Thank you to everyone who entered Tennessee Wildlife Federation’s 2022 calendar contest and to the thousands who cast votes.
From wetlands to mountains, Tennessee’s diverse wildlife and beautiful landscapes were showcased in more than 3,200 submitted images.
A panel of judges selected the cover image, top three landscapes, monthly feature photographs, and honorable mention images for the calendar. 50 photographs were selected to compete for this year’s People’s Choice Award. Those images were open for public voting for one week in September.
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Congratulations to all winners!
Calendar Cover Photo Winner
Family Time by Frank Snyder
Frank Snyder and his wife Joyce are residents of Athens. A banker by trade, he is an avid wildlife and landscape photographer who spends as much time as possible in Cherokee National Forest and Great Smoky Mountains National Park capturing images of the beautiful world of nature in East Tennessee.
People’s Choice Award Winner
Mirror Image by Brandon McDowell
Brandon McDowell is a resident of Oakland and has a passion for wildlife and landscape photography. He loves capturing the beauty of God’s creation and sharing it with others to bring them joy. You can see more of Brandon’s photography on Facebook at BAAM Photography and Instagram @throughmytnlens
Landscape Photo Winners
1st Place Landscape Winner
Field of Purple by Charlie Curry
Charlie Curry was a member of the Air Force for nine years and was stationed at Aviano Airbase, Italy. During that time, he got into film photography, but did not pursue it after leaving the Air Force. In 2009, he purchased his first digital camera and found digital to be easier and cheaper than film photography. Since then, he has purchased several Canon cameras and several large lenses for taking close-ups of Tennessee’s wonderful wildlife. You can see more of his photography at CharlieDCurry.com
2nd Place Landscape Winner
Small Fall by Richard Hoatland
Richard Hoatland moved from Florida to East Tennessee in July of 2021. Nature photography has been a hobby of his for nearly 20 years. This “Small Fall” is located near Grotto Falls in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
3rd Place Landscape Winner
Swamp Carpet by Kenny Schick
Kenny Schick is a music producer and photographer based in Nashville. Originally from California, Kenny started a company with his wife called Basement 3 Productions, which focused on music production and corporate photography. In 2017, the two moved to Nashville and music production became the sole focus of the business. Kenny takes photos only for pleasure now, and is inspired by the natural beauty of Tennessee. View more of his photos on Instagram @kennyschick3
Monthly Feature Winners
Formation Flying by Patrick Thompson
Patrick lives just outside Chattanooga. He finds that photography enhances his enjoyment of the outdoors because it requires him to be mentally present and really see the beauty and wonder surrounding him in nature. View more of Patrick’s work at patrickthompsonphoto.com
A Beautiful Couple by Thomas Kienzle
Thomas is a recently retired scientist who worked with viruses in basic research, veterinary diagnostics, and biotech. Photography has been a hobby of his for many decades. With the purchase of a large prime lens, he has focused more on bird photography in the last several years.
Wiley’s Stare by Toby Cantrell
Toby started photography at a young age, taking landscape photos on slide film. He began getting into wildlife photography after digital cameras became more popular. More of his images can be found on Instagram @cantrellusphotography
Osprey With a Fresh Catch by Brian Anderson
Brian is based in the Blue Ridge Mountains of East Tennessee. His passion for photography is directly related to his adventurous personality and outdoor hobbies. He hopes to inspire others by capturing the beauty of the outdoors. See more of his photos on Instagram @Briananderson_tn
Leaping Raccoon by Scott Russom
Scott lives in Middle Tennessee and enjoys photographing wildlife and nature with his wife Jennifer. View more of his photos on Instagram @scott_russom_imagery
Hidden in the Reeds by Debra Kienzle
Debra has a degree in Biology and has always been interested in science. Photography has been a hobby of hers for the past 30 years. She enjoys traveling to various parks with her husband and taking photos of nature.
Life in the Fast Lane by Ennette Martin
Ennette has been a resident of Monroe County all of her life. She enjoys photography as a hobby and is a self-taught photographer who appreciates challenges and trying new things. “There is beauty in everything, you just have to slow down enough to see it.”
Take Off by Rick McCulley
Rick resides in Rockwood and got interested in photography as a way to help him quit smoking almost four years ago. He tries to include his niece, nephew, and grandson, hoping one of them will follow in his footsteps. See more of his photography on Facebook at RickyMPhotography
Velvet by Jamie Gilliam
Based in Middle Tennessee, Jamie loves to capture images of Tennessee’s incredible scenery and wildlife. His work has been featured by Sports Illustrated, The New York Times, Southern Living, and many other publications. View more of his work at bandboxcreative.com and on Instagram and Facebook @BandBoxCreative
Frolicking Among the Flowers by Melody Huggins
Melody Huggins is from Selmer and fell in love with photography several years ago. She spends most of her free time in nature photographing “wildlife and enjoying the Lord’s beautiful creation.” View more of her work at facebook.com/melody.huggins.35
Clear the Path by Faye Armour
Faye is a retired floral designer and lives in Selmer with her husband Ronald. She started photography in 2013 as a retirement hobby. She is passionate about photographing wildlife and the beauty of nature—God’s creations.
Winter Cardinal by Dr. David Sloas
David Sloas, M.D. started taking photos to bring joy to his patients. A self- taught photographer, Dr. Sloas was selected as one of Nikon’s 100 photographers and named one of 20 to watch on Instagram by Business Insider. See more of his work on Instagram @a_man_with_a_nikon
Honorable Mention Winners
Sharon Cardin
Tanner Cernick
Kalley Cook
Wanda Eaton
Perry Falcon
Jere Hughes
Paul Junkins
Timothy Loyd
Bruce McGee
Angie McKinley
Becky McRae
Dale Potter
Jennifer Russom
Bryce Wade
Terry Weaver
Andrew Zimmerman
Featured photo by Brandon McDowell
