Published September 4, 2025
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. This year, Midpen received over 200 stunning submissions. These were narrowed down to finalists in each category by Midpen staff, and the winners were chosen by the public through Midpen’s social media accounts. See this year's winning photos and hear the stories behind them:
Wildlife Winner – Don Vu
"Each year, I know about this great horned owl family nesting in the middle of an aging but accommodating oak tree in Rancho San Antonio. On this evening, I decided to pay them a visit, having heard the owlets were prime for branching. Sure enough, there were three of them, and they moved about from branch to branch as the last rays of light dropped on them. It’s a joyful moment for me to see the young ones survived to that day for on many occasions they did not, mostly due to missteps from the nest at a younger age. What’s most amazing to me is seeing wildlife being gone then re-born every year for their life cycle seems to go on forever."
Landscapes Winner – Hayden Hall
"Driving through the clouds - that can describe many early morning drives on Skyline Boulevard. This particular morning in Windy Hill Open Space Preserve, the rapid transition from zero-visibility fog to open sky surprised me. I didn't notice a sign or warning. Hills and trees suddenly filled my peripheral vision when there was only opaque, white fog a moment before. Rushing with excitement, I searched for compositions as the fog continued to fall. My final image, a long exposure of Highway 35, celebrates the fleeting moments before the fog fully revealed the road. I'm lucky to live near the Santa Cruz mountains, and I need to spend more time there."
Plant Life Winner – Robert Slate
"I do a daily five to six-mile hike in Rancho San Antonio Preserve. While doing a loop around the basin near the equestrian parking lot, I was amazed at the abundance of flowers on a coyote brush plant and wanted to capture the moment. I noticed a white-crowned sparrow (newly arrived for wintering in the area) that was well-camouflaged among the flowers. When taking a picture of something beautiful in nature, you may get an unexpected bonus on top of that!"
People in Nature Winner – Patrick Lundquist
"I captured this photo during a long run with my friend. The feeling of being a small part of a vast beautiful landscape was powerful. The layers of the mountains, vast sky, and golden hills with my friend's tiny silhouette in the distance captured that moment."
Trail Less Traveled Winner – Pam Hansen
"I run our open space trails every morning, and what I love about being in nature is feeling calmed and rejuvenated, and also, sometimes, completely surprised! This truck was one of those 'wow' moments! Its aging rusting paint and blending into the land by the surrounding plants growing through and over it caught my attention and my curiosity."
Aspiring Photographers Winner – Kyle Quan
"Every time I go to Rancho I see a pair of juvenile red tailed hawks hunting from their favorite perch in a tree near the parking lot. They would dive into the surrounding grass, often to come away with nothing and return to their perch to try again a few moments later. This was a perfect opportunity for observing interesting hunting tactics and practicing my bird-in-flight photography. This time the hawk missed the prey in all its eight attempts. Whenever I go back, I see the hawk sitting in its tree. 'If you fail, try, and try again.'"
