Congratulations to all!!!
GRAND PRIZE WINNER
Skating on Wild Ice Web — Utkan Kokaturk
Last winter I explored Big Lake on Nordic skates. The snow-free surface revealed spiderweb-like giant cracks etched by vehicle/human traffic and shifting winter pressures under the ice. From above, it became a scene of both calm and motion; me gliding across a vast frozen canvas, tracing the interesting ice patterns shaped by winter.
ADVENTURE WINNERS
#1: The Great One — Dave Shreffler
I took this image in Denali National Park in June 2025 from a vantage point near Stony Dome. Three cyclists were riding the car-less road as The Great One (Mount Denali 20,310 feet) loomed majestically on the horizon. The park road is closed at mile 43 due to the Pretty Rocks Landslide. Some intrepid cyclists hike their bikes around the landslide to experience the splendor of Denali National Park with no vehicles on the road. The cyclists provide a sense of scale for the immensity of this incredible landscape.
#2 Paraskiing in Spring — Debra Kelly
Honorable Mention: Camping at Hatcher Pass — Paige Sweeney
ALASKA LIFE WINNERS
#1 Happy for Fish — Janet Oquilluk
Back in June we set the net at camp and caught fresh red salmon. Maya, our daughter, (7 months at the time) was very proud of our harvest.
#2 Skinny Dipping with Salmon — Megan Corazza
Frida Renner and Sofia Loboy skinny dipping in a boat load of salmon on the F/V Centurion in Prince William Sound.
#3 Deckhand of the Year — Tanner Stines
This picture was taken in Ketchikan. I had just turned 19 and was working as a commercial fisherman. One of the boats I was working on was a salmon seiner with a skiff driver who owned this dog. This dog “Merlin” lived full time aboard the boat and was a great addition to the team.
Honorable Mention: Dog Sled Team — Kevin Fisher
This image is of Geoff Carrol’s dog team in Barrow (Utqiagvik) Alaska. They were jumping with excitement because they were just about to go for a run on the sea ice.
SCENIC WINNERS
#1 Crown of the Copper River — William Frohne
Just north of Glennallen, the half-frozen Copper River braids toward Mount Drum in the Wrangells, crowned by a perfect lenticular cloud as if the mountain put on a hat just for my fly by. I’ve always loved lenticular clouds, so catching one from my drone on one of my favorite mountains felt like a dream. I captured this shot in late november as we were leaving Alaska after spending the first half of winter living in our van while exploring the frozen north. This scene was the perfect farewell: ice, alpenglow, and a sky stacked with wind.
#2 Beneath the Grey — Bob Chadwick
A pool of water caught on the Knik Glacier.
#. Ice Crack Aurora — Aurora Dora
Massive ice blocks over the Susitna River in Talkeetna have split apart into jagged, dramatic fractures. The deep cracks glow under the moonlight, showing the power and depth of the freeze-thaw cycles at work. Above it all, the northern lights dance in shades of green and purple, while the moon illuminates the sharp edges of the ice, adding an ethereal glow to the scene.
Honorable Mention: Romance in Bloom — Frank Lynn Pierce
A couple escapes into the full bloom of June lupine, embraced by the romance of a twilight sky at Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau.
WILDLIFE WINNERS
#1 Sharing is Caring — Nicole Rogers
This photo was captured on a cold February morning at Taku Lake in Anchorage, Alaska. I had been sitting quietly on the ice, watching a family of river otters dart in and out of their hole as they wrestled and played. In a split second, two of them burst from the water, both gripping the same fish. The moment lasted only a heartbeat before one snatched it away, but I was lucky enough to capture the instant they surfaced together.
#2 Frozen in Time — Lukas Draugelis: Insta @lukasdphoto
Photo of a Dall’s porpoise taken during a cruise in Resurrection Bay in mid-March. The water was still clear, and I believe it was one of the first cruises of the season. I snapped this shot on the bow of the boat as the porpoises swarmed.
#3 White Raven — Phil Pringle: philpringlephotography.com
I have lived in Alaska for 45 years and had never seen anything like this beautiful, magical very rare leucistic raven. It spent the winter of 2023/24 around midtown Anchorage and became quite a celebrity with paparazzi following its every move. I took hundreds of photographs trying to capture how mystical and special it seemed.
Honorable Mention: Power of the Chase — Edward Marsh: enlightenthedark.com
With claws outstretched and water exploding around him, a brown bear launches through the shallows in pursuit of salmon. A heartbeat of raw strength and survival in Alaska’s wild rivers.
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