Winners of the sixteenth annual, 2020 Friends of Black Bayou photo contest were named on February 1, 2021, with a beautiful adult-division photo called “Ardea Alba Angling” by local photographer Kimmie Paxton winning Best of Show. The winning youth-division photo was “Purple Beauty” by Lexi Harper.
All photos in the contest were taken at the North Louisiana Refuges Complex, including Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge, D’Arbonne National Wildlife Refuge, Upper Ouachita National Wildlife Refuge, Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge, and Handy Brake National Wildlife Refuge.
FoBB board member Leslie Calhoun was chair of the contest this year, with assistance from Ann Bloxom Smith. Judges were several regional photographers who evaluated the entries in youth and adult categories. Charles Heck, Sr., founded the contest in 2004. Deborah Evans is the current president of the Friends, following the 2020 president Gloria Dedmon.
The public is invited to view all the ribbon-winning photos on the FoBB website, www.friendsofblackbayou.org. Although the refuge visitor center is presently closed due to Covid 19, when it reopens, the photos will be on display there.
Ribboned photographs are as follows:
Best of show/Adult Division: Kimmie Paxton, “Ardea Alba Angling.”
Adult, 2nd place: Doug Moon, “Barred Owl.”
Adult, 3rd place: Charles Paxton, “American Alligator and Amber Wings.”
Adult, Honorable Mention: Doug Moon, “This Is My Spot”; Anirudh Girey, “Lightning Strike by the Lake”; Tim Spillers, “Early Morning Playing.”
Youth, 1st place: Lexi Harper, “Purple Beauty.”
Youth, 2nd place: Marirose Spillers, “Standing Out.”
Youth, Honorable Mention: Lexi Harper, “I See You”; Tyler Byrd, “Cypress Balls”; Lexi Harper, “Another Day Gone.”
