ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - (October 2, 2014) The Visit Albuquerque (Visit Albuquerque) launched a photo contest today that will put one lucky winner and a guest up in a hot air balloon over the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®. The contest encourages entrants to capture a photo that celebrates something picturesque in Albuquerque - from a stunning sunset against the Sandia Mountains to a favorite New Mexican dish - and tag the photo with the #PictureABQ hashtag.

"This is such a magical time of year in Albuquerque, and we want to showcase that beauty through the eyes of our residents and visitors," said Tania Armenta, vice president of marketing for Visit Albuquerque. "Social media has a powerful impact on how we see the world, and this is a great platform to display Albuquerque's images all at once. Winning the opportunity to experience our destination's signature event from a hot air balloon really is a photographer's dream, and we can't wait to see the photos of Albuquerque that are shared to win that opportunity."

Select photos submitted to the contest via Twitter and Instagram will be featured on the website www.PictureABQ.com. Photos will be accepted for the contest through Tuesday, October 7, 2014, at 11:59 p.m. (MT). The winning photographer will be selected by Visit Albuquerque's team of judges and announced on Wednesday, October 8th. The winner must be available to take the balloon ride on Friday, October 10, 2014.

Use of the #PictureABQ hashtag will continue through and beyond Balloon Fiesta. There will be other prizes given away throughout the week for creative photo submissions, and many photos will be featured on Visit Albuquerque's social media outlets throughout the year.