Feature Story

Heart of Colorado 2024 Photo Contest Winners

Logo for "Heart of Colorado 2024 Photo Contest Winners" showing a mountain scene within a camera shape. Photographer stands on a rocky cliff, capturing the view.

This year’s photo contest theme was Heart of Colorado. We asked you to share — in photos — what you love about Colorado. When we announced the categories, we hoped to see photos that captured Colorado’s lovely landscapes, activities you adore, people and animals you are fond of, and the four seasons with which we can all become quite smitten.

Well, we got all that and more. Nearly 900 photos were submitted to the contest, and 19 of CREA’s 21 member co-ops were represented in the entries. These winners not only captured the heart of Colorado, but they also captured the judges’ hearts. Whittling down the entries to the 12 final images was no easy task. We hope you enjoy these photos and find inspiration in these pages and in our beloved and beautiful state.

On the Cover

A cowboy on horseback holds a lasso, facing a sunset with dramatic clouds.
Daybreak by Natalie Heller, San Miguel Power Association member

Lovely Landscapes

A mountain valley with a stream flowing through vibrant wildflowers and green meadows, backed by rocky peaks under a blue sky.
FIRST PLACE: Wildflowers in American Basin by Rodney Martinez, Grand Valley Power member

 

Frozen lake with vivid blue ice surrounded by snow-covered mountains and evergreen trees under a cloudy sky.
SECOND PLACE: Frozen by Jamison Paul,
Poudre Valley REA member

 

Mountain landscape with a sunburst over peaks, reflected in a calm lake. Trees line the shore, and grasses are visible in the foreground under a cloudy sky.
THIRD PLACE: Sunrise and Morning Mist by John Boland, SDCEA member

Activities You Adore

Two cowboys on horseback carry American flags at a rodeo during sunset.
FIRST PLACE: Kit Carson County Fair and Rodeo by Travis Gaddy, K.C. Electric Association member

 

Dog in a red life jacket sitting on a paddleboard, looking at the scenic view of a lake surrounded by green mountains.
SECOND PLACE: Boarding with Sadie by Sue Batzel, Mountain View Electric Association member

 

A person on horseback rides through a grassy valley with mountains in the background under a partly cloudy sky.
THIRD PLACE: What a View by Marcy Gruber, Mountain Parks Electric member

A Fondness for People and Animals

Osprey in flight holding a large fish in its talons against a blurred natural background.
FIRST PLACE: Great Catch by Jennifer Coombes, Poudre Valley REA member

 

Three mountain goat kids standing together on rocky terrain with mountains in the background.
SECOND PLACE: Kids Playdate by George Turner, SDCEA member

 

Child smiling through a hollowed watermelon slice outdoors.
THIRD PLACE: Midsummer Reverie by Liz With, GCEA member

 

Smitten with the Seasons

A landscape with snow-capped mountains and a forest of yellow autumn trees. A small house and a winding path are in the foreground under a partly cloudy sky.
FIRST PLACE: Autumn Gold by Donnell Allen, Mountain View Electric Association member

 

Snow-covered rocky mountain peak under a clear blue sky, with trees in the foreground.
SECOND PLACE: Winter Beauty as Only Winter Can Provide by Ron Stoll, Poudre Valley REA member

 

Dark storm clouds loom over a green field with distant hills in the background.
THIRD PLACE: Spring Storms by Scott Burnworth, Poudre Valley REA member

 


Watch for the 2025 photo contest, which will open for entries this summer.

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