Photo: Sarah Srnka

In the past six months we've watched more than 500 photo contest entries roll in, each eliciting “oohs” and “aahs” from the staff. We left the hard part up to a panel of three professional photographers—Ian Adams, Eric Seals, and Art Weber—who lent their expertise to the contest's judging process.

Enjoy these winning photos and be sure to CLICK HERE to view all the entries. To view the 30 finalists, CLICK HERE.

Grand Prize Winner Sarah Srnka, 19, of Erie, Pennsylvania, won a Nikon d60 for her image entitled “Horseshoe Pond,” taken at Presque Isle as the sun was setting behind a group of floating homes.

The contest judges were taken by the photo’s strong composition, and the feeling of peace and serenity it projects. Contest Judge Eric Seals notes, “Photographs of sunsets are a dime a dozen, but having them done well is hard to do.”

Prizes were also awarded to the winners in the contest’s three categories — Nature and Wildlife, Architecture and the Man-Made Environment and People. The winners include:

First Place, Nature & Wildlife: Annette Koolsbergen of Hamilton, Ontario, for the image entitled, “Great Blue Heron.” Annette Koolsbergen has won a digital photo frame.

Second Place, Nature & Wildlife: James M. Phelps, of Riverview, Michigan, for the image entitled, “Tracks – Lake Erie Metro Park.” James M. Phelps has won a $50 Best Buy gift certificate.

Third Place, Nature & Wildlife: Jodi Herman of Erie, Pennsylvania, for the image entitled, “Lake Serenity.” Jodi Herman has won a subscription or renewal to Lake Erie Living magazine.

First Place, Architecture and the Man-Made Environment: Terrance Vacha of
Marblehead, Ohio, for the image entitled, “Marblehead Church on a Snowy Morning.” Terrance Vacha has won a digital photo frame.

Second Place, Architecture and the Man-Made Environment: Fred Koolsbergen of Hamilton, Ontario, for the image entitled, “Barn Storming.” Fred Koolsbergen has won a $50 Best Buy gift certificate.

Third Place, Architecture and the Man-Made Environment: Patrick Kane of Uniontown, Ohio, for the image entitled, “Marina Sunset.” Patrick Kane has won a subscription or renewal to Lake Erie Living magazine.

First Place, People: Kerry McCoy, of Madison, Ohio, for the image entitled, “Barefoot and Fancy Free.” Kerry McCoy has won a digital photo frame

Second Place, People: Mike Raby, of Avon Lake, Ohio, for the image entitled, “August Sunset.” Mike Raby has won a $50 Best Buy gift certificate.

Third Place, People: Cynthia Olsen of Monroe, Michigan, for the image entitled, “Oops!!!” Cynthia Olsen has won a subscription or renewal to Lake Erie Living magazine.

The grand-prize and category award winners photos are featured in the December/January issue of Lake Erie Living magazine now on newsstands.

About the Judges:

Ian Adams
Ian Adams is an environmental photographer based in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, specializing in natural, rural, historical, and garden photography. Each year, Adams drives more than 15,000 miles across at least 20 states in search of new images for books, regional and national magazines, calendars, posters, and postcards. His latest book project, Our First Family’s Home: The Ohio Governor’s Residence & Heritage Garden, will be released in June. In addition, Adams has conducted more than 130 photography workshops and seminars throughout North America on nature, garden photography, and digital photography.

Eric Seals
Eric Seals is a staff photographer for the Detroit Free Press in Michigan. Some of the news events he has photographed during his career as a photojournalist are the Bill Clinton and George W. Bush presidential campaigns; the Iraq War; the Israeli/Palestinian conflict; the 2008 Olympics; as well as natural disasters such as earthquakes, wildfires, and hurricanes. Seals has won numerous state and national awards, including the Michigan Press Photographers Association’s Barry Edmonds Understanding Award and the Dart Award for Excellence in Reporting.

Art Weber
Art Weber is the director of the National Center for Nature Photography—the only facility in the country totally dedicated to nature photography. The Center, located near Toledo, Ohio, celebrates the beauty of nature through photography exhibits, programs, and workshops. Weber has been writing about and shooting photos of nature and outdoor subjects for more than 35 years, winning well over 150 prestigious awards along the way. He has written two nationally recognized books, Wild Ohio and Guide to Ohio State Parks and is travel editor for the Toledo Free Press.