From Virginia's coast to its mountains, amateur and professional photographers captured the state's natural beauty in the Scenic Virginia 2010 Viewshed Photo Competition.
"This year's contest was particularly fun because we used existing photo categories to recognize two important milestones: Our mountains category celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Blue Ridge Parkway, and we limited it to photos taken along that scenic drive," said Leighton Powell, executive director of Scenic Virginia. "Our rivers/waterways category honored the 40th anniversary of the Virginia Scenic Rivers program, and was exclusive to images of designated Scenic Rivers. We're thrilled with the results."
The contest drew about 500 entries this year, Powell said. Judges were J. Robert Mooney, chairman of the Richmond CenterStage Foundation and an amateur landscape photographer; Lucile S. Miller, an artist/photographer and former Scenic Virginia board member; and Ken Hopson, a veteran Web designer and photographer, and a winner in Scenic Virginia's first photo competition.
Scenic Virginia is a nonprofit conservation group that works to preserve, protect and enhance the scenic beauty of the state.
Notecard sets of the winning photos are available for purchase. A set of six notecards (one of each photo) is available for $12, which includes shipping and handling. To order, call (804) 643-8439 or e-mail email@scenicvirginia.org.
The 2011 photo competition is open; the deadline for submitting entries is April 1. For details, go to www.scenicvirginia.org/photocontest.
BEST IN SHOW: Railroad Bridge at Sunset - "I think everyone in Richmond knows this bridge, and all seem to have good feelings about it," wrote Bill Piper of Richmond. "I know people who have been to Richmond only once and recognize it. … "I think the image puts people in a place where they can admire two of their favorite things from a new point of view."
CITIES AND TOWNS/URBAN LANDSCAPES: Rainbow Over River City - "My daughter and I had stopped to pick up some dinner," wrote Jeffrey Ruisi of Richmond. "When we got out of the car I saw the rainbow and knew I had to capture it. … Adding to the rainbow, the light itself was also magnificent."
COASTAL/CHESAPEAKE BAY: Workboat in the Marsh, Tangier - "This photo was taken from the ferry entering Tangier Island harbor," wrote Bill Piper of Richmond. "It's from a higher perspective than one usually sees a boat in the water. I think that perspective allows the viewer to see the contrast between the cluttered evidence of human activity juxtaposed with the quiet, pristine marsh that stretches out to the horizon at land's end."
FARMS/OPEN SPACE: Brothers in the Hay - "I took the photo on my drive to work in the morning," wrote Richard A. Koth of Linden. "This photo was taken in Warren County on Morgan Road approximately a mile from the Shenandoah River. For about a month there were huge bucks in the field every day. … I am truly fortunate to live in such a beautiful area as the Shenandoah Valley."
MOUNTAINS: Saddle Overlook - "I got up early one morning to capture some sunrise images over the mountains at the Saddle Overlook on the parkway," wrote photographer Tom Saunders of Richmond, who was on assignment in Patrick County. "I shot about a hundred images as the sun was coming up changing the scenery constantly. This was one of many during ‘magic hour.'"
RIVERS/WATERWAYS: Rappahannock River in Late February - "The crisp, clear days of fall and winter provide the most picturesque river views from the east-facing bluffs at Butylo, Virginia," wrote Suzanne Miksch of Richmond. "The late-afternoon sun was setting through the woods behind me, and the pink and blue sky was mirrored on the exceptionally calm water in McKan's Bay below."
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