The land trusts in Lyme, Old Lyme, Essex, Salem and East Haddam are looking for amateur photographers, no matter where they live, to participate in the Ninth Annual Land Trust's Amateur Photo Contest.

Photographers may submit pictures of the countryside, wildlife, plants or cultural and historic features from their towns.

Submissions are accepted through Oct. 31. Contest rules are available online at lymelandtrust.org or by email at photocontest@lymelandtrust.org.

A panel of three judges will award $100, $75, $50 and $25 cash prizes in landscape/waterscape; plants, wildlife; and cultural/historic for photographers 15 years of age and older. There will also be prizes for photographers aged 14 and younger. A special John G. Mitchell Memorial Award of $100 will go to the photograph determined to best promote and support biodiversity and the environment.

The contest will be judged by two returning judges, William Burt, a naturalist and wildlife photographer, and Amy Kurtz Lansing, an art historian and curator at the Florence Griswold Museum. The third judge is Skip Broom, an award-winning photographer and antique house restoration housewright. He replaces retiring judge Rudy Muller.

All entered photographs, plus all winning photos, will be displayed and celebrated in a public reception in March 2015. Reception information will be shared nearer to the reception date.

Members of the Lyme Land Conservation Trust, Essex Land Trust, the Old Lyme Land Trust, Salem Land Trust, and East Haddam Land Trust are participating. Previous winning photos can viewed at landtrustsphotos.shutterfly.com.