We’re asking the community across Australia to pick up their cameras to reflect on the built environment and be in the running to win $2,000 cash or $1,500 worth of photographic equipment from leading camera specialists Georges.

The National Trust (NSW) photo competition “I love this place…” invites you to enter a digital image of a built, man-made environment anywhere in Australia that resonates for you. It could be a tumbledown beach shack, the broken majesty of a disused industrial landscape, an old-time Greek café, a gallery, or your brand new home. It might be a room which is your sanctuary, a street full of memories, a historic site with a compelling story, a tiny suburban rest park or spectacular botanic garden, a back lane rich with the underbelly of life, a sea green ocean pool, a mall, or a skate park...

It just has to be a space with an element of architecture or design. Include people if you wish, to add a human dimension.

For your entry to be valid, you’ll need to submit 100 words or less with the image, completing the sentence “I love this place because …”, telling us what makes your place special; and complete a simple, brief online questionnaire - we want to know why people love certain built environments, and how this relates to sustainability. Entrants will upload their digital image to a special group on Flickr, the world’s premier photosharing website (it’s easy and free).

Finalists and shortlisted entries will be exhibited at Customs House, Circular Quay, Sydney, on World Architecture Day, 6 October 2008.

Competition opens 10am 30 June 2008. Entries close midnight 24 August 2008.
Competition winners will be announced October 2008.

So grab your camera, take a fresh look at your world and tell us why you love the places you do.

Click here for Terms and Conditions. Your entry to the competition will be deemed acceptance of the Terms and Conditions.

Follow these steps to enter:

Step 1. Take a Photo
Take a photo in the theme of "I love this place"

Step 2. Sign up to Flickr by joining “Yahoo!”
a. Go to the website http://flickr.com/signup/ and click “Sign Up”
b. Fill in the information on the sign up form and click “Create My Account”
c. At the confirmation screen, click “Continue"

Step 3. Create a Flickr Account
a. Sign into Yahoo! by entering in your username and password
b. Make a new Flickr Account by clicking “Create a new account”

Step 4. Join the “I love this place because….” Flickr group
a. At the confirmation page, at the bottom of the screen click “In Your Groups” in the “Activity” section
b. Type in the search box “I love this place”, including the quotation marks
c. In the search results, choose the “I love this place because…” flickr group
d. Click “Join this group?” situated at the top right of the group’s page

Step 5. Upload a photo to the group
a. On the top right of the page, click the down arrow next to “YOU” in the menu bar. Then choose “Upload photos and videos”
b. Click “Choose photos” and pick your photo from your hard drive in the dialogue box
c. Make sure the privacy setting is set to "Public"
d. Click Upload photos

Step 6. Tag your photo and add a description - IMPORTANT!
a. Click “add a description” after the photo has finished uploading
b. Enter a title
c. Enter a 100 word or less description of your photo completing the sentence “I love this place because…”
d. Add a tag that says “I love this place ”, including the quotation marks
e. Click SAVE THIS BATCH

Step 7. Add your photo to the "I love this place because..." Flickr Group
a. Choose the photo you wish to upload from your photostream by clicking on it
b. On the top left above the photo, click “Send to group” and choose “I love this place because …”
c. To check if your photo has been uploaded and/or go back to the group, Click the downward arrow next to “Groups” and select “Your Groups”
d. Choose “I love this place”

Step 8. Come back to our website to fill in the entry form and questionnaire so we know who you are and how to contact you. Please note you are required to fill out the entry form and questionnaire for your entry to be valid.

Winner of the 2007 Photography competition Rush Hour by Wacharachat Vaiyaboon