Butler County resident wins ‘Best in Show’ in ‘On the Trail’ photo contest
Butler County resident Cindy Schaltenbrand won people’s choice “Best in Show” in the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation’s “On the Trail” Photo Contest, with a photo from Pymatuning State Park.
On the evening when she took the photo, Schaltenbrand was on her kayak, capturing images of an osprey diving for its last meal of the day. As the light began to fade, she decided to capture a few sunset pictures too, said a news release from the foundation.
“The water was so calm that evening, so the sun and clouds were reflecting quite a bit,” she said. “I paddled over to a bed of water lilies to give the scene more foreground and depth, and it all came together so beautifully. There is something very spiritual in these tranquil moments alone on my kayak that truly gives me an overwhelming sense of peace.”
The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation welcomed more than 500 photo submissions for the 2025. Marci Mowery, president of the foundation, said “this annual photo contest helps to show how people across Pennsylvania and beyond connect to the unique features and special places within Pennsylvania’s state parks and forests.”
Schaltenbrand commented that she likes to merge her passions at Pymatuning.
“This photo is a result of a combination of my two favorite hobbies — photography and kayaking,” Schaltenbrand said. “(Pymatuning State Park) has such a vast and beautiful lake with many quiet, little coves to explore and an abundance of bald eagles, herons and osprey … which make it a photographer’s dream.”
