Can you imagine your photo in Ruralite’s 2022 calendar? Up to 13 readers will enjoy the honor.

It is only April, but this is the official start of our annual photo contest for the 2022 Ruralite calendar. Readers have until July 28 to submit what could be a winning image.

What makes a winner?

Let’s ask Ruralite magazine Editor Mike Teegarden, who has put together the annual calendar and selected the best photos for more than a decade. Mike, by the way, is a photojournalist.

“There’s the wow factor,” says Mike, who pores through thousands of photos each year. “As in, ‘Wow, that is really cool.’”

The 2020 calendar image to the right—which is the January photo in this year’s calendar—illustrates the point.

Here, in a nutshell, are keys to success:

The wow factor. Deliver a picture that is different, that surprises, delights.
Technical quality. It could be the most beautiful photo in the world, but we cannot use it if it is not high resolution.

Shape matters. The photo submitted must be horizontal. Look at the photo in any calendar, and you get the idea. Please do not crop the photo. We need full-size images.

Content matters. Think beautiful places, wildlife, landscapes, scenes full of vivid color, people out doing something in a larger scene. And think about your local geography. We are not looking for world travel photos. What about cellphone photos?

If your phone is less than five years old, you likely can take calendar-worthy pictures. Again, resolution matters, so check your settings.

Up to 13 winners will be selected, each receiving $100. The contest is open to recipients of this magazine. Each person may submit two photos. Each photo submission must include:

  •  Photographer’s name, address and electric utility.
  • A short description of what is shown.
  • Photographer’s email and phone number.
  • Digital JPEG photos only. Photos must be horizontal or landscape format, and at least 300 dpi at 11 inches wide by 9 inches tall. Vertical photos and files larger than 20MB will not be accepted.
  • Send submissions to calendar@ruralite.org. Put “2022 Calendar Photo Contest” in the subject line.