December 16th, 2021 by WCBC Radio

Allegany County Tourism has announced its winners for the fourth annual Mountain Maryland Photo Contest. The contest opened in May of 2021 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, History and Heritage, and Arts and Culture. With a record number of over 390 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 – “Fishing on the North Branch” by Mark Moessinger
• Second Place – “Golfing at Jack Nicklaus” by Amber Kresge
• Third Place – “Kayaks and Canoes on Lake Habeeb” by Beth McElvie

Scenic Landscapes:

• First Place – “View From Wills Mountain” by David Best
• Second Place – “Fall Scene at Rocky Gap State Park” by Hassaan Rasheed
• Third Place – “Potomac River’s Horseshoe Bend” by Robert Helton 

History and Heritage: 

• First Place – “1309” by Adam Rinehart
• Second Place – “Lockhouse on the C&O Canal” by Mark Moessinger 
• Third Place – “Drone Over the Brush Tunnel” by Adam Rinehart

Arts and Culture: 

• First Place  – “Main Street in Frostburg, MD” by Janelle Muletz
• Second Place – “Cheers from Dig Deep” by Erin Dettinburn 
• Third Place – “Tim Vitullo at Dig Deep” by Erin Dettinburn

 

Allegany County Tourism posted the judges’ top 15 photos to Facebook for a public vote to honor a People’s Choice category, new to the contest this year. The photo with the most “likes” from each category received the People’s Choice honors as follows:

 

• Outdoor Recreation – “Fall Float on the Potomac River” by Donna Vernon
• Scenic Landscapes – “Scenic View of Lake Habeeb” by Janelle Muletz
• History and Heritage – “1309” by Adam Rinehart
• Arts and Culture – “Main Street in Frostburg, MD” by Janelle Muletz

 

“It was wonderful to see a record number of quality photos submitted to the contest this year,” said Jessica Palumbo, Marketing and Sales Manager for Allegany County Tourism. “The addition of the People’s Choice category was a fun twist that had the community engaged and looking at all Allegany County has to offer.”

 

Cash prizes were awarded for the top three photos in each category, totaling $1,700. Winning photos, including the photos honored in the People’s Choice category, will be printed and displayed during the Mountain Maryland Photo Contest Closing Reception and Exhibition at the Allegany Arts Council, with a public opening for the month-long exhibition on Saturday, February 5, 2022. Winning photos will also appear in the 2022 Visit Mountain Maryland Destination Guide and all submitted photos have the potential to be featured on social media and on the Allegany County Tourism website.