We are searching for the Hunter Region’s top amateur photographer. We want to find the best photograph of summer from the region and we are giving away prizes!

You can shoot your pictures with anything from a Box Brownie to an iPhone.

First prize: Nikon D5100 single-lens kit (valued at $749) plus a Lowepro Orion backpack ($99).

Highly commended: Nikon D3200 single-lens kit ($699) plus 300 6x4 prints.

Readers’ choice: TomTom Bandit Action Camera ($399) plus 200 6x4 prints).

You must be a resident of the region to enter the Hunter Photography Prize, and to be eligible your main source of income can’t be derived from photography. By entering, a person is stating the photograph was taken by them and that they own the copyright.

The photographer gives Fairfax and the associated mastheads permission to publish their submitted photographs in any form, including print, online, book, calendar or exhibition. The photographer retains the copyright. Photos must either be taken in the region or feature Hunter people. 

Email a maximum of five photographs as JPEG attachments to hunterphotoprize@fairfaxmedia.com.au.

Entries must include your name, address, phone number, photo title, a brief description of the image and the date and location it was taken.  Please write your name and “Hunter photo competition” in the email subject field.  Photos must be a minimum of 500kb and a maximum of 2mb. Fairfax reserves the right to crop the photograph.

The judges will include senior photographer Simone De Peak and other Fairfax Newcastle/Hunter photographers, Herald editor Heath Harrison, Lower Hunter editor Eve Nesmith, Upper Hunter editor Rod Thompson and Hunter Communities editor Anna Wolf.

The Herald and other titles will publish selected entries in the Hunter Photography Prize in print and/or online. The summer round of the competition closes at 5pm on January 27, 2017.