PaSNAPsco
PaSNAPsco is a photo contest open to any amateur or professional photographer except employees, former employees, Board Members, or Advisory Committee members of Patapsco Heritage Greenway. Photo entries are submitted into one of six categories that highlight the places, nature, history, activities and culture of the Patapsco Valley Heritage Area.
Awards for the PaSNAPsco contest are sponsored by The Rogers Family of Ellicott City and the project is made possible through support from the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority.
All entries must be submitted by November 1, 2026.
Questions? Contact Gaelyn Mitchell at marketing@patapsco.org
- All photographs must be taken within the Patapsco Valley Heritage Area. View the Patapsco Valley Heritage Area guide or boundary map for eligible locations.
- Photographs must have been shot by the entrant after November 1, 2025.
- A maximum of three (3) entries per photographer are allowed.
- Entries must be accompanied by a completed PaSNAPsco Contest Entry Form to be submitted below.
- Entries may be either prints or digital images in color or black and white.
- Images must be in landscape (horizontal) orientation to fit the format of our annual PaSNAPsco calendar.
- Each photograph must be adequately identified, as detailed below.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Entries where it is determined that the subject matter was photographed via trespassing onto private property will be disqualified from the contest. Railroad tracks are private property. It is very dangerous to walk on or stand near railroad tracks. Photographs of the valley’s railroads must be shot from a safe distance.
Entrants must place their photos in one of the six categories listed below. The judges reserve the right to re-categorize any entry.
Step Back
Capture sites that showcase the unique history of the Patapsco Valley Heritage Area.
Get Out
Photograph people enjoying recreational activities, e.g., cycling, hiking, fishing, etc.
Nature Nurtures
Capture the plants and wildlife that call the Patapsco Valley Heritage Area home.
Valley Views
Depict landscapes, waterscapes, the natural river, and streams—anything that depicts the beauty of the seasons and the unique natural environment of the Patapsco Valley Heritage Area.
Sights, Sounds, and Streetscapes
Capture the energy of Main Streets like Catonsville and Ellicott City, along with performances, arts festivals, cultural events, and creative expressions across the region
Aspiring Photographer (Student)
A special category for students grades K to 12 only. Topics above are encouraged as subject matter.
Digital Entries:
- Submit digital images as uploaded files using the form below
- All images must be submitted as high-resolution JPEG or TIFF files.
- Each photo must be at least 8×10 inches (or 2400×3000 px) at 300 dpi.
- Total file size for a single submission cannot exceed 16 MB. If your combined files are larger, please submit separate entries for each.
- Digital images can have minimal manipulation such as cropping and exposure adjustments, but no cutting and pasting or other advanced techniques that create end products that do not reflect the scene as it appeared in reality.
- Images created using generative AI are not eligible for entry.
Print Entries:
- Prints must be 5 x 7 inches or 8 x 10 inches on photographic paper.
- Do not send matted, mounted or framed prints.
- Do not send negatives.
- The photographer’s name and photograph title must be printed on a sticky note attached to the back of each print.
- Do not write directly on the print (front or back).
- Photographs, regardless of medium, will not be returned. Do not send your only copy of a photograph.
- PHG is not responsible for any material lost, damaged, or misdirected in the mail.
If you prefer to submit entries by mail, send to:
PaSNAPsco Photo Contest | Patapsco Heritage Greenway
PO Box 96, Ellicott City, MD 21043
OR email to info@patapsco.org
Photo Release: Photos containing recognizable people must be accompanied by authorization in the "Additional Information" field acknowledging that the subject (or a parent or legal guardian if the subject is under 18 years of age) authorizes the submission and use of the photo.
Photographer’s Rights: Each photographer will retain all rights to any photograph submitted – including ownership if applicable – other than those rights licensed in the next sentence.
By entering the Contest, each photographer hereby grants PHG a nonexclusive, worldwide, irrevocable, royalty-free license to reproduce, distribute, publicly display the photographs submitted to PHG, and (ii) the right to use the photographer’s name, city and state of residence in promotions and other publications.
Entries will be judged on the basis of creativity, photographic quality, and effectiveness in conveying the beauty and/or unique character of the Patapsco Valley Heritage Area within the contest categories.
A panel will judge the entries and all contest decisions are final.
One winner will be selected in each of the six categories identified above. One Best of Patapsco will also be selected. A People’s Choice award will be selected via social media
Honorable mentions will be awarded at the discretion of the judges.
Winners will be announced in late Fall.
The winning photographs with appropriate credit will appear in the annual PaSNAPsco calendar and on the Patapsco Heritage Greenway website.
Winners will receive 5 copies of the calendar and cash prizes below:
- Best of Patapsco – $200
- Category Winners – $100
- People’s Choice – $100
