1ST PLACE AMATEUR CATEGORY - Lost In Space by Benjamin Wu - An instructor with Fox Mountain Guides, Wu snapped this cliff-hanger of a photo of his friend Carter navigating a difficult route while climbing in the Linville Gorge.
PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY - The Potter’s Wheel - Chris Ellenbogen - Chris took this portrait of his father, Jon Ellenbogen of Barking Spider Pottery in Penland, using a 4x5 film
AMATEUR CATEGORY - Van Life - Logan Shropshier - Shropshier used a Sony a6000 hybrid camera to snap this shot of his 1976 Toyota Chinook camper during the Asheville Van Life Rally.
PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY - Double Rainbow - Kathy Kmonicek - When the sky cleared after a morning rain shower over Lake James, a double rainbow emerged, backed by the iconic Shortoff, Table Rock, and Hawksbill mountains in Linville Gorge.
1st PLACE PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY - Wishing Flower - Valerie Eidson - Taken at a golden hour at her family’s home in Fairview, Eidson snapped this pic of her daughter blowing on a dandelion, whose fuzz is perfectly illuminated in the soft light.
AMATEUR CATEGORY - Highway In The Sky - Sallie Woodring - Bathed in a warm morning light, Woodring’s shot of the Linn Cove Viaduct on the Blue Ridge Parkway is postcard-perfect.
AMATEUR CATEGORY - Rhododendron Tunnel - Nathan Farber - Lush green punctuated by bright pink rhododendron petals make for an alluring path leading to Jane Bald in the Roan Highlands.
PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY - Sunrise from the Chimneys - Tom Moors - To get this shot of the Chimneys overlooking Linville Gorge, Moors made the hike twice—first to plan out the composition and again the following morning before dawn, with time to sit and wait for the sun to peek over the horizon.
AMATEUR CATEGORY - Bull Elk at Sunrise - Brad Lackey - Using a 150-600mm Tamron ultra-telephoto zoom lens, Lackey snapped this serene photo of a bull elk in the Cataloochee Valley from a safe distance.
PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY - Bird’s-Eye View - James Mahan - Mahan used a DJI Drone to capture this fall aerial shot overlooking NC highway 215 that snakes from Transylvania to Haywood County.
PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY - Antique Dealer, River Arts District - Jon Shaner - An antiques dealer in Asheville’s River Arts District whiles away the day amid his treasures.
PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY - Lovely Pair - Justin Potter - Found on the Blue Ridge Parkway just north of Blowing Rock, the composition of these trees and brilliant morning hues stopped Potter in his tracks.
AMATEUR CATEGORY - Foggy Trail - Valerie Seals - A morning hike with her child and foggy conditions set the scene for Seals’ dreamy photo, taken near Mount Mitchell.
PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY - Fall Meets Winter - Kassidy Shelton - While driving along Newfound Road in Leicester, the contrast in color in this frame prompted Shelton to reach for her Canon D6 camera.
AMATEUR CATEGORY - Great Egret - Daniel Black - Black turned his Nikon D3400 camera on this great egret on Lake Osceola in Henderson County.
AMATEUR CATEGORY - Make a Wish - Ryan Karcher - Only his second time shooting astrophotography, Karcher managed to capture a shooting star in this photo of the Milky Way over Yellow Mountain firetower.
AMATEUR CATEGORY - Grassy Ridge - Jeff Huntley - At over 6,000 feet, a sunrise view from Grassy Ridge Bald in the Roan Highlands on the North Carolina/ Tennessee border is hard to beat.
READER'S CHOICE WINNER - Summer Sunrise - Bonita Loggins - At Doughton Park, along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Sparta, a field of wildflowers come to light in the wee hours of the morning.
AMATEUR CATEGORY - Biltmore Sunset - Chesley Lanford - Overlooking the Biltmore, the marble Diana statue is punctuated with just a starburst of light from the setting sun.
AMATEUR CATEGORY - Fountain Reflection - Michael Boulos - In Asheville, the historic Jackson Building and its gargoyles are reflected in a fountain in Pack Square Park.
