Dog Running OhiopyleLIGONIER, Pa., (Oct. 24, 2019) – The Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau® (LHVB) has selected the winning images for the 15th annual Laurel Highlands Photo Contest.

The top images will be published in the bureau’s 2020 Destination Guide, on www.laurelhighlands.org and displayed in special exhibits at high-profile locations in the Laurel Highlands. First place in each of the four categories will receive $500; second place, $200; and third place, $100. Winning photos may also be featured on the bureau’s social media, billboards and more.

“The quality of the images we receive never ceases to amaze me and continues to make judging this contest very challenging year after year,” said Kristin Ecker, LHVB’s Senior Director of Marketing. “The character enables us to share these individual experiences outwardly through our marketing with an authenticity that you can’t buy. The stories we create with these images, these moments, are what compel people to continue to visit our region time and time again – and that’s what this is all about.” 

The winning images can be viewed online here

2019 Laurel Highlands Photo Contest Winners

  • Category 1: People
    • 1st Place: Amanda Dowdy, Packsaddle Bridge, Fairhope
    • 2nd Place: Lori Ostroski, Saint Vincent Lake, Latrobe
    • 3rd Place: Tim Krupar, Westmoreland String Workshop, Ligonier
  • Category 2: Plants and Animals
    • 1st Place: Jeff Helsel, Ohiopyle State Park, Ohiopyle
    • 2nd Place: Krystal Ritenour, Linn Run State Park, Ligonier
    • 3rd Place: Tim Krupar, Wendover, Greensburg
  • Category 3: Places
    • 1st Place: Alexandra Davis, Walker School Road, Berlin
    • 2nd Place: Linda Seanor, Johnson Church, Confluence
    • 3rd Place: Dana Rukse, Jennerstown Speedway, Jennerstown
  • Category 4: Festivals and Events
    • 1st Place: Dana Rukse, Greensburg Community Days, Greensburg
    • 2nd Place: Denise Eidemiller, Westmoreland County Airshow, Latrobe
    • 3rd Place: Linda Seanor, Somerset County Fair, Somerset

Only photos taken in the Laurel Highlands (Pennsylvania’s Fayette, Somerset, or Westmoreland counties) were eligible.  Participants were permitted to submit an unlimited number of high-quality images for the contest. Photos of private property were not eligible. Black and white photos were not accepted.

The 2020 Laurel Highlands Photo Contest will open for submissions early next year.

About Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands
A magnificent mountainous region, the Laurel Highlands spans 3,000 square miles in southwestern Pennsylvania. Located an hour east of Pittsburgh, the beautiful four-season destination offers spectacular natural scenery, outstanding outdoor recreation, historic sites and attractions, family activities and world-class resorts. Notable destinations within the region include four architectural masterpieces by Frank Lloyd Wright – Fallingwater®, Kentuck Knob, Mäntylä and Duncan House – Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, Seven Springs Mountain Resort, Flight 93 National Memorial, Idlewild and Soak Zone, whitewater rafting at Ohiopyle State Park and more.

Located within 200 miles of the major metropolitan areas of Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Cleveland, and Washington D.C., the Laurel Highlands can be easily accessed from exits 67, 75, 91 and 110 of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Visitors to the Laurel Highlands can find information online at www.LaurelHighlands.org, calling 724.238.5661, www.facebook.com/laurelhighlandsPA and www.twitter.com/laurelhighlands. Established in 1958, the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau is the official destination marketing organization for Fayette, Somerset and Westmoreland counties in southwestern Pennsylvania.

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