Camden Whitehead, pictured with Hali Plourde-Rogers, Executive Director and his winning photo “Cedar Island Over Wash” (center)

Melanie Bennet, Nandua Middle School, with her winning photo: “I was on the boat when this picture was taken. I love representing the Eastern Shore!”

Tricity Bell, Nandua Middle School, and her photo which was the runner up for the Student People’s Choice award

“When I took this photo, I was on a nature trail on a sunny day and just had to admire this puddle.”

“I loved the color of the light and the dark sky and water.”

“This photo is sunset at Cherrystone a few years ago. I am interested in photography because when you take pictures of nature or moments in life it savers the moment and lets you look back and remember.”

“I was on my porch and I saw this view. The leaves caught my eye.”

“This photo was taken near my grandparent’s house.”

“I am a freshman at Broadwater Academy. I took this picture around 7:30 p.m. at night in Cape Charles. I was walking around with friends. I love the nature of the Eastern Shore. It’s a beautiful place and surrounded by water!”

"I am a junior and a Broadwater Academy art student. I took this sunset picture around the end of July while I was on a walk. We had been fishing that morning until a thunderstorm came through. This picture features part of the Bayford Oyster House and the old post office, which are both important buildings for the Eastern Shore."

“I took this photo at Nandua Middle School. I climbed a tree to see the baseball field.”

“I was inspired by a scene on an afternoon hunt. I have hunted this farm for many years and it is always a special place for me.”

“I am in 9th grade at Broadwater Academy. I heard about the competition from my art teacher. I entered this competition because I love taking pictures of the Shore and sunsets on my boat.”

“I was in the backyard at my house and it was sunset.”

“When I took this photo, I was in my mom’s car at sunrise.”

“Our class went for a nature walk and saw this beautiful part of the trees and decided to take a picture.”

“When I took this photo, I was on the school bus. I happened to look out the window. I saw a thin layer of fog beneath the sunrise and realized that I had to capture the moment as soon as I saw it because of how beautiful it was.”

“I took this picture at school by a pond in the afternoon.”

“This photograph is from the interior of Cedar Island which often washes over during king tides and storms. This image is from an inshore tidal pool on a windy clear day in September. My intent with these explorations is to express the fragility and transient nature of the shore, its two bodies of water, the Atlantic and the Chesapeake and the tenuous relationship between the land and its inhabitants.”

“I enjoy photography as a way to share a unique moment captured in time, such as this one during the 2021 monarch migration. My hope is that this photo exemplifies the Land Trust’s mission to preserve Eastern Shore wildlife habitats while living alongside their beauty.”

“I just enjoy living on the Eastern Shore with all the natural beauty around me. The iPhone makes it so easy to remember these moments.”

“I have been taking pictures as a hobby for years. I am at peace behind the camera, framing the perfect picture to remember the moment. Somehow behind the lens of a camera everything feels more beautiful and special.”

“This picture was taken on the Summer Solstice, June 21st, 2022, on Dawson Shoals at sunset. A group of us packed a picnic and headed out on the Atlantic Ocean to spend some unforgettable time together on the longest day of the year. Mother Nature did not disappoint, once again.”

“Capturing nature scenes through photography is one way I document and pay respect to the grand and beautiful landscape available to us here on the Shore. A landscape that serves as both our pleasure and responsibility. I captured this photo just after my son walked down my father-in-law’s dock on Pungoteague creek, net in hand, in search of ‘doublers’ on the pilings.”

“One early Autumn morning, with my spouse rowing his shell and I chasing after him in a kayak on Pungoteague Creek at the confluence of the Taylor Creek, the morning light dancing in the sky and over the water embodied life on the Eastern Shore.”

“I grew up exploring the Barrier Islands with my father, a commercial waterman, which fostered my love of nature and our stunning waterways and marshes. My favorite photography subjects are the beautiful landscapes and aquascapes of our bountiful Eastern Shore. Conservation is the key to our lasting enjoyment of our vast agricultural and aquaculture landscape.”

“The fragile beauty of the Eastern Shore compels us to preserve this resource of undeniable importance. Every week while walking on Savage Neck beach I can see increased erosion and the dramatic movement of sand and water. The experience of being on the Shore is one of witnessing the impact of man and of climate change, and of feeling the call to participate in conservation efforts.”

“Ever since childhood I have appreciated and experienced the beauty of the natural world and try to capture this beauty and wildness in original photographs and paintings. No formal art degree but have taken a number of workshops and classes. Much of my creative energy involves water and my relationship with the sea and in each picture I try to tell a story.

‘Left too Long’ shows a boat in a muted color scheme left on the side of the marsh. A tree has taken root in the bow. Representing the classic struggle of man vs nature.”

“I love taking photos of my daughter all over the Eastern Shore. We often visit the ‘giant’ chairs on Chincoteague. It’s one of our favorite spots.”

“The Eastern Shore of Virginia has been my home for nearly 45 years. As soon as I came here I knew it was an environment that could nurture me and my desire to connect with nature. While the native flora and fauna are a recurrent theme in my paintings, I also hope to portray the effects of larger forces of water, wind, and light as they shape every aspect of the living world. Realizing now the fragility of our local ecosystems, I hope to record the species present in this moment as a testament to my particular moment in time and place.”

“I feel this photo represents how Tangier Island is slowly being lost to the water and yet the natural beauty still abounds. I hope this photograph shows how human activity is affecting places like Tangier, and that we are in danger of losing these great places.

I feel all photographers can use their art form to not only bear witness to what is happening to our environment but to also facilitate a strong reaction in people, to motivate them to make a difference in protecting and conserving our natural world.“

“I am blessed to live on the Bay Shore and to be able to see and photograph our east coast sunsets. This is a fall sunset which I think are the most beautiful.

I rarely miss a day outdoors. I run and paddle board whenever weather permits. I treasure our beautiful Eastern Shore home and thank God I’m able to live in such an amazing place. I rescue turtles in the winter (cold water stunned), flip over horseshoe crabs in the spring, paddle with the dolphins whenever I can, and pick up trash all year long. I love my home and want to protect this land and our amazing wildlife.”

“With all this natural, abundant, and raw beauty, taking landscape pictures comes effortlessly on the Shore. I found out about this photography contest while I was “Fishing with a Friend” near Cedar Island. The Cedar Island USCG station, in the background, appears to be producing the steady stream of puffy white clouds along the horizon. I loved the way the sky appeared so ‘big’ with only the coast guard station in the background. As I look at this picture, I feel abundant gratitude for living on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.”

“This photo was taken at the mouth of Craddock Creek just after sunset on a calm October evening.”

“inspiring moments
strive to capture the fleeting
with my lens and words”

“The natural world provides us with wonders that take us even beyond our imagination. Capturing the little surprises in nature has drawn me to photographing the unexpected. I try to take candid photos that will preserve a mood and create a lasting image for the viewer.”

“I was born and raised on the Eastern Shore. My father was born and raised on Hogg Island. He taught me to take care of nature. This photo was taken at Cape Charles beach and reminds me of something my father probably saw often on the island.”