Now through December 31, 2008, the Fallingwater Visitor Center will show off great photos of the highly photogenic Laurel Highlands as it exhibits this year's winning photographs of the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau’s Annual Photo Contest. The exhibition is free of charge and open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on those December days that Fallingwater is open (weekends and the week between Christmas and New Years Day).

Fallingwater’s Curator of Education, Cara Armstrong, who also served as a contest judge, said, “There were so many amazing photos of the beautiful Laurel Highlands this year that it was difficult to judge.  I think the winning photos really show off the diversity and beauty of our region—from quiet contemplation at the Flight 93 Memorial to white water adventures on the Yough.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau received 301 entries for the 5th Annual Photo Contest from amateur photographers who visited the region from across Pennsylvania and the neighboring states of Ohio, West Virginia and Virginia.

Photographs were awarded in two Categories: People, Children, and Animals and Landscapes and Places. In order to enter the competition, the photos needed to be taken in the Laurel Highlands (Fayette, Somerset and Westmoreland Counties) and in an area that is accessible to the public.

Julie Donovan, public relations manager for the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau, said, “The winning photographs will be featured in the 2009 Laurel Highlands Travel Guide and other marketing projects. Fallingwater’s Visitors Center is a beautiful building in its own right and provides a lovely natural backdrop for the photographs."

Category I Winners:1st Place, Dale Canofari, Munhall, “Kayaker Main Falls – Ohiopyle State Park,” 2nd Place, Trudy Jones, Johnstown, “Cross Country Skier – Kooser State Park, Somerset,” 3rd Place, Judy Wilson, Washington, “Beginner Skier – Youghiogheny Lake.”

Category II Winners: 1st Place, Michele Black, Gallipolis, Ohio, “Tribute to Frank Lloyd Wright – Fallingwater, Mill Run,” 2nd Place, Andrew Boyd, Columbiana, Ohio, “Highlands Countryside, Somerset County,” 3rd Place, Cam Shust, Latrobe, PA, “Flag at Flight 93 – Flight 93 Memorial, Shanksville.” For information on the 2009 Laurel Highlands Photo Contest, contact Christina Dorko at 724-238-5661 extension 102 or visit www.laurelhighlands.org .