If you've ever captured a sunrise at one of our beautiful beaches, a quiet moment at a park or well-known spot, or the character of a Monmouth County downtown, your photo could soon represent the county to thousands of visitors.
The Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners has opened the 2027 Travel Guide Cover Photo Contest, inviting photographers to submit images that showcase the places, landscapes, and attractions that make Monmouth County distinctive. Entries will be accepted through Nov. 1, 2026, with cash prizes awarded to the top three photographs.
The winning image will appear on the cover of the 2027 Monmouth County Travel Guide, one of the county's primary tourism publications. First place will receive $500, second place $350, and third place $150. Finalists will be selected by Monmouth County Tourism before advancing to a public vote to determine the winners.
Last year's winning cover featured an aerial photograph of the Sea Girt Lighthouse taken by Howell photographer Gary Gellman, showing how a familiar Monmouth County landmark can become the image that introduces the county to visitors.
The contest is open to adults age 18 and older. Submitted photographs must be taken in Monmouth County, provided as JPG, JPEG, or PNG files under 10 MB, and may be submitted in either vertical or horizontal orientation, although vertical images are preferred. Watermarked images are not eligible. County employees and their immediate family members are not eligible to participate.
Under the contest rules, Monmouth County Tourism retains the rights to submitted photographs for future tourism and marketing use. The winning image will appear on the cover of the 2027 Travel Guide, while the second- and third-place photographs will be featured inside the publication. Photographers will receive credit wherever possible.
Photos can be submitted through the Photo Contest page under the Travel Guide section of the Monmouth County Tourism website. Entries will be accepted until Nov. 1. You can submit a photo here.
Monmouth365 Note: The Monmouth County Travel Guide is published by RCR Marketing, the parent company of Monmouth365. While we're not involved in selecting the winning photograph, we're excited to see the images local photographers submit each year.