Nature In Focus Photo Competition – 2026 Exhibition – Friends of Heinz Refuge

Nature In Focus Photo Competition – 2026 Exhibition

2026 Nature In Focus Photography Exhibition

Friends of Heinz Refuge (FOHR) is excited to present an image gallery of photos celebrating the beauty and diversity of the natural world found at the Heinz Refuge through the camera lens. The 94 photos displayed here were selected from photos submitted digitally to our 2026 photography competition. The exhibition, which is divided into 3 Divisions (Children, Teens and Adults) includes wildlife and general nature photos captured at the Refuge.

To view the photos, click on an image to enlarge it and scroll through all of the images in the selected category – Winners, Children, Teens and Adults.

Award Winners Adult Teen Child

The Lone Fisherman - Ghazia Ahmad

Child - First Place

Cool Butterfly - Finn Gehling

Child - Second Place

Sun Shadows Flower - Drew Gehlin

Child - Third Place

The Drip - Rydan Rivera

Teen - First Place

Yellow Warbler - Mozi Weisenberg

Teen - Second Place

Peaceful Crossing - Sid Ghatta

Teen - Third Place

Indigo Bunting - Craig Hedlund

Adult - First Place

Talon to Talon - Mustafa Mir

Adult - Second Place

Lunch Time - Karan Manektala

Adult - Third Place

Golden Rise - Jerry Flynn

Adult - Best In Show

Fox Walking the Darby Creek Trail, Two - Greg Wasserstrom

Adult - Best Wildlife Photo

Love In Full Bloom - Arjun Sengupta

Adult - Best Nature Photo

Lunch Time - Karan Manektala

Bill Buchanan Award

The Drip - Rydan Rivera

People's Choice Award

Always Aware - Craig Hedlund

Ambushed - Destiny McGahee

Bergamot in Focus - Craig Hedlund

Blond Coyote - Craig Hedlund

Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher with Food - Barbara Holland

Carolina Wren Near Visitors' Center - Barbara Holland

Coming Home - Steven Docimo

Crocodile Eyes - Ponmali Le

Elusive Common Yellowthroat - Jack Cloutier

Female Hooded Merganser, Darby Creek - David Swerdlow

Great Blue Heron, John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge 2023 mono - Ken Zaret

Greater Yellowlegs - David Swerdlow

Harrier - Craig Hedlund

House Finch with Nesting Material - Craig Hedlund

Jurassic Sunset - Judy Forchielli

Just Hanging Out - Rudy Lauletta

Local Arborist - Hannah Going

Make a Wish - Tyler Sondermann

Male Hooded Merganser, Darby Creek - David Swerdlow

Mallard Duckling, Reflecting - David Swerdlow

Marsh Wren at Marsh Boardwalk - Barbara Holland

Metallic - Destiny McGahee

Mirror Skim - Jerry Flynn

Moonlit Pursuit - Jerry Flynn

MOOOOOM!!! - Karan Manektala

Nectar Stop - Maureen Dwyer

Night Sun - Sherneen Berry

No More Room at the Inn - Stephen Walker

One Kool Gosling - Rudy Lauletta

One Last Sip - Nicole Brin

Pick Your Poison - Robert Rossi

Playing in the Mud - David Swerdlow

Rivals - Steven Docimo

Robin's Nest-Looking For More - Rudy Lauletta

Sentimental Twilight - Sophia Marie

Sharpshooter - Destiny McGahee

Snaptivating View - Judy Forchielli

Sora, Heinz Impoundment - David Swerdlow

The Catch - Jerry Flynn

The Sentinel - Collin Free

Tree Swallows Having Words - Barbara Holland

Up Close and Personal - Tyler Sondermann

Walking on Water - Arjun Sengupta

Winter Repose - George Keighton

Wood Ducks Along Western Impoundment - Barbara Holland

Yellow Warbler - Greg Wasserstrom

You Spy with Your Little Eye... - Ponmali Le

All Quiet on the Water Front - Brandon He

Black-throated Blue Warbler - Mozi Weisenberg

Brand New Day - Sam Zuchman

Curious Commonthroat - Kael Kaufer

Enjoying the View - Kael Kaufer

Fruit - Anisa Ahmad

Gray Catbird - Mozi Weisenberg

Green - Ike Bostic

Greening - Jessou Kouyateh

Grey Day - Ike Bostic

Lygaeus Turcicus with Matching Oxeye Flower - Julia Kennedy

Nature's Beautiful Fields - Tahid Horton

Nice Need for Nectar - Brandon He

Peek-A-Boo l See You - Ike Bostic

Perched Above the Green - AP Zuchman

Perfect Perch! - Kael Kaufer

The Eye in the Sky - Jordyn Dumas

The Far Away Planes - Christopher Smith

The Gold in the Grass - Shyhee Jackson

The Goose Amongst the Grass - AP Zuchman

The Hidden Fawn - Leir Johnson

The Toad - Sam Zuchman

Time For a Bench Break - Brandon He

Watcher in the Canopy - AP Zuchman

Wild Bounty - Sid Ghatta

Wild Mosaic - Sid Ghatta

Yellow - Kirsten Coker

Butterfly and the Flower Slide - Zaira Kiran

Across Darby Creek - Nathan Scudder

My Park - Micheal Nguyen

Bobby - Max Levy-Jones

Black Bird - Linus Cormode

Smooth Oxeye - John Owen Scudder

Never Saw A Snail Like This! - Grady Boyle

Frozen Tinicum - Aleesia Century