January 26th, 2021 by WCBC Radio

In April 2020, Allegany County Tourism launched its third annual Mountain Maryland Photo Contest as a way to collect photos that tell the county’s story of culture and lifestyle, giving community members and visitors the ability to submit photos in four categories – Outdoor Recreation, Scenic Landscapes, Small Towns, and Food and Beverage. Despite COVID-19 impacting much of this year, community members and visitors were able to get out to capture and submit stunning photography of the area. With over 260 qualifying submissions, a panel of five judges, made up of marketing and/or arts professionals, selected the top three winners in each category, as follows:

Outdoor Recreation:

• First Place – “Hiker on Wills Mountain” by Robert Brooke
  Second Place – “Light at the End of the Tunnel” by Eric Hyde
  Third Place – “Egret in Flight” by Dan Foye

Scenic Landscapes:

• First Place – “Farm Fields in Oldtown, MD” by Julie Conway
  Second Place – “Cabin in the Woods” by Dan Foye
  Third Place – “Summer Morning” by Dan Foye 

Small Towns: 

• First Place – “Comet Over Cumberland” by Dan Foye 
  Second Place – “Cumberland Courthouse” by Chris Foye 
  Third Place – “Lucky Shot of Eagles Over Cumberland” by Dan Foye

Food and Beverage: 

• First Place  - “Tomatoes at the Farmers Market” by Jim Cumiskey
  Second Place – “Blackberries on the GAP” by Wayne George 
  Third Place – “Head of Lettuce at the Farmers Market” by Jim Cumiskey 

“COVID has turned our lives upside down, and we weren’t sure what kind of participation we would see this year with everything going on,” says Jessica Palumbo, Marketing and Sales Manager for Allegany County Tourism. “But because our area is rich in natural beauty and resources, people were able to get out and enjoy Mountain Maryland and submit beautiful photography.”

Cash prizes were awarded for the top three photos in each category, totaling $1,700. Winning photos will be printed and displayed in partner locations and will appear in the 2021 Visit Mountain Maryland Destination Guide. The 2021 Mountain Maryland Photo Contest will launch in April 2021.

For more information on the 2020 Mountain Maryland Photo Contest and to view the winning photos, visit www.mdmountainside.com/photo-contest.