The Friends of Rowntree Park have launched this year’s photography competition. Steven Lewis finds out more about capturing the beauty of the park.

IT WAS York’s first municipal park and, many would say, perhaps its best. Rowntree Park was donated to the people of the city by Joseph Rowntree in 1921 as a lasting memorial to the 200 Rowntree workers who died or suffered during the First World War.

Today it is a popular public park, with children’s play area, lake, sculptures, formal gardens, tennis courts, skate park, and an open-air performance space encircled by trees.

As the photographs on these pages show, there are many faces to the park. Now the people of York are being invited to take part in a photography competition to capture memorable moments in the park’s life.

The Rowntree Park Photography Competition 2012, organised by the Friends of Rowntree Park, is open to anyone with an interest in the park and a love of photography.

To give you an idea of the kind of picture organisers are looking for, all the photographs on these pages were winners or runners up in the competition in previous years.

Organisers are looking for photographs that capture something unusual: a moment, perhaps, that no one else has noticed and the theme for this year’s competition is beauty in the park.

It has deliberately been kept as broad as possible, said Graham Smith, a biologist and member of the Friends of Rowntree Park, who is jointly organising the competition with professional photographer Terence Michael.

“We are just looking for nice images,” said Graham. “If people want to interpret the theme as close-ups of flowers or insects, great. We’re looking for something that no one has noticed before, or stopped to capture on camera. Just something that attracts your attention, that gives you that feeling that makes you think ‘Oh, I like that’.”

There are three categories for this year’s competition: under 16s, amateurs and enthusiasts.

Organisers have created two adult categories, so that amateurs and beginners have a real chance of winning or doing well.

Graham said: “You can take a great photograph with your camera settings on automatic, just by pointing and shooting. You just need to have an eye for something.”

All entries will be exhibited at the Rowntree Park birthday party on July 14 and the winner in each category will receive a prize, courtesy of York Digital Image: a professional block on which to mount a photograph of your choice or, for the winner of the enthusiast category – which is for more experienced photographers – a studio shoot worth £50.

The deadline for entries is noon on June 30. So get snapping…

How to enter

Entry is free to members of the Friends of Rowntree Park, or £5 to non-members. Payment of your entry fee entitles you to membership for a year.

All entries, up to three per person, must be submitted to 24 Grange Street, York, YO10 4BH, by noon on June 30. Submit each as a print, with a minimum size of 6x4 inches. A short-list will be drawn up in each category, and the winners will be chosen by the Lord Mayor.

All submitted photographs will be on display at the Rowntree Park birthday party on July 14, when the winners will be announced.

For more details, visit photocomp@rowntreepark.org.uk