What captures your artistic eye? For the entrants in this year’s annual photo contest, the subjects were as varied and appealing as the state of Alabama itself: the striking colors and topography of the mountains in the north, the shimmering waters of the beaches on the coast, the seemingly endless countryside sunsets, all varieties of flora, birds of every feather and smiling, happy children are just some of the more than 400 entries we received this year.
Again this year, the categories were “at play,” “nature – scenery,” “nature – animals and insects” and “Alabama travels.” The first-place winner in each category will receive $100; those winning photos, plus a number of honorable mentions, are highlighted in the following pages.
The editors judged the photos on composition, use of color, clarity, lighting and visual appeal; the photos also had to adhere to the rules on file size and location (they had to be taken in the state of Alabama).
Don’t forget to start taking photos now to enter in next year’s contest! – Allison Law
At Play | 1st place
Katelynn Goodwin, Fayette, Ala.
“My daughter loves all animals, so when we bought her new ducks, we knew we needed to take their picture together. Our basset (hound) is just nosy, too.”
Nature – animals | Honorable mention
Chase Steptoe, Gulf Shores, Ala.
“This photo was taken after a slow morning at Little Lagoon in Gulf Shores. As I was packing up, I caught this seagull battling the others over a quick breakfast. A small moment that ended up being the highlight of the morning.”
Nature – scenery | 1st place
Brent Eanes, Theodore, Ala.
“After setting up the tent and cameras (on the west end of Dauphin Island), I began what ended up being several series of star trail sets and a couple other Milky Way compositions. This photo of my setup, and a short set of star trails, really makes me long for fall again.”
At Play | Honorable mention
Brent Eanes, Theodore, Ala.
“As I arrived over the kayaks, all that was there was evidence that the adventurers had left in search of fun. Footprints left in the salty sand led away from their prized floats alludes to adventures that all visitors to the Alabama Gulf Coast love so much.” (Photo taken with drone)
At Play | Honorable mention
Sharon Tucker, Cullman EC
Cullman High School’s baseball team celebrates Jonah Inman’s grand slam vs. Mortimer Jordan. “High school sports at its best, making forever memories!”
Nature – scenery | Honorable mention
Scott Golab, Daphne, Ala.
“Not the typical Avenue of the Oaks photo generally seen on Instagram. I decided to go off to the side and found this angle where the beautiful live oaks stretched to the ground. This scene epitomizes southern Alabama and specifically Mobile.”
Alabama Travels | 1st place
William Webb, Mobile, Ala.
“Long exposure photo of around 30 seconds to capture the movement of the fast-moving clouds (over the USS Alabama Battleship) shortly before sunset.”
Alabama Travels | Honorable mention
Brent Eanes, Theodore, Ala.
“I composed this shot to capture the Earth’s rotation in the sky using the imposter Stonehenge (located at the Barber Marina) as foreground interest on a most appropriate night (the winter solstice, the longest night of the year).”
Alabama Travels | Honorable mention
Brandon Wilcher, Baldwin EMC
“History rolls forward on the antique fire truck from Orange Beach Fire and Rescue, where weathered wooden ladders, patriotic American flags, and colorful Mardi Gras beads come together in a celebration of heritage.”
Nature – animals | 1st place
Kathy Hicks, Baldwin EMC
“This photo was taken while on an Orange Beach dolphin cruise. The bottlenose dolphins play in the wake of the boat, offering some great photo-ops. Alabama is an outstanding place to live and my favorite thing about Alabama is the natural biodiversity that can be found statewide.”
Nature – scenery | Honorable mention
Chala Gray, Opelika, Ala.
“The beaver full moon was aligned with the light house (at West Point Park on the Alabama side). Was astounding to watch and capture!”
Nature – animals | Honorable mention
Molly Dutton, Joe Wheeler EMC
“One beautiful egret, a canopy of green, and a kind of peace you can’t zoom in on.” (Taken at Wheeler Reservoir in Rogersville, Ala.)
