The Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association (ALBBAA) wants to celebrate the summer vacation season and all of the region’s amazing activities with the second annual Black Belt Road Trip Photo Contest.

The contest launches today and runs through Aug. 15. All photos entered in the 2025 Black Belt Road Trip Photo Contest must be taken in the Black Belt’s 23-county footprint and must include people. Selfies or family photos taken in front of an attraction’s sign are welcome.

ALBBAA wants to see photos showcasing the variety of activities and attractions available throughout the region – everything from outdoor recreation like fishing, hiking and bird watching to enjoying the Black Belt’s lively food and arts scene, and visiting the many historic and cultural sites.

“This contest, only in its second year, is designed to celebrate and highlight the unique experiences available in Alabama’s Black Belt,” ALBBAA Director Pam Swanner said. “I’m looking forward to seeing the photos entered in the contest this year, whether it’s exploring Alabama’s first state capitol at Old Cahawba or whitewater rafting on the Chattahoochee River or hooking a trophy bass. There’s so much to do right here in the Black Belt, and I encourage everyone to be creative.”

The contest will have a first-, second-, and third-place winner. First prize is a $100 gift card, while the second-place finisher will receive a $50 gift card. The third-place winner will receive a gift basket filled with ALBBAA-themed merchandise.

The contest guidelines are similar to other ALBBAA photo contests, including:

– To enter the contest, photos must be uploaded through the ALBBAA website.

– The winners of the contest are selected exclusively through online voting.

– Participants must fully complete the online form with the necessary information, including person (or persons) in the photo and the county where the photo was taken.

– Participants may submit multiple photos, but only one photo per activity or attraction (i.e. camping, hiking, canoeing, birding, dining, art class, festival, Rosa Parks Museum, etc.).

– All photos become the property of ALBBAA and may be used for promotional purposes.

– Visitors to the contest webpage are restricted to voting once per day, per e-mail, per IP address. In the case of any dispute, the decision of ALBBAA officials is final.

Entries can be submitted and votes cast online on the ALBBAA website – https://alabamablackbeltadventures.org/news-more/shoot-the-black-belt/roadtrip-photo-contest/

The ALBBAA reserves the right to approve or disapprove of a submitted photo. Cause for disqualification of a photo can include, but is not limited to, the following:

– The photo content presents the subject in an unethical or disrespectful manner.

– The photo content is perceived to cast a negative perception of the Black Belt, especially if it reflects unfavorably on management of wildlife.

– A voting violation which imposes an unfair advantage to others.

“We can’t wait to see photos of adventures throughout the Black Belt, but everyone must remember – every photo must have a person in it,” Swanner said. “We want to see smiling faces enjoying everything Alabama’s Black Belt has to offer.”

The Black Belt includes the following 23 counties: Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Crenshaw, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Monroe, Montgomery, Perry, Pickens, Pike, Russell, Sumter, Tuscaloosa and Wilcox.

The Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association is committed to promoting and enhancing outdoor recreation and tourism opportunities in the Black Belt in a manner that provides economic and ecological benefits to the region and its citizens. For information, go to www.alabamablackbeltadventures.org.