Plans are in motion for the sixth-annual Juried Photography Exhibit, which opens July 18.

Next step: collect entries.

The Beaufort County Arts Council is accepting entries until 4 p.m. June 7.

Categories for the exhibit include documentary/people, landscapes/places, nature/wildlife, mixed media/alternative process and a special youth division (under age 18).

The Ernest E. and Ethel Harding Cutler Award and the Jesse Lee and Corinne Mayo Smith Award recognize outstanding work in the youth category. Each award comes with a $50 prize and is sponsored by Kevin Scott Cutler, said Joey Toler, BCAC’s executive director.

“It gets better every year and we get more entries every year,” Toler said of the youth categories.

The organization started the annual juried photography show in the summer of 2008 in response to the overwhelming amount of entries in BCAC’s annual Fine Arts Show.

“It’s the only show we have here that is only photography, and I hope we get a lot of entries this year,” Toler said.

Special awards for the exhibit include the Stewart Jewelry Store Best In Show Award ($150), the Washington Daily News Award for best example of photojournalism ($100) and the Frank Sommerkamp History Award for work best depicting a sense of history ($100). ASAP Photo & Camera of Greenville is sponsoring two awards — best color-digitally enhanced and best color-nonenhanced. The ASAP awards are a 16-inch-by-20-inch print of the winner’s choosing that includes a canvas wrap, a $90 value.

Each category has a $100 first-place award and $50 second-place cash award. Third-place finishers and up to nine honorable-mention recipients in each category, along with all youth division award recipients, will receive ribbons.

“Actually, the smartest photographers will enter one into each category,” Toler said.

Typically, BCAC receives about 100 entries for the annual contest. As a true juried exhibit, only about two-thirds of the entries will be exhibited. Juror Ric Carter will select the top three entries and nine honorable mentions per category.

Carter’s publication credits range from the alumni publications of the UNC Medical School to Our State magazine to The New York Times. The Washington native is the editor of North Carolina Mason.

“He’s a real down-home boy,” Toler said. “Most locals remember Ric as a photographer for the Washington Daily News, where he began working in 1980. He’s a great photojournalist and has a wonderful eye.”

A maximum of four entries may be submitted per entrant. The entry fee is $20 for one or two works and $7.50 for each additional entry.  Photographers may submit images on a CD with a .JPG format of 300 dpi. Prints, framed or unframed, may also be entered. Submission of entries does not guarantee acceptance for exhibition — only juried work will exhibit. Entries may be mailed to P.O. Box 634, Washington, NC 27889 or hand-delivered to the arts council at 108 Gladden St. Entrants with accepted works will be notified beginning June 20. The show will run July 18 to Aug. 29.

For a complete show prospectus, including additional entry requirements and guidelines, call the Beaufort County Arts Council at 252-946-2504 or send email to beaufortcountyarts@embarqmail.com.