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2017 America's State Parks Photo Contest Winners!
By ReserveAmerica.com
America's State Parks in partnership with ReserveAmerica recently hosted the 2017 America's State Parks Photo Contest to build community around the unique moments captured at state parks across the country. The contest received more than 8,000 approved entries during a two-month period by amateur photographers representing every state. Entries were submitted into five different categories including Camping, Wildlife, Activities, Friends & Family and Scenic & Seasons. A panel of judges selected one grand prize winner and one winner in each of the five categories to receive a REI gift card.
Let our winners below inspire you to plan your next state park visit with their unique stories.
Congratulations and thank you to everyone who participated!
Grand Prize Winner
Photographer: Thong Vu
Location: Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park, Nevada
Thong is a college professor and photography is his favorite hobby. He enjoys researching online for very unique places with interesting landscapes and historic landmarks. He was thrilled to discover Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park located 4 hours north of Las Vegas. This location has six unique beehive shape structures used in the late 1800s to help process rich silver ore and once the mining ended the structures were used as shelters.
On this particular night, Thong and two friends were excited to capture the Milky Way in the desired direction with the ovens. Thong hopes his photo inspires others to "visit state parks and enjoy the beauty of nature and historic landmarks."
Activities Category Winner
Photographer: Kenneth Wu
Location: Bandon State Beach, Oregon
Kenneth is a new home builder in the San Francisco Bay Area. Photography has been his hobby since he was a teenager and he currently travels with the Chinatown Photographic Society club. This photo was taken during a club road trip from California to Oregon. Kenneth noticed everyone doing the same thing while setting up during sunset at Bandon State Beach. He thought it was a great scene that captured the anticipation, concentration and the shared passion of photography so he step away from the middle tripod and took this winning shot with his iPhone. Kenneth said it's funny because he captured thousands of dollars of photography equipment in this photo, but sometimes the best camera is the one with you.
Kenneth loves state parks because they are close and accessible. He also loves the variety from coastal beaches to mountains to historic locations. State parks inspire him to get out in nature and see different parts of America. "It's a great system!"
Camping Category Winner
Photographer: Ryan Hathaway
Location: Cheaha State Park, Alabama
Ryan is an IT computer guy by day and likes to take photos in his spare time. His interest in photography started several years ago while hiking places he wanted to capture and remember. This last spring his family rented a VW camper van and drove around Utah. They loved the experience much more than tent camping, so they decided to buy their own van. This photo shows their new "retro camping" set up at Cheaha State Park with his wife and two daughters enjoying the campfire in the background.
When we asked Ryan what state parks mean to him, he said they are "what's right with the world. It's about protecting beautiful lands and enjoying them. It's easy to focus on the big national parks and names, but state parks are just as good and less crowded."
Scenic & Seasons Category Winner
Photographer: Bill Baker
Location: Fort Mountain State Park, Georgia
Bill is a retired firefighter for Gwinnett County in Georgia. He served as a fireman for 29 years and now enjoys photography. For this winning photo, he and his wife were RV camping at Fort Mountain State Park. He scouted the area for sunrise and went back to the Cool Springs Overlook for a quiet moment during the golden hour.
Bill and his wife plan to visit all of the Georgia State Parks. He says, "Georgia has one of the best state park systems in the country! They are all different, well-maintained and the people who work there are very friendly."
Wildlife Category Winner
Photographer: Ryan McGinley
Location: Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park, Arizona
Ryan was in the Navy for five years as a Mass Communications Specialist taking photos of ships, sailors and other activities in Hawaii and Japan. During this time, he discovered his love for photography. Now he is an Educational Media Coordinator in the Surprise School District and spends his extra time taking photos of nature and landscapes.
Every spring Ryan makes a point to visit Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park for its natural beauty and the hummingbird garden. He said hummingbirds are very fast and hard to capture. For this reason, he spent over one hour taking a constant flow of photos and being very patient. This is his favorite photo from that day.
Ryan said state parks inspire him because he can get "away from the hustle and bustle, and find peace in the outdoors." He feels fulfilled when he can capture a great moment and share it with others.
Friends & Family Category Winner
Photographer: Cindy Howard
Location: Fort Boonesborough State Park, Kentucky
Cindy has been married for 34 years and believes strongly in family tradition. Cindy's parents took her family camping at Fort Boonesborough State Park just about every weekend during summer school breaks. She has very fond memories and wants her grandchildren to have the same experiences. The inspiration for her photo was to walk down the same steps that she did so many times as a child and share stories.
"State Parks are special places for family memories to begin. The parks are beautiful, safe and have amazing history. I have visited Boonesborough for the past 50 years. We have picnics, family reunions and camp. Boonesborough is a big part of our lives and we consider it our second home."
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