A corn snake rises to the occasion in Conservation Foundation's Summer Photo Contest.

Special to the Herald-Tribune
·2 min read
Diane Fairey's "Corn Snake Enjoying the Salty Air" won Best in Show and the Fabulously Florida category in People's Choice voting in the fourth annual Summer Photo Contest sponsored by the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast.
Diane Fairey's "Corn Snake Enjoying the Salty Air" won Best in Show and the Fabulously Florida category in People's Choice voting in the fourth annual Summer Photo Contest sponsored by the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast.

A corn snake getting a whiff of salty beach air won Best in Show in the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast's fourth annual Summer Photo Contest.

Hundreds of local photographers submitted images for consideration. After a jury's selection, community members voted for their favorites by liking/loving the images in the Conservation Foundation's Facebook gallery. Voting took place June 20 through Aug. 20, and the most liked/loved image in each category received the honor of People’s Choice.

In addition to Best in Show with almost 500 likes on Facebook, Diane Fairey's "Corn Snake Enjoying the Salty Air" was tops in the Fabulously Florida category. Fairey also won the Art of Nature category with "The Elusive Junonia Seashell."

"Wisdom Tree" by Gideon Hersh won the Youth Perspective category.
"Wisdom Tree" by Gideon Hersh won the Youth Perspective category.

Photographers of all ages and experience levels were invited to submit their original work showcasing the beauty of natural Florida. Jurors evaluated submissions on composition, color, contrast, point of view, whether the image told a story, and how well the image fit the category. The jurors included noted photographer Kerri Gagne Deatherage; fine artist, Mary Louise O’Connell; and award-winning commercial photographer Robert Nishihira.

"Where Are You?" by Larry Stone won the Winged Life category.
"Where Are You?" by Larry Stone won the Winged Life category.

The People’s Choice category winners:

· The Big Picture: "Matanzas Thunderstorm" by Stephen Brown.

· Winged Life: "Where Are You?" by Larry Stone.

· Youth Perspective: "Wisdom Tree" by Gideon Hersh.

· The Art of Nature: "The Elusive Junonia Seashell by Diane Fairey

· Fabulously Florida and Best in Show: "Corn Snake Enjoying the Salty Air" by Diane Fairey.

The full gallery may be viewed at conservationfoundation.com/summerphoto2023 or by visiting the Conservation Foundation on Facebook.

"Matanzas Thunderstorm" by Stephen Brown won The Big Picture category.
"Matanzas Thunderstorm" by Stephen Brown won The Big Picture category.

The Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast protects land and water in Southwest Florida for the benefit of people and nature through strategic collaborations with individuals, groups, organizations, and government. Learn more at conservationfoundation.com.

"The Elusive Junonia Seashell" by Diane Fairey won the The Art of Nature category.
"The Elusive Junonia Seashell" by Diane Fairey won the The Art of Nature category.

Submitted by Sam Valentin

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Conservation Foundation celebrates People's Choice photo contest winners