Schlechty accorded top honor, plus most votes in one category
The People’s Choice Best-in-Show winner of Big Waters Land Trust’s seventh annual Summer Photo Contest is Marsh Solitude by Robert Schlechty, the nonprofit environmental organization has announced.
Schlechty also won People’s Choice honors in the In Love with the Land category, a news release notes.
The contest “celebrates the extraordinary beauty of Florida’s natural landscapes, wildlife, and waterways,” the release points out.
“Photographers of all ages and experience levels were invited to submit original images” in the statewide competition, the release explains.
The other People’s Choice winners are as follows:
- The Art of Nature — Sombrero Reef Lighthouse by Daniel Eidsmoe.
- Beautiful Waters — Late Night Reflections by Faith Bradburn-Keller.
- It’s a Wild Life — The Look by Kristen Kozlow.
- Youth Perspective — Sandhill Cranes on My Sidewalk by Selkie Alyssa Srgo Garner.
This year’s panel of jurors included photographer and writer Mary Lundeberg; “renowned photographers Harry Sayer and Barbara Banks”; and Darcy Kelly-Laviolette, executive creative director of Sarasota Scene Magazine.
More than 130 photographs from across the state were submitted for consideration, the release continues. Jurors evaluated each image on the basis of composition, color, contrast, point of view, storytelling, and how effectively it represented its category. “Photographer identities were withheld throughout judging to ensure a fair and unbiased evaluation,” the release points out.
“In addition to selecting the images for the online exhibit, the jurors awarded first place in each category and selected an overall Best-in-Show winner,” the release says.
After the juried selection, members of the public were invited to vote for their favorite photographs by reacting to images in the Big Waters Summer Photo Contest Facebook gallery. Voting remained open through July 30, the release notes. The photograph with the most reactions in each category was named the People’s Choice Winner, it says.
“We are incredibly grateful to have so many talented and inspiring photographers in our community participate in this year’s Summer Photo Contest,” said Angelena Papazian, events coordinator with Big Waters Land Trust, in the release. “Each submitted image beautifully captures the unique landscapes and wildlife that make our region so special and highlights the importance of protecting these natural spaces and the species that depend on them,” Papazian continued in the release. “We sincerely thank everyone who entered the contest, as well as those who took the time to vote for this year’s People’s Choice winners.”
The complete juried exhibit, including the award-winning photographs and People’s Choice selections, may be viewed at bigwaterslandtrust.org/spc2026gallery or by visiting Big Waters Land Trust’s Facebook page, the release adds.