EASTON, MARYLAND — Maryland DNR’s 2026 Natural Resource Photo Contest is a tiered prize ladder over more than 1,000 submissions — grand prize, four seasonal place rungs, and a still-open Fan Favorite vote — not one undifferentiated winner’s purse.

DNR announced the judged winners Sept. 15. Kyle Smith took the grand prize and first place in spring for “Right Behind You,” an Eastern Whip-poor-will on a branch with a squirrel approaching. A panel of DNR wildlife and photography experts judged the field.

Read the ladder by rung. Grand prize stacks cash, a Park and Trail Passport, free next-year entry, and calendar-cover placement. First place in the three seasons that did not also take grand prize gets $100, a Park Passport, and five calendars. Second place in each season gets five calendars. Third-place seasonal winners are listed with titles and photographers; the release does not attach a separate cash amount beyond calendar publication shared by every winner. Fan Favorite remains open: DNR posted candidate photos for Facebook “likes” beginning Sept. 16, with voting through close of business Sept. 30.

Seasonal first-place titles beyond the grand-prize spring image are “American Sandcastlebuilder” (summer, Matt Felperin), “Great Horned Owl” (fall, Brian Reidy), and “Night of the Wanderer” (winter, Matt Felperin). Larger images sit on DNR’s linked Flickr gallery. The DNR photo-contest tag index carries this 2026 winners post atop prior annual rounds.

Mid-Shore readers who want a say still have the Fan Favorite window through Sept. 30. The official records do not break submissions or winners by Talbot County.