PEC announces winners of annual photo contest

The Piedmont Environmental Council announces its 2022 annual photo contest winners. Each year, professional and amateur photographers alike submit their best Virginia Piedmont images from

Albemarle, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange, and Rappahannock counties and the City of Charlottesville.

“At PEC, we work to connect people to the landscapes, communities and heritage of Virginia’s Piedmont. The beautiful images that local photographers submit to this contest help us tell important stories and allow people to experience this wonderful place in new and exciting ways,” Hugh Kenny, PEC’s multimedia communications specialist and the contest coordinator, said in a statement.

Finalists from among hundreds of entries are chosen by a team of professional photographers and PEC sta . The winners are selected by public vote. Winners in each adult category receive a gi certi cate to a participating “Buy Fresh Buy Local” restaurant, and the youth winner receives a gi card.

This year’s winners are:

• In the category of Beautiful Landscapes: Cassidy Girvin of Charlottesville, for “Sunset Casts a Warm Glow.”

• In the category of Native Plants and Wildlife: Joshua Rector of Upperville in Fauquier County, for “Spotted.”

• In the category of Local Farms and Food: Dorothy Kray of The Plains in Fauquier County, for “A

Mother’s Love.”

• In the Youth Category: Simon Wray of Crozet in Albemarle County, for “Raccoon Scaling a Tree.”

Last year, Nick Palastro, of Spring eld, won the contest in the category of “Beautiful Landscapes” for his photo, titled “Glow Rime Glow,” that was taken atop Rappahannock County’s Mary’s Rock.