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After sorting through more than 2,300 photograph submissions, the winners of Tennessee Wildlife Federation’s 9th annual Photo Contest have been decided. Seventeen photos featuring 14 species of native Tennessee wildlife will be featured in the Federation’s 2024 calendar.
The calendar cover photo this year was taken by Kalley Cook in Loudon County. The photo features a bald eagle leaving a splash on the water surface after diving down to catch a fish. It is a dynamic, well-timed photograph displaying the beauty of wildlife and nature.
The Federation’s photo contest accepted photo submissions during August, and 48 photos were chosen to be in the running for the People’s Choice award. Nearly 6,500 votes were cast during public voting from September 8-14. The People’s Choice winning photo was taken by Christopher Barger and features a silhouette of a red fox at sunrise.
Among area photographers, whose photos were chosen for the calendar, were a photo of a smallmouth bass taken by Michael Kaal of Elizabethton and landscape photos taken by Ryan Rice of Jonesborough and Chad Woodhouse of Johnson City.
“The amount of amazing Tennessee wildlife and wild places photos submitted this year was astounding,” said Jim Johnson, director of communications for Tennessee Wildlife Federation. “Each year, the contest continues to grow as even more photographers who want to support the Federation’s work choose to participate. The 2024 calendar will feature several local photographers who entered our contest for the first time!”
A panel of judges selected the cover image, three landscape winners, monthly feature photos and honorable mentions to be showcased throughout the calendar.
“Tennessee is full of incredibly diverse local wonders and our annual photo contest is a great way to highlight them. We are proud to share this year’s contest winners in our 2024 calendar, and other submissions throughout the year through our outreach efforts, educational programming and social media coverage,” said Jim.
With a one-time donation of $60 or more, or a monthly auto-recurring donation of $10 or more, to Tennessee Wildlife Federation by December 31, 2023, the first 250 donors will receive our limited edition 2024 calendar, while supplies last. Donations directly support the Federation’s conservation efforts.