Each year, the Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation organizes an Amateur Photography Contest to encourage photographers of all ages to capture their experiences of MTRP and share their unique perspectives with the community.
The winners of the 27th annual Mission Trails Regional Park Amateur Photo Contest were announced on June 9, 2019, and this year’s Best of Show was awarded to Julie Gealta for her work Pampas Grass in the Sun. A record setting 223 entries were submitted this year, divided into four categories: plants, animals, people, and landscapes; and the contest divisions include children age 12 and younger, teens (ages 13-17), and adults (ages 18+). All photos were displayed at the MTRP Visitor Center from May 11 through June 21, with the awards reception on June 9.
Congratulations to all our winners, and thank you to the photographers who participated. We are grateful to MTRP Foundation Board Member Betty Ogilvie and her husband, Mike, for leading this year’s event, from collecting the applications and photos to installing the works and working with the contest jurors.
2019 MTRP Amateur Photo Contest Winners
Best of Show: Pampas Grass in the Sun by Julie Gealta
People’s Choice: Upon a Valley by Tahlia Schilf
Category: Children
- First Place: Scaly Lizard by Enzo Moscola
- Second Place: Divided Snail by Enzo Moscola
- Third Place: Aidan’s Discovery by Aidan Clark
- Honorable Mention: My Brother Looking at the Mountain by Angel Peddecord
Category: Teens-Animals
- First Place: Snake Snack by Ethan Garrett
- Second Place: Water Slider and Tadpoles by Ethan Garrett
Category: Teens-Landscapes
- First Place: Sunset in Lake Murray by Jennifer Carmona
- Second Place: Motion by the Riverside by Myles Wong
- Third Place: Ripples by Ethan Garrett
- Honorable Mention: Go with the Flow by Michelle Black
Category: Teens-Plants
- First Place: Bee Snack by Ethan Garrett
- Second Place: Let the Sunshine In by Michelle Black
- Third Place: Still by the Wind by Myles Wong
Category: Adults-Animals
- First Place: Portrait of a Roadrunner by Cheryl Old
- Second Place: Finch in Fountain Grass by Beth Swersie
- Third Place: Blue-gray Gnatcatcher by Michael Peddecord
- Honorable Mention: Lizard Smooch by Kelly Lemm
Category: Adults-Landscapes
- First Place: April Showers by Mark K. James
- Second Place: North Fortuna Trail by Victor Tubesing
- Third Place: Big Rocks at Dusk by David Marshall
- Honorable Mention: Photo 2 by Rachel Gil
Category: Adults-Plants
- First Place: Barking Fungus by Skip Reichenberg
- Second Place: Feathers and Storm by Mickey Wilson
- Third Place: Splendid Mariposa Lily by Robert MacDonald
- Honorable Mention: Amazing Color by Victor Tubesing
Category: Adults-People
- First Place: Self Portrait by William Combs
- Second Place: Walking the Dog by James Lemen
- Third Place: Discovery Through Young Eyes by Stacy Marshall
- Honorable Mention: Photo Op by James Lemen