We are happy to extend a heartfelt congratulations to the winners of our 2025 Wildlife Photography Contest! This year’s contest showcased breathtaking images of South Carolina’s wildlife, natural habitats, and memorable moments of people enjoying the outdoors. 

With more than 450 incredible entries submitted, selecting the winners was no easy task. This annual contest supports our mission by helping SCWF depict our state’s wildlife and their habitat. We are grateful to everyone who participated and shared their talent and passion for South Carolina’s natural world with the South Carolina Wildlife Federation. 

Selected photographs will be featured throughout the year on our social media channels so be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram @SCWildlifeFederation. You can also view all qualifying entries on our Flickr page.

Scenes of SC Winning Entry: Odd Couple Enjoying the Southern Warmth by Paul Bittinger

About the photograph:

Odd Couple Enjoying the Southern Sun’s Warmth features a great blue heron undisturbed and uninterested as a white-tail deer doe crosses a shallow narrow between an island and a wooded peninsula on the shores of Lake Murray, SC during early fall.

About the photographer:

Paul Bittinger, Heron’s Point Photography, is a nature photography hobbyist focusing primarily on Lake Murray and environs. Raised in Irmo, Paul lived all over the USA and the world during his P&G corporate career and returned to SC to retire on Lake Murray. He is a wildlife and nature enthusiast sharing his photography on Lake Murray Life Facebook, Instagram.com/heronspoint and several local magazines. Heron’s Point Photography is so named for the great blue herons who live and fish all around his home (as well as eagles, ospreys, egrets, kingfishers, white-tailed deer, beavers, and seasonal ducks/waterfowl).

Scenes of SC Category Runner-up: Caesars Head Views by Amanda Johnson

Scenes of SC Category Second Runner-up: Isle of Sky by Leslie Fried

Carolina Critters Winning Entry: Black-bellied Plover with Sea Worm by Patricia Kappmeyer

About the photograph:

Black-bellied Plover with Sea Worm was photographed this fall at Fish Haul Beach on the Port Royal sandbar. Black-bellied plovers are one of the overwintering shorebird species that rely on South Carolina’s Lowcountry beaches during the nonbreeding season.

I observed a pair of black-bellied plovers from a distance and noticed through my binoculars that they were repeatedly feeding in a particularly productive area of the tidal flat, pulling up sea worm after sea worm. After spending time watching their feeding pattern, I was able to slowly crawl along the sand to position myself at a respectful distance and capture this moment using a 400mm lens. The image reflects both the intensity of shorebird foraging and the importance of healthy coastal habitat, as well as the value of patience and observation in ethical bird photography.

About the photographer:

Patricia (Patty) Kappmeyer is a Hilton Head Island-based nature writer and bird photographer whose work focuses on ethical bird photography, observation, and the relationship between birds, habitat, and season. She is the author of Flight through the Seasons: Discover Birding and Photography in the Lowcounty of Hilton Head Island, and the founder of Lowcountry Birds and Nature, where she shares photography, writing, and educational programs that encourage thoughtful engagement with wildlife and place.

Carolina Critters Category Runner-up: Feeding Time by Greg Hammond

Carolina Critters Second Runner-up: An Owl Knows by Norm Grant

People in Nature Winning Entry: Early Riser by Thomas Laney

More about the photographer and the photo by Thomas Laney:

The photo is my grandson, John Bryant, in a flooded cornfield adjacent to the Pee Dee River near Cheraw. He was 12 years old in the photo and is now a senior at Francis Marion University. His love of fishing, hunting, and the outdoors has led him to fulfill his dream to become a game warden with SCDNR. He begins his training later this month.

People in Nature Category Runner-up, Foggy Morning Fishing by Paul Bittinger

People in Nature Category Second Runner-up, Shae at Lake Marion by Ruthie Edwards

Thank you again to everyone who entered the 2025 Wildlife Photography Contest! We are truly grateful to each photographer who shared their time, talent, and passion for South Carolina’s wildlife and natural landscapes. Your stunning submissions help bring our mission to life and inspire a deeper appreciation for conservation.

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Banner image credit: Morning Commute by Leslie Hall.