Winners announced in 2025 photo competition

First Place, Professional Category, White Post, by George Hamlin

Winners recently were named in the photo competition “Capturing Clarke! A Photo Contest for Wanderers,” hosted by the Clarke County Conservation Easement Authority. From the 128 photos submitted by amateur, professional, and student photographers, first-place, second-place, third-place, and honorable mention awards were given. Photographers from across the community were invited to submit snapshots that celebrate Clarke County’s abundant natural resources.

            “Wow! Our community photographers sent in so many gorgeous snapshots of Clarke County,” says Lorien Lemmon, Clarke County’s Conservation Planner. “We were thrilled with the level of participation and the quality of the photographs. The photographers did a fantastic job capturing our spectacular open spaces and natural resources. We asked for examples of Clarke’s unique outdoor beauty and charm, and we certainly got it!”

            The photo contest was judged by Ken Garrett, a renowned photographer whose work has appeared in National Geographic, Smithsonian, Fortune, Forbes, Time, Life, Audubon, and other distinguished publications. Garrett judged the photographs on content, composition, and creativity.

            First-, second-, and third-place winners in each category – amateur, professional, and student –received $300, $200, and $100 gift cards, respectively, to a professional photography shop.

Award-winning photos are shown below in gallery, in sequence from professional to amateur to student categories. The list of winning photographers is below the gallery.

WINNING PHOTOGRAPHS and PHOTOGRAPHERS

PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY

George Hamlin

• First Place, Professional Category: White Post

Warren Krupsaw

• Second Place, Professional Category: Pieris japonica

• Third Place, Professional Category: Snow on Tree

• Honorable Mention, Professional Category: Pinecone Half

Kerry Witmer

• Honorable Mention, Professional Category: After a Drencher

• Honorable Mention, Professional Category: Fresh Corn

Erin Brown

• Honorable Mention, Professional Category: Winter Express

AMATEUR CATEGORY

Pam Lettie

• First Place, Amateur Category: Boyce

• Honorable Mention, Amateur Category: Barn in Snow

Michelle Ridings

• Second Place, Amateur Category: Bears Den at Sunset

Cathy Warner

• Third Place, Amateur Category: Shenandoah River

• Honorable Mention, Amateur Category: Bluebells

June Krupsaw

• Honorable Mention, Amateur Category: Selfie with Tree Shadows

• Honorable Mention, Amateur Category: Yucca-Golden Sword at Bluemont

• Honorable Mention, Amateur Category: Fog in Backyard

• Honorable Mention, Amateur Category: Ebenezer in Winter

Sarah Bryen

• Honorable Mention, Amateur Category: Horses Grazing

Martha Mavrellis

• Honorable Mention, Amateur Category: Snowy Dinner

Carrie Stanovick

• Honorable Mention, Amateur Category: Cluster of Flowers

Heather Leach

• Honorable Mention, Amateur Category: Barn and Blue Skies

Tom Bauhan

• Honorable Mention, Amateur Category: Frankford Farm Morning from Wickliffe Road

Sam Miller

• Honorable Mention, Amateur Category: Winter Sunset on Russell Road

STUDENT CATEGORY

Benjamin Michael

• First Place, Student Category: Clarke’s Shenandoah

• Honorable Mention, Student Category: Welcome to Our River

James Cooper

• Second Place, Student Category: Overlook in the Mist

Nicole Santillan Notta

• Third Place, Student Category: The Mill

AFFILIATED WITH EASEMENT AUTHORITY (ineligible for prizes)

George Ohrstrom II

• Honorable Mention, Affiliated Category: Friendly Horses