will be displayed as a slideshow at the BFEC Harvest Festival on Oct. 19, as well as posted on the Harvest Festival’s website and Facebook page.
An increased interest in digital photography contributed to the addition of the student division.
“While the adult and children’s divisions require print entries, we’re asking students to submit digital entries, because we thought that printing would be a significant barrier,” Doherty said.
“Should a student prefer to submit prints, he or she will be entered into the ﾑadult’ division,” Dakota Curry ’16, student representative of the BFEC, said.
Winners will receive a BFEC t-shirt and wall calendar, featuring photographs from the contest.
In addition, there will be a people’s choice selection for the adult and children’s divisions on Saturday, Oct. 13 during the Harvest Festival.
Members of the Kenyon community interested in submitting photographs should email their images to the BFEC by Monday, Oct. 14.
All workshops are free and open to the public.
Kenyon’s workshop will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 2 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the BFEC. There is a 25-person limit per class, so those interested should contact the Gund Gallery at gundgallery@kenyon.edu.
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