People who live on the North Coast are united by one simple guarantee. No matter where we go or what we’re doing, we are surrounded by beauty.

What makes us all different in this shared home is exactly how we see that beauty. Some of us spend days out on the water, while others have never been on a boat. Hikers may climb to the highest peaks, while some prefer to stick to the beach. There simply isn’t enough time to see it all, which is why photographs from a wide variety of people tell the true story of the North Coast.

Coast Weekend is continuing to celebrate the beauty of the North Coast by launching the 2021 photo contest. The period for entries opens Thursday. People who live along the coast, from Willapa Bay to Rockaway Beach, are invited to showcase photos they have taken this year.

Three winners will be selected from the contest entries, plus a fourth People’s Choice Award winner. Nominations will close Dec. 16., and voting will be held from Dec. 17 to Dec. 26. Readers have the important role of voting for their favorite photos in the annual People’s Choice Award.

The top 10 photos will appear in the Jan. 6, 2022, edition of Coast Weekend. The top 25 photos will be published online.

Judges from The Astorian will decide first through third place awards for photographs submitted. Participants can submit photos online at Coast Weekend’s website, coastweekend.com, under the photo contest tab at the top of the homepage.