Exploring The Wilderness Photo Contest Winners

Thank you to all the photographers that participated in the Exploring The Wilderness Photo Contest, sharing their best photos showing inhospitable and uninhabited regions. Congratulations to the winners and finalists, and a special round of applause for the Grand Jury Winner who wins an Amazon Gift Card.

"I choose the winner and runner-ups based on theme, originality, light, design, impact and editing. I felt all of the selected images have most or all of the above concepts. “Lines” and “The Battle Between Light and Darkness” both represent the more modern feel and just pull you in and let you explore. I love the foreground on “Lines” and the light and movement in “The Battle” is just great. “Dawn view from the Quiring” really inspires me and makes me want hike through those green valleys. While I was a little unsure about awarding “Monument Valley Rainbow” from an originality stand point, the light here is just amazing! A double rainbow over monument valley is a special thing to see. Well done! There were many other images that very well could have been a runner-up." - Dan Ballard

A special thanks to our friend and professional photographer Dan Ballard for his collaboration as a guest judge. Dan Ballard is an internationally known travel and landscape photographer from Colorado. His images take you on a visual journey to some of the world's most beautiful and far-reaching corners. Dan has visited over 60 countries on five continents around the globe, and his work has attracted the attention and praise of some of the biggest names and companies in the photo industry.

Congratulations Grand Jury Winner "Lucky Strike" by SaguaroPictures

"I think “Lucky Strike” truly represents “The Grace & Splendor of the Wilderness” and completely fits the theme of this contest. It is all about the rare combination of elements that most of us will never see. It has great energy and really shows the beauty of nature. While I would love to see a little more depth in this image, it reminds me of images from decades past that were all about the light and conditions. I love the modern look with crazy perspectives and movement that border on surrealism, but images like this are no less striking. It seems to stand out precisely because it is two dimenisional. I love it!" - Dan Ballard

Congratulations Honorable Mention "lines" by CmoonView