
Picture This: Winning Shots
Mother Nature's smile: Here are the winners from our Texas State Parks 2014 Photo Contest.
By Earl Nottingham
If you enjoy visiting our Texas state parks, there’s a pretty good chance you carry a camera with you when you go. From the West Texas desert to the Gulf Coast beaches to the East Texas piney woods, our parks and all of the activities they offer go hand in hand with photography. Based on the number of Texas State Parks 2014 Photo Contest entries, photo buffs were ready for the challenge of sharing their most playful moments in those parks. Entries were received from every corner of the state and illuminated the diverse beauty of our natural landscapes as well as the many ways in which to enjoy them.
The contest consisted of three categories: Over age 18, 17 and under, and Instagram. The Instagram category was added based on the popularity of the app for sharing outdoor experiences on social networking sites. All of the 1,300-plus entries were winners in their own right, and just as no two snowflakes are alike, the same could be said of the photographs. Each represented the distinct creative eye of its maker, which made judging all the more difficult. In the end, one first-place award was given for each of the three categories along with several honorable mentions. Winners received a GoPro camera. We are proud to share the category winners with our readers.
To see all of the contest winners and honorable mentions, as well as all of the other entries, go to: www.tpwd.texas.gov/photography.

“New Day” taken at Monahans Sandhills State Park
Category: Over 18
Winner: Tommy Johnson

“Untitled” taken at Caddo Lake State Park
Category: Instagram
Winner: Jake Kazmirski

“Arched Tree” taken at Stephen F. Austin State Park
Category: 17 and under
Winner: Collin Hile
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For more on TP&W magazine photography, go to our Photography page