COLUMBIA – Photographers of all ages are invited to help tell the story and share the beauty of South Carolina’s state parks in a year-long photo contest on the State Park Service Web site at www.SouthCarolinaParks.com.

The grand prize in the 75th anniversary photo contest is an Edisto folding kayak outfitted with a special fish and photo package – a $2,500 value donated by Folbot North America in Charleston (www.folbot.com). The grand prize winner will be selected from the Best of Show winners from each division - professional, amateur and student. Best of Show winners will receive prizes such as a state park cabin overnight getaway, a multimedia storage viewer or a digital point-and-shoot camera.

Monthly prizes – including State Park Passports and more – will be awarded in each division. Subject categories include mammals, birds, other wildlife, plants and “connecting people to South Carolina state parks.” The latter category can include anything from the wide range of activities – from paddling to picnicking and fishing to birdwatching – that have made the parks an integral part of South Carolina life since the first were built in the 1930s.

The contest runs from May 1, 2008, to April 30, 2009. The judging panel will include professional photographers and staff members from the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism, the Park Service’s parent agency.

Winning and other selected entries will be displayed on the Web site during the year to help showcase the photographers’ work and the natural, cultural and historic sights and activities that more than 7 million visitors a year now enjoy at South Carolina’s 47 state parks.

For complete details on the photo contest, including rules and prizes, go to http://www.comeoutandplay.net/photo-gallery/contest-intro.aspx/. Or begin the journey by going to www.SouthCarolinaParks.com and click on the “Come Out and Play” logo for complete information about all that’s going on during the state parks’ 75th anniversary year.

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