Discover America Photo Contest Winners

Thank you to all the photographers that participated in the Discover America Photo Contest, sharing their best photos showing the beauty of the American continent. Congratulations to the winners and finalists, and a special round of applause for the Grand Jury Winner who wins a 1 TB G-Technology Drive .

A special thanks to our friend and professional photographer Steve Squall for his collaboration as a guest judge. Steve Squall is a Louisville, KY based fashion, commercial and editorial photographer. He first developed an interest in photography while working on his Graphic Design degree during college. He continued to hone his skills with a camera after graduating and during a short stint in the graphic design industry before deciding to change the direction of his career to focus solely on photography. Continuing to work mostly in the Louisville area, Steve has displayed work at a myriad of galleries, is a regular contributor to a number of local and regional publications, and has published work both nationally and internationally.

Congratulations Grand Jury Winner "Mystical Koosah Falls" by mattpayne

"I grew up playing the Legend of Zelda games and this photo immediately reminded me of a place I would find myself while exploring the world of Hyrule. The lushness and textures of the setting were perfectly captured and the warm tones make a very inviting image; I can almost hear birds chirping and water rushing. The blur on the moving water creates a nice sense of motion that guides the eye through the composition and makes a counterpoint to the stillness of the rest of the scene. Gorgeous work." - Steve Squall

Congratulations Runner Up "Frostbite " by empty_quarter

"The cool color tones along with the rolling fog and the forbidding grey structure in this image give it an ominous beauty; I almost got cold looking at it. In a good way. I also really like the way the water was handled here; it kind of looks like a layer of spider silk is laid on top of it. Awesome image." - Steve Squall

Congratulations Honorable Mention "WatsonLake-4669-2" by Sullie

"I love the symmetry of this piece. The way the elements of the composition are arranged in horizontal strips echoes the naturally occurring lines on the rocks as well as the mirroring of the image in the water is very nice. The colors here also really stand out for me. The warmer tones in the rocks compliment the cooler strips of color in the sky and water and make a nice way for the eye to travel through the composition. Beautiful photo." - Steve Squall

Congratulations People's Choice "Rainbow over the valley" by dKi_Photography