AMERICAN FORESTS’ ANNUAL PHOTO CONTEST is an opportunity to showcase a wide array of forest scenes — from large wilderness areas to city parks — that are just as beautiful and diverse as the people who live among, enjoy and depend on them. This winter, American Forests received hundreds of submissions. A panel of five judges, including professional photographers, adventure seekers and individuals with an eye for nature and design, assessed a selection of these photos on the criteria of originality, technical quality and artistic merit. These are the incredible photos that took home the top honors.

GRAND PRIZE WINNER: “Breakfast in the Forest”

PHOTOGRAPHER: Alex Blackburn (Calif.)
PHOTOGRAPHER’S PERSPECTIVE: “I was deep in the fog, capturing the beautiful forest in Mount Rainier National Park, when I turned around and saw this deer. I followed from a safe distance until she stopped for this perfect moment.”
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER: Blackburn is a nature and wildlife photographer who spends time in the forest, where he is happiest. His work can be viewed at www.asbphotos.com or on Instagram: @alexblackburnphotography.

WINNER, FOREST LANDSCAPES: “Lifting the Falls”

PHOTOGRAPHER: Corey Butterworth (N.H.)
PHOTOGRAPHER’S PERSPECTIVE: “On a hike that began before dawn, I captured this scene on the Gunsight Pass Trail near Gunsight Lake in Glacier National Park. As the early morning sun rose over the mountains, it cut through the clouds and haze to direct attention to the intimate details of this incredible landscape, including this distant waterfall.”
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER: Butterworth is a photographer based in New England focused on capturing diverse landscapes and all the ways they inspire, while also documenting travel experiences, live music and more. His work can be viewed at www.cmbfocus.com or on Instagram: @CMB_focus.

WINNER, BIG, BEAUTIFUL TREES: “Beaver Moon”

PHOTOGRAPHER: Eric Hongisto (Calif.)
PHOTOGRAPHER’S PERSPECTIVE: “Along the old redwood highway in Smith Redwoods State Natural Reserve is a lone sentinel. During a Beaver full moon rise, tule fog and highway traffic set the stage to highlight this old-growth redwood survivor.”
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER: Hongisto is an artist who lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area. His work can be viewed at www.erichongisto.net or on Instagram: @erichongisto.

WINNER, FOREST CLOSE-UPS: “Delicate Decay”

PHOTOGRAPHER: Sarah Rehfeldt (Wash.)
PHOTOGRAPHER’S PERSPECTIVE: “I took this picture not long after I got my first camera and macro lens. The up-close world of macro photography was a fascinating discovery. Up close, this ordinary, decomposing holly leaf became trans- formed into a work of natural art with its intricate, detailed, ornamental filigree work.”
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER: Rehfeldt is an artist, photographer and writer who lives in the foothills of the Cascades in western Washington. Her work can be viewed at www.pbase.com/candanceski.

WINNER, NATURE AS ART: “Canopy at the End of the Tunnel”

PHOTOGRAPHER: Dave Bishop (Mich.)
PHOTOGRAPHER’S PERSPECTIVE: “The top of this tree broke off several years ago. I have been climbing into this hollow tree and looking up ever since. Fall and the colder temperatures come early in this high-elevation area of Michigan, so the maple canopy often has fall color, as here, in late September.”
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER: Bishop is a former industrial electrician (retired from Harley-Davidson Motor Company), who returned to his native Upper Michigan to enjoy the great outdoors through photography, among other pursuits.

WINNER, CITYSCAPES SPLENDOR: “Tacoma Waterfront Park”

PHOTOGRAPHER: Mitch Paine (Wash.)
PHOTOGRAPHER’S PERSPECTIVE: “The morning light cast a gorgeous glow on this simple park scene on the Tacoma waterfront. This tree melds so well with this small park and makes the chaotic urban environment a little bit calmer.”
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER: Paine is a nature and landscape photographer based near Seattle. His work can be viewed at www.mitchpainephotography.com or on Instagram: @mitchcpaine.

WINNER, ASPIRING PHOTOGRAPHERS: “Tranquility”

PHOTOGRAPHER: Lawson Morgan (Okla.)
PHOTOGRAPHER’S PERSPECTIVE: “As we rounded the trail to Madison Falls in Olympic National Park in Washington, the moss-covered mountainside was a perfect backdrop for the fallen logs. We were lucky enough to be there alone, and I was able to take my tripod down into the creek bed.”
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER: Morgan is a high school senior with plans to attend Oklahoma State University in the fall.

WINNER, FOREST WILDLIFE: “Blue Heron”

PHOTOGRAPHER: David Duplessis / Tennessee Photographs (Tenn.)
PHOTOGRAPHER’S PERSPECTIVE: “During an early morning canoe ride on the Clinch River near Norris Dam State Park in Rocky Top, Tenn., I was seated on the bottom of the canoe with my camera while my friend and park ranger, Joseph Gamble, paddled. As the fog dissipated, it revealed a blue heron that was just a few feet away from us.”
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER: Duplessis (Tennessee Photographs) is an experienced photographer who has worked with a variety of clients and people from all over Tennessee. His work can be viewed at www.tennesseephotographs.com or on Facebook: www.facebook.com/tennesseephotographs.

WINNER, FORESTS AND PEOPLE: “Autumn at Buttermilk Falls”

PHOTOGRAPHER: Kelly Morrison (N.Y.)
PHOTOGRAPHER’S PERSPECTIVE: “Every season at Buttermilk Falls in Long Lake, N.Y., is spectacular. Autumn brings a glow to the leaves that can be admired by nature lovers of any age.”
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER: Morrison is an amateur photographer and artist with a profound love of nature. Her work can be viewed on Instagram: @kellyjeanmorrisonphotography.

Honorable Mentions

About the Judges

American Forests was honored to have the following five incredible judges on our panel for the 2024 Forests in Focus Photo Contest.