WATERFORD — Twelve images that captured the beauty and character of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor have been selected as winners of the 13th Annual Erie Canalway Photo Contest. Winning images will be featured in the 2019 Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor calendar, which will be available for free at libraries and visitor centers beginning in December.
Judges selected first, second and third place photographs in four contest categories from nearly 300 entries. In addition, 12 photographs received an honorable mention. Winning photos may be viewed at www.eriecanalway.org/gallery.
Winning images span the entire length of the canal system from Hudson Falls on the Champlain Canal to Tonawanda at the western gateway to the Erie Canal. Mohawk Valley winners include Cliff Oram of Ilion for his image Sunset at the Marina (Ilion) and Stefanie Obkirchner of Amsterdam from her photo Paddling the Waterford Locks (Waterford).
“These outstanding images offer a snapshot of what makes this 500-mile ribbon of waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes a national treasure,” said Bob Radliff, Erie Canalway executive director. “We hope they inspire people to protect and celebrate our unparalleled canal heritage.”
The public is invited to pick up a free calendar at libraries and visitor centers beginning in December. Locations will be posted in November at: eriecanalway.org/get-involved/photo-contest. Funding support for the calendar comes from the New York State Canal Corporation and the National Park Service.
Classic Canal
First place — Mirror: Past and Present (Clay) by Suzanne Grosz, Webster
Second place — Lyndon Road Footpath (Fairport) by Tracy Lyn Lause, Fairport
Third place — Best Friends (Newark) by Mary E. Smith, Newark
Canal Communities
First place — Fairport at Dawn (Fairport) by Tom Kredo, Rochester
Second place — Sunset View of Tonawanda (Tonawanda) by Pierre Williot, Buffalo
Third place — Morning Light (Lockport) by Robert Klick, Amherst
Along the Trail
First place — Winter’s Sunset (Brockport) by Kyle Preston, Brockport
Second place — Paddling the Waterford Locks (Waterford) by Stefanie Obkirchner, Amsterdam
Third place — Richmond Aqueduct (Montezuma) by James Zeger, Sodus
On the Water
First place — Westward Bound (Lockport) by Lee Williams, Lockport
Second place — Sunset at the Marina (Ilion) by Cliff Oram, Ilion
Third place — Misty Sunrise (Northumberland) by Susan Meyer, Schuylerville
Honorable mention recipients (listed east to west)
Ups and Downs (Hudson Falls), Bruce Squiers, Salem
Upper Hudson Sunset Bridge (Northumberland), Susan Meyer, Schuylerville
Jogging Along Old Canal with Dog (Camillus), Joe Carey, Syracuse
Erie Canal Bike Tour (Fairport), Janice Esse, Fairport
Three’s Company (Pittsford), Florence Smith, Webster
Rochester at Night (Rochester), Mary Courtney, Palmyra
Big Tree (Rochester), Daniel Moscovici, Oreland, PA
Erie Canal Aqueduct (Rochester), David Halpern, Rochester
Towpath Sunrise (Lockport), Jeff Tracy, Lockport
Hidden Surprise (Lockport), Ellen Riccobono, Lockport
Paddling Through (Lockport), Thomas Fitzrandolph, Lockport
Dusk on the Canal (Lockport), Jim Culler, Cincinnati, OH.
