Photographers across the Shoals region are invited to take part in the 2026 Shoals 250th Photo Contest, celebrating local history and America’s upcoming 250th anniversary.
The contest is organized by the Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area and features a new theme and extended entry window designed to encourage creativity and participation across multiple seasons.
Submissions are being accepted now through 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28, with winning photos scheduled to be displayed in an exhibit hosted in partnership with Florence Arts and Museums from Oct. 12 through Nov. 13.
This year’s theme, “Landmarks and Legacy,” invites photographers to capture images that reflect northwest Alabama’s history while recognizing the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Jessie Johnson, Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area program coordinator, said organizers updated the annual contest based on feedback from participants.
“We’ve had so many great entries in past years that we wanted to offer our local photographers something new,” Johnson said. “We’ve made some changes in the contest — adding a theme, emphasizing creativity and giving photographers a long window of opportunity — that we hope will get our entrants excited about going in a different direction.”
Johnson said the theme also ties the contest to the national America250 initiative marking the semiquincentennial of the United States.
“Even though Alabama was not a state 250 years ago when the Declaration of Independence was signed, we hope our entrants can capture the spirit of America’s beginnings through this year’s ‘Landmarks and Legacy’ theme,” Johnson said. “We can’t wait to see the results.”
Photos must be taken within MSNHA’s six-county region — Colbert, Franklin, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone and Morgan counties — and must have been captured within the past 18 months. Entries are submitted digitally through an online form that asks photographers to explain how their image reflects the contest theme.
Judging will be based on creativity (50%), quality (30%) and relevance to the theme (20%). Cash prizes will be awarded, and selected images will be professionally matted and displayed in the fall exhibit.
Organizers say participants may submit multiple entries as long as each photo includes a separate entry form.
More information about contest rules and submissions is available through the Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area website.
