Photography lovers, rejoice! Welcome to the fourth running of our annual photo contest. Looking back, I still can’t believe that this is our fourth go with what I would now consider a staple in the annals of Highland Outdoors history. As with the previous 24 winning photographs over the last three years, these eight images capture the essence of the vivid natural beauty and amazing adventure found throughout the hills and hollows of the Mountain State.
As has become the norm, the judges and I were once again impressed with the quality of submissions. We received a total of 126 entries (29 Adventure, 60 Landscape, and 37 Wildlife) from 76 individual photographers.
With so many images to pore over, scoring is challenging. A critical eye and discerning taste must be employed to whittle down the crop and allow the contenders to rise to the top. This can be a painful process, as there were some incredible images that are more than worthy of publication alongside the others. I wish we could publish them all. But a contest must have winners, and I am thrilled to present them here in their full vivid, glossy glory. I’d like to offer a sincere thank you to all the photographers who took the time and effort to submit your images. You are still an integral part of this process, and I encourage you to submit images again in our 2026 photo contest.
Running a photography contest is quite an effort. From promoting the contest and organizing the steady flow of submissions to multiple rounds of judging and coordinating with the winning photographers, the full process takes nearly eight months. This contest would not be possible without the talented judges who volunteer their time and expertise to help select the winners. I’d like to recognize this year’s panel: Kim Ayers, David Johnston, and Nathaniel Peck.
I chose this year’s judges based on prior performance in our photo contest. These three were the winningest contestants: David for his incredible landscape images, Nathaniel for his outstanding adventure and wildlife images, and Kim for her crisp and candid bird photography. Not only are they all award-winning photographers, I consider them household names among the Highland Outdoors-faithful.
Their complementary skillsets were invaluable during the judging process, allowing us to analyze photos at a technical level of detail that often resulted in some spirited debates. I highly encourage you to check out their respective bodies of work. I know I gush about it often, but their dedication, skills, and willingness to teach and share with others help the West Virginia photography community thrive.
Dylan Jones, Publisher
Overall Winner: “The Universe is Whispering to Us” by Jesse Thornton
Green Bank Observatory, Pocahontas County
When Thornton, who excels at night sky photography, was granted access to shoot the grounds of the Green Bank Observatory during the repainting of the telescope’s gargantuan dish, he knew it was something he couldn’t miss. He didn’t miss his shot either, as evidenced by this evocative image of the iconic Green Bank Telescope pointed directly at the galactic core of the Milky Way. It’s as if we’re communicating directly with… something (I want to believe!). Thornton had previously scouted this location for the shot, which involved a hike and creek crossing to reach this pleasing meadow framed with pines. What he didn’t plan on was breaking his foot right before the shoot. Fortunately, the GBO staff was able to cart him out in an old Jeep, and he was lucky enough to snag this single exposure (even luckier with the capture of a meteor) just before clouds rolled in to obscure the cosmos.
“We had an idea of where we wanted things to be, but of course we couldn’t account for the meteor, so that was just luck,” Thornton said. “I feel extremely lucky to have had the opportunity and for everything to line up the way it did. It really fulfilled a bucket list item for me.”
Overall Runner-Up: “Canyon Green” by Brady O’Brien
Blackwater Canyon, Tucker County
Like many people, O’Brien regularly goes out at night for fun. But his fun usually involves bushwhacking though steep, rugged terrain in search of salamanders. This brilliant snap of a green salamander (Aneides aeneus) was obtained at 2 a.m. while out scouring the Blackwater Canyon to snap images for an upcoming field guide. We judges love the dark tones—the shadows bring out the details of the salamander and make you feel like you’re right there in a damp rock crevice. The top-down composition also allows the salamander’s full body to be in focus, as opposed to a head-on shot where the body would be blurred from the shallow depth of field.
“I really love the contrast of the moss with the green mottling of this salamander; one of their defense mechanisms is to blend into lichen-covered rock,” O’Brien said. “It’s tricky to nail your exposure and highlights with amphibians, because a lot of times they’re very slimy, and reflections can cause blown-out highlights if it’s too bright.”
Landscape Winner: “The Glow Up” by Leiane Gibson
Sandstone Falls, Raleigh County
We receive a lot of waterfall images, so a cascade capture must be a standout to be selected as a winner. Here’s a prime example of what to do. Gibson nailed this winner in 2022 when clouds from a hurricane made their way out to the Mountain State, producing this stunning sunset. There aren’t many places where you can get a waterfall, a mountainous background, and a sunset all in a single shot. Most landscape images are shot in the aptly named landscape orientation, but this snap embodies a perfect use of the portrait format. The shorter shutter speed doesn’t totally smooth out the water, producing tasteful texture and a sense of motion in the falls and plunge pool. And that color!
“That was the third day that week that I’d gone there for sunset,” Gibson said. “The outer cloud bands of the hurricane created such a dramatic sunset, and the river was at the perfect water level for a pleasing photo.”
Landscape Runner-Up: “Aurora’s Dance” by Matthew Grahovac
Bear Rocks Preserve, Grant County
Given the ground swell of Northern Lights photos over the past year, it might seem like aurora images are becoming run of the mill. But there’s no way that you can look at this psychedelic photo and not feel a deep stirring of the soul. To nab this shot, Grahovac and his wife sped from their home in Virginia all the way up to Bear Rocks Preserve in Dolly Sods to have a chance at catching the forecasted aurora. Stumbling in the dark, he set up shop and used a remote shutter to capture this 68-second exposure, not knowing what the foreground composition would look like. Boy, did he luck out, because the vivid rouge of the blueberry bushes in peak foliage perfectly mirrors the technicolor display of the Northern Lights. It doesn’t hurt to have a few iconic flagged spruce trees to boot.
“I had hiked in Dolly Sods a lot but had never been up during the fall,” Grahovac said. “We got there after dark so I couldn’t really see what the scene looked like. I was lucky with the composition because I was flying by the seat of my pants. I ended up in a perfect spot, and once the light pillars appeared, I was able to capture the full scene in one shot with my wide astro lens.”
Adventure Winner: “Wild and Waterful” by Gabe DeWitt
Cheat River Canyon, Preston County
While on an assignment to visually document the Cheat River, DeWitt knew he had to include the Massacre-Ence, a rowdy downriver race hosted during the annual Cheat River Festival. He shot the mass-start in Albright, then zoomed down the rugged road to the Jenkinsburg Bridge, which serves as the finish line. He got there just in time to nab this incredible shot of the winner cruising to victory in his svelte wildwater racing kayak. We love the composition: the positioning of the paddler and his blade, the swirling eddies emanating from the paddle strokes and boat, and the color contrast of yellow against that brilliant blue water.
“This was taken years ago, before drones were a big thing, so being on top of stuff is how you got aerial shots,” DeWitt said. “Climbing to the top of things has always been one of my favorite ways to get shots that no one else was getting. This is one of the best shots I’ve ever taken, and I’ve never used it until now!”
Adventure Runner-Up: “Before the Sun Breaks” by Mike Renner
Lake Sherwood, Greenbrier County
When envisioning a winning adventure shot, the mind likely conjures up action-packed images of some mountain athlete doing something extreme. But for many, solitude is a major (if not the most important) component of adventure, and solitude is the precise word that popped up when we discussed this ethereal image. Renner, who regularly camps with his family at Lake Sherwood, was up for an early morning walk around the shore, and noticed this solo angler silently slip out for a morning cast among the fog. We loved the simple color palette along with the composition—the skyline of the pines drops down the ground and leads right to the paddler floating into the mist.
“It was a dreamlike morning and so gorgeous, like so many scenic places in West Virginia,” Renner said. “As I walked, a pair of fishermen emerged from the mist and then silently disappeared again. I stood for a moment and listened to the paddles cut the water beyond view, wondering what it would be like to be out in the middle of the lake, completely enveloped in mist.”
Wildlife Winner: “Nature’s Camouflage” by Tina Brannon
Chloe, Calhoun County
This closeup of an eastern screech owl (Megascops asio) is clearly a showstopper; it certainly stopped us judges in our tracks. It stopped Brannon in her tracks, too, and fortunately she had her camera in hand as she does most days when she goes for a daily walk from her door. She spotted a squirrel in this particular tree hollow several times before, but not this day! Brannon and her daughter hung out for a while, shooting throngs of snaps while the owl stared directly at them. When the owl’s talon appeared, she knew she had the shot, and her 300-millimeter lens was aimed and ready. We love the piercing eyes—they seem to jump off the page and stare right through your soul. The exposure does a great job of showing the illusion of the owl’s camouflage bleeding right into the tree bark (except for those glowing eyes).
“I always have my camera with me; it’s pretty much an appendage at this point,” Brannon said. “I do a lot of macro photography, so details are important. If I take a photo and I don’t see the details, I chuck it. With this one, I thought, ‘Oh my gosh!’”
Wildlife Runner-Up: “The Treehouse” by Leiane Gibson
Princeton, Mercer County
Having spent most of her career as a landscape photographer, Gibson started focusing solely on wildlife two years ago. Since the switch, she’s become obsessed with checking tree cavities to see what critters might pop out. Her persistence paid off with this adorable capture of a young raccoon, which perfectly paints the little feller in a docile and innocent light. Speaking of light, we loved the color palette—the golden oak leaves nicely contrast the colors of the bark and raccoon. The shallow depth of field also creates blurred leaves in the fore and background, leading your eyes directly to the crisp texture of the raccoon and tree bark.
“I had been eyeing this tree cavity for about a year. One morning, I went out to watch out and spotted the tiniest tuft of fur moving around,” Gibson said. “After about two hours, this little head popped up and the raccoon struck the perfect pose. I still visit the tree and have seen as many as six raccoons in there!”
