Park County Travel Council Offering a “Bounty for Beauty”

Local shutterbugs can cash in on their best local photos and videos as the Park County Travel Council seeks beautiful images to bring visitors to the area.

The Park County “Gram Slam” is an open call for submissions from area amateur and professional photographers and videographers. Thanks to the 2020 C.A.R.E.S. Act, the Travel Council has up to $10,000 available to purchase photos and videos for use in national marketing efforts.

“We have tons of great photos and videos highlighting the major front-facing attractions throughout Park County,” said Travel Council Executive Director Ryan Hauck.“Now, as we are working to also make potential visitors more aware of our great outdoor recreation and backcountry opportunities, we’re looking to build a library of work we can use to showcase the best natural beauty our area has to offer,” Hauck said. “This will help us disperse visitors to less-crowded areas and build our winter, spring, and fall seasons when things aren’t as busy.”

Ryan Hauck only recently began his tenure as the new director of the Park County Travel Council. He started earlier this year, replacing long-time director Claudia Wade.

Courtesy Park County Travel Council

The Park County Gram Slam is looking for photos of “hidden gems” throughout the county – hard-to-reach places, wildlife, and scenery are all eligible for consideration.

Rather than hiring a professional company to collect photos, the Park County Travel Council is hoping locals will provide their perspective thru the lens of their cameras. Hauck believes the best shots will come from the people who already know and love these scenic places and activities.

“Our board believes no one else knows and loves places like Kirwin, the Thorofare, Upper Sunlight Basin, the Wood River, and all our other beautiful remote spots like residents do,” Hauck said. “So we’re asking locals especially to send us their most beautiful photos and videos—the kind of stuff they share on Instagram with their friends—so we can show off those secret treasures to visitors.”

The Travel Council is looking for images that highlight two aspects of the county- lesser-known locales and outdoor recreation.

Image ideas from the Park County Travel Council include:

• Climbing
• Kayaking
• Stand-up paddle-boarding
• Mountain biking
• Ice climbing
• Backpacking
• Yoga
• Skiing/boarding
• Snowmobiling
• Fishing
• Hunting
• Boating
• “just about anything outside with cute pets and kids.”

At the end of the submission period – Oct. 29 – Travel Council members will pick their favorite images. The photographer behind winning images will get a “bounty” of $250 to $500 for their spectacular work.

Furthermore, contributors will still own their own photos. But the Travel Council will be allowed to use them in marketing Park County as a travel destination.

Hauck said the Park County Gram Slam isn’t a contest or sweepstakes – anyone who submits work is eligible for consideration.

However, participants should submit high-resolution still photos or high-definition videos 5-20 seconds in length. Submission guidelines and additional details are available at codyyellowstone.org or email PCTCgramslam@gmail.com for assistance.