RANGELEY — Three area groups have teamed up to debut a fall digital photography contest this month to benefit local schoolchildren.

The photographs being sought by the Rangeley Region Lake Cruises & Kayaking, the Rangeley Lakes Chamber of Commerce and Rangeley Lakes Regional School for their inaugural Foliage From The Lake Photo Contest, must be taken from a boat operated by the Rangeley Region Lake Cruises & Kayaking business, owner Kevin Sinnett said Tuesday afternoon.

“Professional, aspiring professional, and ‘for your own fun’ photographers are welcome to join us aboard the Gray Ghost on one or both special fall foliage cruises,” he said.

The Gray Ghost is a 30-foot boat on three pontoons with a 16-foot hardtop cover over the aft half of the vessel. It was named after the fly-fishing streamer pattern made famous by Carrie Stevens at Upper Dam.

The first cruise will be on Rangeley Lake from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21. The second cruise will be on Mooselookmeguntic Lake from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27.

“Catch all the spectacular views of fall foliage reflecting on the lake and up the mountainsides, then select your three best photos to submit” to the photo contest by posting them on the Rangeley Lakes Chamber of Commerce Facebook page, Sinnett said.

The photos will be shared on the chamber’s Facebook page, which has nearly 10,000 fans. The photo that receives the most “likes” by Sunday, Oct. 5, will be awarded a gift certificate for a one-hour scenic cruise for two passengers aboard the Oquossoc Lady. Sinnett said that’s a $50 value and it’s valid for the summer 2015 cruise season.

The Oquossoc Lady is a restored, 28-foot wood launch that’s reminiscent of the old private steamboats that delivered “sports” and vacationers to the grand hotels on the Rangeley Lakes, Sinnett’s website states.

The boat was built in 1947 by Goodhue Hawkins in Wolfeboro, N.H., on Lake Winnipesaukee, and purchased by Sinnett and his wife, Doreen, for their boating business.

The photo contest entry fee is $40 per photographer/passenger. Twenty-five percent of the cruise fee will be donated to the Art Program at the Rangeley Lakes Regional School. 

“I know the art teacher at the school and she’s always complaining that she never has enough money, so I thought I would try to help raise the money,” Kevin Sinnett said.

He wanted to start the contest last year, but was late in getting it going, and then there was a turnover in employees at the chamber, he said.

“My personal hope is that we can use these cruises to raise a little money for the school Art Program, provide the chamber with some great fall foliage photos that they can use to promote our area, and lastly, of course, to promote our seasonal lake cruise business,” Sinnett said.

Because the chamber plans to use the contest photographs to promote the region, it retains rights to the photographs, he said.

For registration and additional information, contact Rangeley Region Lake Cruises & Kayaking at [email protected] or 207-670-8391; or the Rangeley Chamber of Commerce at [email protected], 207-864-5571 or 207-491-6400.

For planning purposes, registration is required no later than 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19. Seating is limited. Sinnett said there is a minimum of six passengers and a maximum 14 passengers.

“We hope you can join us and enjoy the beautiful Foliage From The Lake on Rangeley Lake and Mooselookmeguntic Lake,” he said.

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