American Alligator at Monroe's Black Bayou Lake NWR by Jon Guice
Friends of Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge 2025 Annual Photo Contest
Friends of Black Bayou 2025 Photo Contest Results
Annual Photo Contest 2025Congratulations and thank you to all the great photographers who entered pictures in this year’s FoBB Photo Contest, an annual event organized originally in 2003 by Charlie Heck, Sr. This year’s contest brought in 220+ entries. First-place winning photos will be displayed in the Refuge Visitor Center as soon as possible.
Many thanks to the contest chairs, Leslie Calhoun and Kimberly Paxton, along with their committee and the judges. The Charles Heck Memorial Grand Prize winner this year was taken by amateur photographer Tony Tramontana and is entitled "Nature Provides". Other ribboned winners are as follows: Adult, Amateur Division Animals --1st Place: Nathan R. Green "Tree Frog in Contemplation," 2nd Place: Jana Elkins "Peeping Through,” 3rd Place: Janet Knott "Triumph.” Birds --1st Place: Tony Tramontana "Mama Provides,” 2nd Place: Jennifer Maxwell "Sticky Situation,” 3rd Place: Lanie Whittington "Cute and Curious,” Honorable Mention: Tony Tramontana “Bayou Sentinel,” Sharon Dear “Morning Glory,” Janet Knott “Transition.” Landscape --1st Place: Nathan R. Green "The Path Obscured,” 2nd Place: Tony Tramontana "Morning Rises,” 3rd Place: Janet Knott "Sunset Reflections,” Honorable Mention: Sheena Galloway "Beautifully Abandoned," Alison L. Tugwell "Yesterday." Macro/Micro --1st Place: Tony Tramontana "Waiting for a Fish,” 2nd Place: Nathan R. Green "A Prayer for Light," Honorable Mention: Nathan R. Green “An Emperor’s Gaze,” Tony Tramontana “There Are All Types of Mamas.” People on the Refuge — 1st Place: Tony Tramontana "Saturday Morning,” Honorable Mention: Ani Girey "Creating Where Nature Paints First,” Tony Tramontana “What’s Over There.” Plants --1st Place: Alison L. Tugwell "Don’t Let Me Down,” 2nd Place: Sharon Dear "Starburst,” 3rd Place: Janet Knott "Secret Garden,” Honorable Mention: Jennifer Maxwell “Fall Lily Pad Puddle,” Ani Girey “On Petals, Time Slows,” Sheena Galloway “Silent Bloom.” Adult, Professional Division Animals —1st Place: Eric Johnson "Look at Me,” 2nd Place: Monica Boudreaux "Peek a Boo,” 3rd Place: Charles Paxton "Breathing the Free Air." Birds --1st Place: Charles Paxton "Tensas River Turkey Flock,” 2nd Place: Monica Boudreaux "Keep Your Eye on the Birdie,” 3rd Place: Bette Kauffman “Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga),” Honorable Mention: Eric Johnson “Opposing Views,” Bette Kauffman “Strike a Pose (Red-Shouldered Hawk),” Michael Gammon “The Great Crossing.” Landscape --1st Place: Monica Boudreaux "Serenity,” Honorable Mention: Michael Gammon "Lucky Lightning." Macro/Micro --1st Place: Michael Gammon "A Bug’s Life.” People on the Refuge—Honorable Mention: Eric Johnson “Once upon a Time.” Plants --1st Place: Charles Paxton "Plumes at Sundown,” 2nd Place: Monica Boudreaux "Cascading Beauty,” Honorable Mention: Monica Boudreaux "Hang in There." Youth Division Animals --1st Place: Evan Harper "HEY!,” 2nd Place: Lexi Harper "The Sun Feels Good on My Toes,” 3rd Place: Kennedy Powell “Lend Me a Hand.” Birds --1st Place: Lexi Harper "On the Lookout,” Honorable Mention: Lexi Harper "Can You See Me?" Lexi Harper "Stop Showing Off!" Landscape --1st Place: Evan Harper "The Green Scene,” 2nd Place: Reagan Ragsdale "Sunday Walk,” 3rd Place: Abbott Bonner “Tree of Life,” Honorable Mention: Lexi Harper "Good Bye Day." Macro/Micro --1st Place: Lexi Harper "Bottoms Up,” Honorable Mention: Lexi Harper "Time to Rest!" Lexi Harper “Way to Stick that Landing.” People on the Refuge --1st Place: Kennedy Powell "Baby on the Bayou,” Honorable Mention: Evan Harper “Hey Take My Picture!” Plants --1st Place: Lexi Harper "Just Hanging Around,” 2nd Place: Evan Harper "Dare to Be Different,” Honorable Mention: Lexi Harper “Nature’s Heart,” Evan Harper “View from Below.” The winning photographs will be displayed for one year at The Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge Visitors' Center in Monroe, Louisiana when building access is restored.
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2025 Charles Heck Memorial Prize
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Photos that complied with the competition rules were judged by three anonymous, well-qualified judges chosen by the FoBB photo committee.
Judging criteria:
All submitted photo files have become the property of FoBB, with proper photo credit given to the photographers if their photos are used or published, which may be done without notice.
The photographers retain the right to use their own photos in any way they wish.
The Charles Heck Memorial Grand Prize photo and all first-place photos will be printed and displayed in the Refuge Visitor
Center in due course.
A press release listing all the winning photos (including at least the Grand Prize image) will be sent to various news outlets.
Judging criteria:
- Technical excellence (sharpness, lighting, composition, exposure)
- Originality/creativity
- Interest/Refuge appreciation
- Only minor manipulation should be used to create natural-looking photographs. Cropping is allowed, but adding any elements not existing in the original photo is not allowed. Judges may, at their discretion, disqualify any photos that appear to be manipulated.
All submitted photo files have become the property of FoBB, with proper photo credit given to the photographers if their photos are used or published, which may be done without notice.
The photographers retain the right to use their own photos in any way they wish.
The Charles Heck Memorial Grand Prize photo and all first-place photos will be printed and displayed in the Refuge Visitor
Center in due course.
A press release listing all the winning photos (including at least the Grand Prize image) will be sent to various news outlets.
2025 Annual Photo Contest Rules as a PDF file
| 2025_friends_of_black_bayou_photo_contest_rules.pdf |
Past Photo Contest Winning Photos
Experience nature at the refuge complex through prior year submissions.
- 2024 Photo Contest Winners>
- 2023 Photo Contest Winners>
- 2022 Photo Contest Winning Photos>
- 2021 Contest was cancelled due to Covid
- 2020 Photo Contest Winners
- 2019 Winners were announced on Facebook
- 2018 Photo Contest Winners as PDF Viewbook
(PDF Viewbook created by Kris Kelley) - 2017 Photo Contest Winners PDF showcase created by Kris Kelley
- 2016 Photo Contest Winners PDF showcase created by Kris Kelley
PLEASE LET US KNOW IF WE HAVE ANY INFORMATION INCORRECT. Our volunteers have made all efforts to attribute each photo properly and get all the names and titles correct. BUT we are humans, and if we missed something or made an error, we want to know. Please email any corrections to [email protected] and let us know what needs correction. It will be helpful to have the words "PHOTO CREDIT CORRECTION" in all caps in the subject line of your email. THANKS for helping us get it right!
