Some photos are eye-popping, some make you smile or cringe, and some pull you in for a closer look. Our judges had all these reactions, and more, while reviewing the 300 reader-submitted entries in our 2024 Photo Contest. We were once again impressed by the range and creativity of the images we received; the stockpile of shots resulted in tough choices and more than a little spirited debate. We’d like to say a sincere thank you to all the amateur photographers who sent in images, and of course, a big congratulations to our winners!

 

Grand Prize

This atmospheric photo was taken in St. Charles along the banks of a wintry Missouri River. “It was a cool, foggy January morning, and I decided to ride my bike around my neighborhood in old St. Charles,” said Kevin Hunsel. “I stopped by the boat launch at the Lewis & Clark Boat House and liked how everything looked, like a black and white photo. I set my phone’s camera to wide-angle and the HDR setting, got low, and grabbed the shot.”

“There’s intentionality in the composition and camera placement,” remarked one of our judges. “They captured the ice in the foreground, the main subject in the midground, and the fog in the background to create a layered and nuanced whole.”

 

Nature

First Place

Regina Collins hopes you’re “a-mazed” by these Liesegang rings, composed of precipitating iron oxide in sandstone, photographed at Garden of the Gods Wilderness Area in Herod, Illinois.

Second Place

This summer’s southern migration of the Northern Lights allowed Suzanne Asaturian to capture this colorful image in Lake Glendale Recreation Area near Golconda, Illinois.

Third Place

Dan Zarlenga experienced momentary dusk during the 2024 total solar eclipse while visiting Ripley Lake Recreation Area in Shirley Township, Missouri.

 

Sports

First Place

The Bubba Memorial Cyclocross Series proved fertile ground for this photo, taken by Carrie Zukoski at Queeny Park in Ballwin, Missouri.

Second Place

High five to David Bowman for this energetic image, snapped during the Ferguson Twilight Run in north St. Louis last May.

Third Place

Mike Bennett framed this photo of two canoeists from inside Cave Spring during a float on the Current River in the Missouri Ozarks.

 

Wildlife

First Place

Two-time winner Suzanne Asaturian labeled this image “The Great Wallenda,” featuring a spider spinning a web to a spiderwort flower.

Second Place

Creepy or captivating? Whichever way you lean, John Taylor wins for his photo of a cicada enjoying the sunshine after its long wait underground.

Third Place

Intense is one way to describe Gregg Carter’s shot of a short-eared owl hunting in December at Audubon Center at Riverlands in West Alton, Missouri.

 

People

First Place

A post-ride portrait by Victoria Neusbaum, taken back in early April at Shepherd Mountain Bike Park in Ironton, Missouri.

Second Place

Stephanie Barton submitted this photo of her daughter greeting Friendly the sheep at Jackhaven Farm in Beaucoup, Illinois.

Third Place

Thomas Ziegler wins for this multicolored shot of his nephew making bubbles at Black River Lodge in Lesterville, Missouri.

 

Anything Goes

First Place

Repeat winner Dan Zarlenga created a star trails timelapse above the Riverton Bridge and Eleven Point River in Oregon County, Missouri.

Second Place

Jane Linders captured canoes at sunset at Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park in Maryland Heights, Missouri.

Third Place

Vibrant color meets rustic charm in Gregory Carter’s photo of the Reed Springs Mill in Reed Springs, Missouri.

 

Honorable Mention

“Picture in Picture” by Jane Linders.

“The Birds Redux” by John Taylor.

“Snail in a Shell” by Todd Finoch.

“Trail Small Talk” by Victoria Neusbaum.

Top image: Carrie Zukoski.