MAGAZINE: We often share photo contests when we hear about them, and we know we shared one for Pennsylvania Magazine.

We were happily surprised when opening our current issue to see the third place winner in the Town and Urban Life category was Tom Powell of Coudersport!

It’s a “bird’s-eye view of his hometown in late fall, when the brightly colored leaves and warm evening breezes were giving way to the crisp cold night of the coming winter.”

What a beautiful photo it is! The picture looks like something Currier & Ives might have featured on a lithograph.

We’re fans of the Pennsylvania Magazine, and especially love its beautiful photography that showcases the state.

The 2024 Photo Contest is being advertised already, so here are the details: There are three categories — Legged wildlife (mammals, insects, amphibians, etc.), Overviews and vistas, and Altered images (artistic touches put to images).

Entry forms will be available on the website www.pa-mag.com in January and in the January/February and March/April 2024 issues of the magazine. Deadline is April 15, 2024.

Get snapping folks.

We certainly have legged wildlife and vistas galore in this part of Pennsylvania — from farm animals like horses and cows, to forest creatures like bear and deer, to insects like fireflies and katydids. Butterflies, bumble bees, colorful moths — there’s a lot to see when one stops to look.

In the age of digital photography, it’s much easier to grab some shots and take a peek to see if they are any good than it would be back in the film days.

Remember waiting for a week or two to get the pictures developed, and then to have them not turn out how you wanted? How frustrating!