2025 Photography Contest Winners

by Adirondack Life | April 2025

Grand-Prize Winner

Crisp Autumn Sunrise on Middle Pond, Saranac Lake

Nancy LaFountain-Blow, Altona, New York

The best part of the photo contest? Getting a chance to see the park—and its people and critters—through a whole new set of lenses. This year we wanted to share the fun, so we invited Manuel Palacios, of Zone 3 Photography, to join in as a guest judge. He gravitated toward his grand-prize pick right away, noting that Nancy LaFountain-Blow’s Crisp Autumn Sunrise on Middle Pond “portrays a calm, fleeting moment in nature, inviting a sense of quiet reflection. Its warm, gentle lighting and simple, balanced composition are both technically sound and emotionally resonant.”

He explains that his top picks were those “that evoke a clear sense of emotion or atmosphere,” such as Janet Thomas’s Whispers of the Forest: “Each step draws you deeper into a secret, sylvan world. … This is storytelling at its best—imagery that invites the viewer into a narrative unfolding just beyond the frame. Also, the shot of the tiny spider perched on a gently curving leaf [Jessica Chevalier’s Jumper] is elevated by its soft, somewhat abstract background, which perfectly highlights the spider’s delicate details. Macro photography is both technically demanding and artistically rewarding, transforming something small and easily overlooked into a moment of wonder.”

— Niki Kourfsky

The Winners of our Annual Photography Contest

Congratulations to all of our winners. Grand-prize, first- through third-place and runner-up honorees will receive a commemorative piece of pottery by Sue Young, of Jay.

Runner-up Honorees

Click Here to see the winners of last year’s contest.

Photography Tips

Adirondack Photography Institute executive director John Radigan’s photo tips:

1. Shoot during the “magic hours.”

The times around sunrise and sunset provide the best light, with a range of tones that can easily be captured by a modern digital camera. Rapidly changing conditions make interesting lighting effects, and the wind is often greatly reduced in the early morning.

2. Keep horizons level.

Avoid tilted lakes. Unless you are trying to achieve an exaggerated effect, horizon lines should be level. Use the camera’s viewfinder grid lines or a hot-shoe mounted bubble level to make sure.

3. Steer clear of large, featureless areas.

Large areas without interesting details should generally be avoided, as they draw attention from other parts of the image. A blank sky, for instance, whether blue or overcast, is a distraction in an image. Wait for clouds to add interest to the scene.

4. Be aware of what’s going on in all directions.

Don’t be fixated by a small portion of the scene surrounding you. Conditions in nature can change rapidly. Always look behind, down and up to see if there are other things going on that you may be missing.

5. Include a foreground object to give depth.

Placing objects at varying distances within the picture plane can create a more interesting image. This helps to create a sense of scale in the image, drawing the viewer in.

6. Don’t be afraid of the rain.

Some of the most beautiful and usable light occurs during a light rain or drizzle. Extremes of contrast from light to dark disappear, allowing a tremendous amount of detail. This is the time to be in the forest or among the plants in a field.

7. Always use a tripod.

Shooting during the magic hours or in low-light conditions such as drizzle can require long exposures—a number of seconds, at least. A tripod is a necessity at these times.

8. Avoid centering the subject.

Placing your subject in the center of the frame will, instead of highlighting it, give equal importance to the subject and everything around it. By placing the subject significantly away from the center, the viewer’s eye is drawn to it.