After a full decade, this magazine’s annual photo contest is still, ahem, clicking right along, thanks to our many talented shutterbug readers who keep coming up with incredible shots year in and year out. This time around, Down East photo editor Tara Rice, art director Mike O’Leary, and staff photographer Dave Waddell took on the formidable job of judging more than 500 entries in three categories: landscape, wildlife, and lifestyle. We’ve never encountered a shortage of deserving images, which makes sense. Maine knows how to mug for the camera, from its lilting salt marshes and sheer sea cliffs to its snowstorms and swooping egrets. Picking winners is no easy task, and a hearty thank-you goes out to all who submitted their works for consideration.
As in years past, Down East readers got to make a case for their favorite shots in each category as well, with thousands of people casting votes for readers’ choice winners. And the 2024 contest sponsor, Natural Resources Council of Maine, selected a favorite too — many thanks to NRCM for helping to make this contest possible again. If you love Maine photography as much as we do, would like to be kept in the loop regarding future contests, and want a dose of stellar shots in your inbox twice a month, check out our free Snapshot newsletter below.
Grand Prize Landscape
Rob Smith | Concord, New Hampshire
Taken in Georgetown
Canon EOS R5, 100–500mm
I call this shot, “First Ice, Last Color.” It captures that brief time when the first thin layer of ice covers our ponds and marshes like a clear window. Here, the end-of-season lily pads drift into their long winter sleep — with a splash of color.
Runner-Up Landscape
Erin Nadeau | Arundel, Maine
Taken in Wells
Nikon D850, 18–400mm
Before the sun set, my husband and I rushed out to the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge and caught the frosting-like snow that blanketed the landscape. We frequent the area on our nature walks. Were it not for his keen eye and admiration of the way the light was playing on the trees, I might have missed the shot altogether!
Reader’s Choice Landscape
Steve St. Lawrence | Nashua, New Hampshire
Taken in Cape Elizabeth
Nikon Z 8, 24–120mm
This is Portland Head Light in the teeth of a storm last January. I climbed up the old artillery embankment. The wind almost knocked me off my feet a few times. Eventually, I ended up by the lighthouse. As I took my last shot and turned to go home, a wave broke and the winds drove the water and soaked me. It was a soggy ride back to New Hampshire.
Grand Prize Lifestyle
Linda Cunningham | Owls Head, Maine
Taken off Swan’s Island
Nikon Z 9, 24–70mm
The men and women who lobster along the Maine coast truly love what they do. They awaken in the dark, head out to haul traps, and then see the most incredible sunrises. This image of sternwoman Laurel Lamoine was taken aboard my stepfather’s boat, a 38-foot Holland named after my late mother, who sat on the board of the Lobster Promotion Council and, for many years, was the coordinator for the Maine Fishermen’s Forum.
Runner-Up Lifestyle
Lisa Francesca Gallo | Bath, Maine
Taken in Cutler
Canon EOS R5, 24–70mm
When we hiked the Western Head Preserve Trail along the Bold Coast in July, it was nothing short of magical. Fog rolled in and out at quick intervals. Waves crashed below. It invigorated everyone in the family, including our 14-month-old son, Franco.
Readers’ Choice Lifestyle
Kayla Poulin | Brunswick, Maine
Taken in West Bath
Canon EOS Rebel T6, 18–55mm
This image was captured while lobstering on the New Meadows River in West Bath. I’ve held on to this photo for a while, and it has a lot of meaning to me. My grandparents used to live in the home behind the lobster. I spent many summers there as a child, jumping off the docks, making arts and crafts with my grandmother, and learning how to lobster fish.
Grand Prize Wildlife
Kaitlin Spear | New Gloucester, Maine
Taken in Portland
Canon EOS 70D, 150–600mm
This photo was captured while walking the trails in Evergreen Cemetery. I often go there to bird-watch, but I don’t usually focus on the herons and egrets. They’re typically either sitting still or hidden in the brush. But on this day, they kept calling and flying back and forth between the ponds. I happened to capture this egret taking off. Right afterward, a heron swooped in to steal the hunting spot.
Runner-Up Wildlife
Kerry Daly | Scarborough, Maine
Taken at Scarborough Marsh
Nikon Z 9, 800mm
Great egrets occasionally play with their fish before eating it, tossing and dunking it over and over. I caught this one in the act. The bird tossed the minnow at least 50 times before finally gulping it down. Using high shutter speed, I froze the action — the minnow was just out of the water and not quite in the egret’s mouth. The water reflection of this scene was a bonus!
Readers’ Choice Wildlife
Angelique Hasenfus-Dunn | Winthrop, Maine
Taken in Winthrop
Nikon D750, 150-600mm
An adorable bunch of bandits checking me out! Night was falling, and I only had a second to snap this family portrait at the back of my property. Although this may not be the best photo I’ve ever taken, it might be the cutest. Watching these babies made my day, and I hope it brings joy to everyone who sees it.
Maine Outdoors Prize
Rob Smith | Concord, New Hampshire
Taken in Damariscotta Mills
Canon EOS R5, 100–500mm
Alewives are the lifeblood for Maine ospreys during the nesting season. By the time osprey eggs hatch, the alewives are in full migration mode up the rivers and to the lakes until around the first of June. During that time, they are easy prey for ospreys and eagles and herons, as evidenced by this osprey’s impressive triple play.
Our contest sponsors at the Natural Resources Council of Maine chose the winner of this year’s Maine Outdoors Prize. “We were so struck by this image of an osprey with not one or even two, but three fish in its talons. It really captured us,” senior director of communications Allison Wells says. “Ospreys are a quintessential Maine bird, returning to their nest sites year after year like old friends and bringing spring with them. The photo itself is a powerful reminder of the importance of clean, healthy, free-flowing rivers, which are essential to our work protecting Maine’s environment and the wildlife and people who rely upon it.” NRCM thanks all who support its work and invites photo enthusiasts to check out the group’s weekly My Maine This Week photo.
Bonus gallery: The next three Readers’ Choice runners up in each category. Thanks to everyone who voted!
