Blue sky shining through ghostly winter clouds, snowcapped mountains, inspiring, frozen dawns—If you need a reminder to snap some seasonal photos for the Valley Record’s fifth annual Scenic and Student Photo Contest, all you need to do is look around.

For the fifth year, the Valley Record is opening several pages to the best vistas that locals can capture on their cameras.

Amateur photographers are invited to share their work, emphasizing scenic views of local geography, wildlife and nature.

Young people, up to age 17, can also submit their scenic works in the student category.

Prizes include a camera bag and a tripod donated by Omega Photo in Bellevue, with more prizes to come. Top photos will be published in the Record in February.

In 2011, the newspaper received hundreds of entries from local photographers. Making the cuts were tough, but the published shots included scenes from all four seasons in the Snoqualmie Valley. Prominent were views of local wildlife, Mount Si and Snoqualmie Falls.

To submit your photos in the contest, e-mail them to editor@valleyrecord.com and clearly mark them as contest photos. Submitted photos should be at least 72 dpi and at least 14 inches wide by 11 inches tall. Limit your submissions to three photos. Entries must be received by Wednesday, Feb. 8.

Participants should include their city of residence, contact phone number, and a few details on when and where their images were taken.

The newspaper reserves the right to publish any photos submitted to the contest in future editions and special sections.

For more information, send an e-mail to editor@valleyrecord.com or call (425) 888-2311.