11 dazzling photos to inspire your next adventure in a national park
The U.S. National Parks are looking good at 100 years old.
For proof, look no further than the National Park Foundation's Share the Experience Photo Contest. The agency announced the winners of the 15,000 amateur photography shots submitted in 2015 on Thursday.
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The 11 winners are an excellent refresher on the beauty of the natural landscapes in the U.S.
“My photography is not just for recreation, it is to inspire people to explore these areas,” said Yang Lu, who took this photo in Glen Canyon.
Heather Martin told the National Park Foundation she got this shot as she and her brother were leaving after an attempt to summit Whitney.
"I turned around to take in one last view before we were engulfed by the trees, and the clouds had made it look like the mountain was floating," she said.
"It wasn't until our 3rd or 4th visit that we discovered the secret to the exact time and season when refracted sunlight transforms the alcove into a stunning jewel," said David Regala, who captured this stunning image in Utah.
"I took this photo at sunrise after driving 10 miles on rough dirt roads and hiking another three miles cross-country," said Steve Ancik, who took this shot in New Mexico. "The skeleton was already there and it turned out to be a beautiful sunrise with lots of colors."
Rebecca Wilks took this shot in Utah.
"This was my first visit to Death Valley, and while I'd seen many photos of the salt flats before, I really never understood how big the formations were," said Sarah Gustafson, who set this California shot up with a tripod.
"The layers in the formations at Badlands National Park display roughly 75 million years of history," said Erik Fremstad. The park is in South Dakota.
"My wife first spotted the Big Horn sheep in the distance," said Koustubh Kulkarni, who took this shot in Joshua Tree, in California. "Their perch could not have been better as it had a backdrop of the setting sun with the sky shaded in beautiful hues of orange, yellow, pink and blue."
"This exceptional insect with its stunning color pattern and complex life cycle reminds me of the fragility of life," said Brent Wauer, who won the wildlife category with this photo taken in Arizona.
"I wanted to get a photo of a large Bull Bison and I happened on this one high up in a mountain pass," said Matthew Sorum, who told the National Park Foundation he has gotten into wildlife photography in the past two years. "Not only did I get the background I was looking for that captured the beauty of the environment we were in, I also captured the largest Bison I have ever seen."
Kimberly Hall took this photo in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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Cailey studied journalism at SUNY Purchase and french cinema & literature at Paris IV Sorbonne. She is a cynical optimist and Talking Heads karaoke enthusiast. Drop her a line @misscaileyanne
