Monumental Photo Wins Arizona Highways Magazine’s 2020 Photography Contest

Arizona Highways Magazine winner
Arizona Highways Magazine grand prize winning photo 2020 by John Vermette.

PHOENIX – A monumental photo of the Milky Way arching over Monument Valley by John Vermette is the grand-prize winner of the Arizona Highways magazine’s 2020 photography contest.

According to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), Mr. Vermette, with some astronomical knowledge and a compass had what he needed for the perfect shot. That image will now grace the pages of Arizona Highways magazine and ArizonaHighways.com.

Mr. Vermette’s photo was among 3,950 that amateur and professional photographers entered in the magazine’s 12th annual contest.

“A lot of thought and preparation went into the making of the photos you see,” said Jeff Kida, Arizona Highways’ photo editor in a press release. “Much like the photos we run in the magazine, I really enjoy seeing some new perspectives on familiar subjects and locations. Visual surprises can often be a good thing.”

The second place photo by Joe Neely features two bees sleeping in a flower along US 60 near Globe, and the third place image from Michael Wilson shows a small waterfall amid Sedona’s sandstone after a winter storm.

The winning images will be featured in the September 2020 issue of Arizona Highways. The grand prize photographer won an in-state photo workshop valued at $2,500. Second- and third-place winners received prize packages from Tempe Camera valued at $500 and $250, respectively.

Arizona Highways, published by the Arizona Department of Transportation, has readers in more than 120 countries and all 50 states.

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