Some things just seem to go together – like buttermilk biscuits and butter, chocolate chip cookies and milk, pancakes and syrup (yes, as a matter of fact, I am hungry, why do you ask?). Kentucky State Parks and cameras are another match made in Heaven. Visiting one of these parks without your camera would be like approaching a cheesecake without a fork.
Another food analogy. Sigh. This girl has got to get something to eat.
Although this event has expired, there is always something to see and do in Kentucky. Visit our Kentucky Events page for up to the minute happenings and be sure to check out our Things to Do in Kentucky page.
One of our state’s most scenic parks, Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park, will host its Photography Weekend April 19-21, 2013 and I can’t imagine a more beautiful place to work magic with a camera. God’s done all the hard work – all we have to do is point and click!
The contest boundaries are the boundaries of the park and Pennyrile State Forest. Photographs may be taken anywhere within the state park and state forest. The categories of the contest vary, but they will always have a nature emphasis such as wildlife, landscape and water.
Participants turn in one photo per category and should bring their own camera. Registration is $35. Register at least one week before the event and get a $5 discount. Children 16 and under pay just $10. The park offers a 10 percent discount on lodging available. New this year: Participants can register online at: https://secure.kentucky.gov/formservices/Parks/photography
Contestants may begin taking photos as soon as they check in on Friday. Check-in begins at 2 p.m. Participants will be divided into three divisions: master, intermediate, and point-and-shoot. Participants in the master division have sold their works before; those in the intermediate division have a SLR camera, but are hobby photographers; and point-and-shoot participants use cameras that do not have detachable lenses. Children may compete in any of the three divisions.
This year’s speaker and judge will be Lori Kincaid. She is an internationally recognized nature photographer specializing in landscapes and flora of the Southern Appalachians. Her photography has been exhibited in national and regional venues, including the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, and featured in regional, national, and international publications and events.
Evening programs will be held at 8 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday. The Friday night program will be an introduction to the competition. The Saturday night program will be Landscape and Close-up Photography: From Mastering the Craft to Making the Art by Lori Kincaid. The weekend will end at approximately noon Sunday after the awards ceremony and slide show of the weekend’s photographs.
The resort is 20 miles northwest of Hopkinsville, on KY 109 North. From the Western Kentucky Parkway, exit at Dawson Springs and take KY 109 South.
Named for the tiny pennyroyal plant found in the woodlands surrounding this resort, Pennyrile Forest is the perfect back-to-nature hideaway. The rustic wood and stone Pennyrile Lodge, with 24 rooms, sits serenely on a high cliff overlooking Pennyrile Lake. Open year-round, the park has 12 cottages located in the wooded lodge area and on the shores of Pennyrile Lake. The restaurant seats 200, including a private dining room for up to 80. The campground has facilities for tent, RV, and horse campers. The campground features utility hookups, a dump station, and one central service building with showers, restrooms and a laundry. The park also has an 18-hole golf course with a pro shop, riding carts, pull carts and rental clubs. The course is open year-round, weather permitting. The park also offers hiking trails, fishing and boating, mini-golf, basketball and tennis.
