West Des Moines, Iowa — Keep Iowa Beautiful (KIB) has announced the winners of its 15th Annual Photography Contest! This contest invites photographers to showcase Iowa’s natural and environmental beauty through their lenses and capture the essence of their favorite seasons in a creative and engaging way.
“Keep Iowa Beautiful’s annual photo contest is a great opportunity for photographers to capture and share the essence of Iowa’s story,” said Andy Frantz, Keep Iowa Beautiful Executive Director. We were truly impressed by the incredible quality and creativity of this year’s submissions. This contest not only highlights the immense talent of photographers across our state, but this year, we introduced a new category, Hometown Pride, to celebrate the spirit and character of the communities involved in our Hometown Pride Program.”
Over 900 photos were entered in six categories in this year’s photo contest. Keep Iowa Beautiful is proud to announce the winners, with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place recipients in each category receiving $100, $75, and $50, respectively. Additionally, the prestigious Robert D. Ray Best of Show awards honored top photographers with prizes of $500 for 1st place, $250 for 2nd place, and $100 for 3rd place. The Public Favorite award winner also received a $100 prize.
“As an avid photographer, my dad, Bob Ray, rarely went anywhere without his camera. Through his lens, he captured the faces and stories of Iowans he cared so deeply about. His passion for keeping Iowa beautiful extended far beyond its natural scenery; it was rooted in his love for the people who made this state so special,” said Randi Ray, Robert D. Ray’s daughter and a panelist in the photo contest.
To ensure fairness and objectivity, all entries were judged blindly — without the names of the submitters visible to the judges — emphasizing the quality and creativity of the photos themselves.
Category winners:
The Robert D. Ray Best of Show winners:
1st Place: “Cliff Swallows Arguing,” Sharon Scarff of Wayland
2nd Place: “Little George Park,” Svitlana Kay of Harlan
3rd Place: “Hazy Des Moines,” Scot Howe of Urbandale
Iowa Landscape winners:
1st Place: “Little George Park,” Svitlana Kay of Harlan
2nd Place: “Iowa’s Fire Tower,” Cody Davis of Grinnell
3rd Place: “Surrounded by Corn,” Sharon Scarff of Wayland
Honorable Mention: “Surrounded by Green,” Anji Bennett of Lake View
Iowa Water winners:
1st Place: “Floating Dock,” William Beardsley of Spirit Lake
2nd Place: “Falling for Autumn,” AJ Ash of Waukee
3rd Place: “Aurora Borealis Over Clear Lake,” Alec Heggen of Clear Lake
Honorable Mention: “Window to Serenity,” William Beardsley of Spirit Lake
Iowa Cities winners:
1st Place: “Hazy Des Moines,” Scot Howe of Urbandale
2nd Place: “Woodbine at Dusk,” Sarah Lenz of Woodbine
3rd Place: “Fall in Elkader,” Trent Hanselmann of Dubuque
Honorable Mention: “Historic Downtown Dubuque,” Kay Munson of Dubuque
Iowans in Action winners:
1st Place: “Rodeo,” Lee Navin of Ankeny
2nd Place: “Crop Duster,” Adam Orgler of Johnston
3rd Place: “Combining Natural Curves,” Anji Bennett of Lake View
Honorable Mention: “Fly Iowa Air Show,” Lee Navin of Ankeny
Iowa Wildlife winners:
1st Place: “Cliff Swallows Arguing,” Sharon Scarff of Wayland
2nd Place: “Swallowtail on purple flowers,” Bill Benson of Carroll
3rd Place: “Between the Rows: Protective Mama,” Benjamin Neff of Beaman
Honorable Mention: “The Great One,” Cody Davis of Grinnell
Hometown Pride winners:
1st Place: “Early morning in July,” Katie Kettering of Clinton
2nd Place: “Potter’s Mill,” Scott Hoag of DeWitt
3rd Place: “Sunset Flight,” Heather Johnson of Ankeny
Honorable Mention: “Fair Food,” Adam Orgler of Johnston
Public Favorite winner:
“Floating Dock,” William Beardsley of Spirit Lake
All winning photos can be accessed on our website at: https://keepiowabeautiful.org/
