2023 Photo Contest Winners and Finalists

The 2023 Western New York Southtowns Scenic Byway Photo Contest was a great success! We had over 120 photos to choose from and the selection process was very difficult.

The addition of a category specifically for mobile device cameras gave more people the opportunity to win prizes. We’ll be sure to do that again in 2024.

The following images were selected as finalists from all entries submitted. From these, three winning entries were selected from each of the two divisions — Mobile Device Cameras and Standalone Cameras — by our esteemed panel of four professional photographers …

Derek Gee – Buffalo News Chief Photographer
kc kratt – Freelance Photographer/Buffalo Spree Photographer
Thomas Mackert – Freelance Photographer/Bee News Photographer
Mark Mulville – Freelance Photographer/former Buffalo News Photographer

Both divisions are shown below. If you click on any of the images, a slideshow will pop up on your screen. Use the arrows to move forward or backward.

Our Winners — Mobile Devices

First Place: Judy Griffin — “Road” ($150 cash and a copy of Nostalgic Buffalo by William C. Even)
Second Place: Sherry Taber — “Covered Bridge” ($100 cash)
Third Place: Jim Blesy — “Hiding” ($50 cash)

First Place: Judy Griffin — Road (Mobile Device Camera)

Second Place: Sherry Taber — Covered Bridge (Mobile Device Camera)

Third Place: Jim Blesy — Hiding (Mobile Device Camera)

Jim Blesy — Snowy Sunset (Mobile Device Camera)

Jim Blesy — Early Sunrise (Mobile Device Camera)

Tim Bienkowski — Pond, Chestnut Ridge (Mobile Device Camera)

Tim Bienkowski — Owens Falls (Mobile Device Camera)

Kate Bartlett — Rail Trail (Mobile Device Camera)

Sherry Taber — Fall Colors (Mobile Device Camera)

Judy Griffin — The Flame (Mobile Device Camera)

Michael Fairbanks — A Walk in the Woods (Mobile Device Camera)

Matthew Domzalski — Open Road (Mobile Device Camera)

Jennifer Domzalski — Peaceful Reflection (Mobile Device Camera)

Tim Bienkowski — Birdsong Waterlily (Mobile Device Camera)

Our Winners — Standalone Camera

First Place: Michael Fairbanks — “Fire and Ice” ($150 cash and a copy of Nostalgic Buffalo by William C. Even)
Second Place: Kyle Post — “Knox Barred Owl” ($100 cash)
Third Place (Tie): Jim Bitten — “Autumn Splendor” ($50 cash)
Third Place (Tie): Brien Gottstine — “Winter Wonderland” ($50 cash)