The Nature of the South
Photographs of Nature in the Rural South
Call for Entries
The Griffin chapter of the Georgia Nature Photographers Association invites submissions for The Nature of the South, a juried photographic exhibit to be held during September 2025. The Nature of the South will hang in the 1828 Coffee Company in Zebulon, GA. Each September for the past 20 years, Zebulon has hosted a nationally recognized weekend of photography and art exhibits at multiple locations. The focal point of the weekend is a juried exhibit of photos of the rural south. This year’s festival takes place September 19-21.
What We’re Looking For
We are looking for images—black and white or color—that capture the flora, fauna, light, texture, and visual complexity of nature in a contemporary rural southern setting. It might be the misty light, the iconic wildlife, or the lush vegetation—but there’s something instantly recognizable about a Southern rural nature scene. We want to see your personal photographic expression of that scene. Entries may be edited to remove distracting objects such as telephone wires, signs, etc. Composite pictures are not allowed. There are no limitations regarding capture date but the location must be southern, keeping with the theme of the exhibit.
Our Jurors
Jurors for The Nature of the South will be John Lawrence, Professor Emeritus of Photography and Design at LaGrange College, and Wes Cochran, owner of the Cochran Gallery in LaGrange, GA. Mr. Lawrence, a retired professor at LaGrange College, is the director of the Lamar Dodd Art Center of LaGrange College, where he joined the faculty in 1970 after earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Atlanta College of Art and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Tulane University. Mr. Cochran opened the Cochran Gallery in LaGrange in 2007 where he continues to curate and host many different exhibits each year. He and his wife, Missy, have a personal art collection that has been shown in over 200 museums, including the Carlos Museum at Emory University
There will be a jurors’ talk on The Nature of the South at the 1828 Coffee Company on Tuesday, September 30th at 6:30PM
How to Enter
The exhibit is only open to members of GNPA. It will be limited to a select group of no more than 35-40 images. Images must be submitted through the GNPA web site using GNPA’s Zealous account. There will be a nonrefundable entry fee of $30 per 4 images. Images must be JPG format and must be no more than 1200px on the long side. Please export all metadata, but do not include any metadata (e.g. copyright) on the photo itself. File names must be in the format: LEVEL (1 or 2)-Title.jpg. For Example: 1-Field Of Flowers.jpg or 2-My Southern View.jpg. Rename your file before uploading it to Zealous. Do not put your name in the filename. It is important to follow the rules or your image may be disqualified. Photographers may enter in either of two photographer levels:
LEVEL 1 – First-time: Photographers active fewer than 5 years who have not previously had a framed photo in a GNPA exhibit.
LEVEL 2 – Experienced: All other photographers.
Judges will award first, second, and third place recognition in each category. There will also be a People’s Choice winner. Prize money will be announced to those with photos accepted in the exhibit.
Entrants whose images have been selected will be notified on August 1, 2025. Show dates are September 1-30, 2025.
Submissions are now closed on this exhibit.
Photographs Accepted
Framed, matted images with acrylic (not glass) glazing are limited in size to 26 inches on the long side. They should be delivered or shipped to University of Georgia Extension Office; 403 East Solomon St.; Griffin, GA 30223 to arrive between August 18 and August 28, 2025. Daily office hours are 8AM to 12PM and 1PM to 5PM. Shipped images MUST include a prepaid return shipping label. Images not returned via shipping will be available for pick-up at the same location between October 7 and October 17. More detailed information is available on Zealous [HERE] and will also be provided to accepted applicants.
Key Dates
6/24 — Submissions open
7/15 — Submissions close
8/1 — Judging closes; notification of acceptance and non-acceptance.
8/14 through 8/28 — photos delivered to 403 E Solomon St, Griffin GA
9/1 through 9/30 — photos hang in 1828 Coffee Shop, Zebulon GA
9/19 through 9/21 — weekend of several photo exhibits in Zebulon and Concord GA.
9/30 at 6:30PM – jurors’ presentation at 1828 Coffee Company
10/3 through 10/17 — pick up photos at 403 E Solomon St, Griffin GA, or arrange return shipment that will be done in this timeframe.
More Information
For Questions on the Contest:
Neal McEwen, David Shively, Liz Esarove at: Griffin@GNPA.org
For Technical Questions on Zealous:
Jamie Anderson: Jamie@CoastalGeorgiaPrints.com
NOTES on using Zealous…
- If you haven’t used Zealous before, you’ll need your own (free) login ID/credentials on the ZEALOUS platform. You can do this now at co.
- Once you have your own (free) ZEALOUS login ID/credentials, then login on the GNPA website with your GNPA login credentials and follow the link shown above to the contest on the ZEALOUS platform. The link above will only appear if you are a GNPA Member and are logged into org.
- Click the [APPLY] button on the ZEALOUS site to begin submitting your entries, one at a time. Submit only one photo at a time into one Tier Level Category at a time.
- Once you submit and pay for an image, click [SUBMIT AGAIN] to continue submitting entries. If you don’t see [SUBMIT AGAIN], go back to the link in step (2) and click [APPLY] to keep submitting entries.
- You can pay for all your entries when submitting your first entry. ZEALOUS will keep track of how many entries you have left that you have already paid for.
- You can VIEW/EDIT your entries in your ZEALOUS dashboard on the SUBMISSIONS tab up until the time Submissions close.
- You should see your entry(s) on your Zealous SUBMISSIONS tab. If you do not, then try reloading the page. If you still do not see all of them, then try submitting them again.