Last year, Jeff Hirsch, a photography teacher who takes people on trips to in hopes of getting the perfect shot, did indeed take the perfect shot.Â
His photo of a Vietnamese worker bundling dyed bamboo sticks that are used in the production of incense won first-place out of nearly 500 entries in our annual Post-Dispatch Travel Photo Contest.
“I’m no professional though,†he says. “My secret superpower is to be able put geek into basic English so photographers and other creatives can understand it ... and then it’s my job to take these people and put them in a position to get great pictures.â€
Hirch, 57, of Ellendale, captured the image on a two-week trip to Vietnam in September 2023 with about eight other photographers.Â
But you don’t have to go on a photography expedition to win our contest. Any amateur from the St. Louis region who traveled outside the area and took a captivating photo could win.
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So it’s time to enter your travel photos, from wherever you went, as long as it meets our criteria. This year, the winner of the Post-Dispatch’s annual travel photo contest could be you. We are accepting entries through Nov. 24.
A panel of Post-Dispatch journalists will choose first-, second- and third-place winners, plus honorable mentions. The winners will be announced and published Dec. 29 in the STL Life section.
The rules
• Deadline for submitting photos is Nov. 24.
• Only one photo may be entered per person.
• Images may be in color or black and white. The photo must have been taken between Nov. 1, 2023, and Nov. 1, 2024.
• It must come from a trip during which the photographer spent a night away from home outside the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ distribution area. This means the photographer must live in our distribution area.
• Cropping is permitted. Minor burning, dodging and/or color corrections are acceptable.
• Photos believed to have been altered or have colors enhanced digitally will be disqualified. Images that combine more than one photograph, have elements digitally added or removed, or feature purposely unnatural colors also are unacceptable.
• Employees of Lee Enterprises and their relatives may not enter.
• Only amateur photographers may enter. Anyone who has sold more than one photograph for publication since January 2023 is considered a professional.
How to enter
• Go to stltoday.com/contests to enter.
• We will NOT accept photos that are mailed or emailed.
• Uploaded images should be 200 dpi and 8 inches across, horizontal or vertical. Eight inches is equivalent to 1,600 pixels, if you prefer to size it that way. Save the photo as a jpg.
• If you have any questions, email abertrand@post-dispatch.com.