Whether their lenses were pointed at ferries or friends, the sky or sea, each of the winning photographers artfully depicted the beauty of Martha's Vineyard.

First Place
Life is a Highway by Karen Morgenbesser
Greenwich, Connecticut

Karen Morgenbesser photographed a little girl’s delightful expression as she took the wheel of a ride at the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Fair in West Tisbury this past summer. “This photo made me smile immediately,” said a judge. “The joy the photographer captured is infectious!”

Second Place 
Steamship from Above by Joshua Robinson-White
West Tisbury, Massachusetts

Joshua Robinson-White employed a drone to produce this shot of the Steamship Authority ferry Governor about a mile off West Chop as it made its passage to Woods Hole. “[The photographer was] able to take an object that a lot of us see on a daily basis, and made it into something extremely visually interesting and beautiful,” said one judge.

Third Place
Dusk in Aquinnah by Claire Callagy
Chilmark, Massachusetts

Claire Callagy photographed a solo surfer in Aquinnah waters on a golden September evening, providing a muted yet active scene. “The surfer isn’t immediately noticeable, but breaks out of the uninterrupted softness of the water and dusk,” commented a judge. “With just a glimpse of the human form, we sense the thrill of interacting with nature’s grandiosity.”

People’s Choice
Sweet Baby Seal by Lauri Folkins
Quincy, Massachusetts

The people have spoken, and the votes are in. This year’s People’s Choice award goes to Lauri Folkins, who captured this undeniably adorable image of a seal pup on Philbin Beach in Aquinnah. 

Honorable Mention
Martha’s Vineyard Polar Bears by Patrick Cashin
Brooklyn, New York

Patrick Cashin set his keen sight on two women helping another enter the water at Inkwell Beach in Oak Bluffs for the Martha’s Vineyard Polar Bears’ final 2024 gathering. Though we have seen many iconic images of the Polar Bears, said one judge, this photographer has “succeeded at making a gentle, inviting, and warm photograph of a beautiful tradition.”

Honorable Mention
Menemsha Reflections by Larry Glick
Sudbury, Massachusetts

Larry Glick focused his camera on the wavy reflections of the fishing boat Fierce II in Menemsha Harbor on a peacefully calm day. “The mirrored image is dynamic,” said a judge. “The boat’s fading paint and hand-rendered lettering give way to their reflection. It looks like an abstract painting built of the same colors.” 

Honorable Mention
Aquinnah Milky Way by Luke DiOrio
Watertown, Massachusetts

Luke DiOrio utilized a long exposure for this image of the stars above Aquinnah. “The position of the boardwalk makes the viewer feel as if they are standing right where the tripod legs stood,” one judge said. “My favorite element is the contrast between the symmetrical foreground and the off-center Milky Way in the sky.”

Honorable Mention
The Fishing Pier by Barbara Reynolds
Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts 

A rainy early morning at the Oak Bluffs Fishing Pier caught photographer Barbara Reynolds’s eye. Judges were struck by the framing of the photo saying, “The negative space accentuates the restless energy of the waves, adding a striking contrast between the stillness of the piers and the motion in between.”

Honorable Mention
Our History by Lucy Dahl
Edgartown, Massachusetts

Lucy Dahl turned her lens to the iconic formation at Waskosim’s Rock Reservation in Chilmark, for which the trail is named. “There is so much history in nature that we sometimes aren’t consciously aware of but can inexplicably feel. To transfer that energy through a photograph requires great care, intention, and regard,” commented a judge.

Honorable Mention
Suspended by Phillip Long
Suffolk, Virginia

While out exploring Philbin Beach in Aquinnah, Phillip Long turned his attention to a swimmer just as he was about to re-enter the water. “The brilliance of this photo is in its simplicity,” a judge said. “More than two-thirds of this photograph is a hazy sky that allows the image to breathe, and the viewer to drift into their own nostalgia.”

Honorable Mention
Skimmer on Glassy Water by Samuel Allison
Edgartown, Massachusetts

Samuel Allison was in the right place at the right time when a black skimmer flew past him near the Dike Bridge on Chappaquiddick. “The photo…resonates strongly due to its decisive composition,” one judge said. “The diagonal line of the skimmer’s path creates a sense of motion, guiding my eye across the frame.”

Honorable Mention
Boat Shed #2 by David Kaplan
Greenwich, Connecticut

The scene of an old wooden boat hanging from the rafters of a Vineyard Haven shed transported photographer David Kaplan back in time. Many of the judges were thinking the same thing. “The textures of the Vineyard’s rich maritime traditions are what I responded to with this image,” one judge said. 

Honorable Mention
Keeper of the Rings by Marian Stanton
Wayland, Massachusetts

Marian Stanton’s photo of the Flying Horses Carousel in Oak Bluffs embodies a haze of activity, with one exception. Said one judge: “The young man operating the brass ring dispenser is framed dramatically by the surrounding blurred action, giving a sense of both movement and stillness in this dynamic photograph.”

Honorable Mention
7 Hereford Heifers by Johanna Douglas
Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts

One can’t help but think that the ladies lined up along a split-rail fence on Pilot Hill Farm Road in Vineyard Haven to strike a pose for photographer Johanna Douglas. This photograph “captures the pastoral beauty of the Island and is beautifully framed,” said one judge.

Honorable Mention
Gifts of Memories by Michelyn Goodin
Brooklyn, New York

Silhouetted birds on a wire add distinct character to Michelyn Goodin’s nostalgic, slightly gloomy image taken as she was walking around downtown Oak Bluffs. “There’s an ominous quality to this photo, which is perfectly juxtaposed by the blue sky,” one judge commented.

Honorable Mention
Dawn on the Pier by Mark Yoder
Denver, Colorado

There’s no shortage of sunrise photos on the Island, but Mark Yoder’s depiction of golden hour and a well-known landmark strikes all the right notes. “The reflection and the lines of the familiar pier in Oak Bluffs make this an iconic Vineyard image,” one judge said.

Editor’s Choice
8 PM Weigh In by Patrick Cashin
Brooklyn, New York

Patrick Cashin contributed several artfully composed portraits to this year’s contest, many of which impressed our judges. And yet editors particularly loved this joyful image of a mother and son on the first day of the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass & Bluefish Derby. It’s quite the catch.

About the Contest

Special thanks to our expert judges who make this contest possible. They include: Ray Ewing, a staff photographer for the Vineyard Gazette; Robyn Twomey, a freelance editorial and fine art photographer; David Welch, a fine art, commercial, and wedding photographer; Emma Young, the art director of this magazine; Matt Cosby, a freelance editorial, music, and portraiture photographer; and Chris Morse, the owner of three art galleries in Edgartown and West Tisbury. Additional thanks go to the more than 200 individuals who submitted entries to this year’s competition. For information on next year’s contest, go to mvmagazine.com/photo-contest.