MARQUETTE — In honor of namesake George Shiras III, the Shiras Planetarium is hosting the inaugural nighttime wildlife photography contest.

Shiras, born in 1859, was not only a member of the prominent Shiras family but a trailblazer in wildlife photography. According to a press release from Shiras Planetarium representatives, Shiras “was not only a talented photographer but also a conversationalist, lawyer and politician who inspired early efforts to preserve wildlife and natural habitats.”

In the spirit of Shiras’ eco-conscious work, the contest aims to foster an appreciation for the region’s natural beauty.

The contest is open to all Upper Peninsula residents. Not only will photos taken via camera be accepted but also pictures captured by trail cameras.

“People are hesitant (to submit trail camera pictures) but that is absolutely in the spirit of George Shiras — he would celebrate the use of a trail cam and so we welcome any of those shots,” said planetarium director Becky LaBrecque. “Maybe we’ll find that some of those shots are of less quality than some of the ones that we’re taking with the camera but sometimes people get lucky and get some amazing things.”

The criteria used for judging will be creativity of the picture, technical skill, originality and connection to the theme. Marquette Senior High School Photography Club students, teachers and area residents will judge the entries after the submission date before Nov. 17.

The photographer who wins first place will receive $250 and a one-hour mentoring session with Daniele Carol Photography, based in Marquette.

“(The session) will be customized to what their needs are as a photographer, so she’ll work with that person to decide what would have the most value for them and customize the class for them,” LaBrecque said. “That’s something added to the first-place prize but more than anything, we just hope people will get out there and enjoy the beauty that is the U.P. (and) celebrate all the amazing things that the Shiras family has done for our town.”

Second place will receive $150, third gets $50 and the final two honorable mentions will receive $25.

LaBrecque also confirmed that in honor of the 60th anniversary of the Shiras Planetarium in 2025, there will be more photography contests and events celebrating George Shiras III.

We’re going to be doing a large renovation in the spring and we’ll be greatly expanding our programming options to the public and part of that is looking at some other areas of things,” she said. “One of those areas is photography.”

To learn more about the contest or submission requirements, go to shirasplanetarium.org and navigate to the “Active Contests” section to find the “Nighttime Photography Contest.” Questions can be directed to LaBrecque at planetarium@mapsnet.org.