When we launched the America’s 250th Anniversary Photo Contest, we asked you to help us build a living time capsule of what America looks like at 250, from iconic landmarks to the quiet corners of your hometown. Photographers from coast to coast sent in shots from dozens of states. We judged every entry on creativity, composition, technical execution, editing skill, overall visual impact, and sense of place: how well the image captures the spirit of the state it calls home.

Grand Prize: “Carved in Light” by Jeremy Pratt

Mount Rushmore illuminated at night, with rows of state flags lining the avenue leading up to the monument.

Location: Mount Rushmore National Memorial, South Dakota

Mount Rushmore at night, with the Avenue of Flags lit up in the foreground, every flag standing for a state.

“The flags leading to the viewing area at Mt Rushmore remind us that America is built on the hopes and dreams of everyone around the world,” Jeremy says. “Great leaders are remembered for their contributions to our nation and a beacon for the people of other nations.”

Jeremy shot it on a Canon EOS R8 with a 24-70mm lens and edited in ON1 Photo RAW with Brilliance AI and a light pass of sharpening. He kept the edit simple and let the monument carry the shot.

Congratulations to Jeremy Pratt, our Grand Prize winner. Jeremy receives a $500 Amazon gift card, the title of Grand Prize winner, and a feature here on the ON1 blog and social media.

Second Place: “Grizzlies at Brooks Falls” by Herbert Achatz

A grizzly bear at Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park, Alaska, catching a leaping salmon in mid-air.

Location: Katmai National Park, Alaska

Herbert flew in by seaplane for a day trip to Brooks Falls, a spot in Katmai National Park known for one thing: grizzly bears fishing for salmon. “A beautiful day with an incredible number of grizzlies in a breathtaking environment,” he says.

He caught this bear mid-catch on a Nikon D850 with a 70-200mm lens, 1/2500 sec at f/3.5, ISO 80: fast and clean enough to freeze the motion without adding noise. He finished the edit with Brilliance AI, a 50% HDR pass, Dynamic Contrast, lens correction, and NoNoise AI, then made small color adjustments.

Second place goes to Herbert Achatz, who receives a $100 ON1 Merchandise Card, a one-year Photo Studio subscription, and a feature here on the ON1 blog and social media.

Third Place: “Sunrise on America’s Mountain” by John Woodring

Two people at the summit of Pikes Peak, Colorado, holding an American flag as they watch the sunrise.

Location: Pikes Peak, Colorado

John shot this on July 4th, 2026, while setting up camera equipment for a sunrise session at Pikes Peak, the same peak that inspired Katharine Lee Bates to write “America the Beautiful” after her visit in 1893. Two women walked into the frame carrying an American flag.

“I saw the two women with the American flag,” John says. He ran the shot through ON1 Photo RAW 2026 for denoising and sharpening, then adjusted white balance and color to bring out the red, white, and blue already sitting in the sky.

Third place goes to John Woodring, who receives a $50 ON1 Merchandise Card, a one-year ON1 Plus membership, and a feature here on the ON1 blog and social media.

Honorable Mentions

“Young Barred Owls Perched on Crepe Myrtle” by John Symanski

Two young barred owls perched together on a branch surrounded by pink crepe myrtle blossoms in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Location: Charlotte, North Carolina

Two juvenile barred owls peer down at passers-by. John ran the shot through five ON1 tools: a crop, Brilliance AI, Select AI with a soft dynamic contrast boost on the owls, NoNoise AI to tame a high ISO, and a 2x upscale with Resize AI.

“Flags at the Wall” by David Cushman

American flags placed in front of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall in Washington, D.C., with visitors reflected in the polished granite.

Location: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.

The Three Servicemen statue stands against the Memorial Wall, a row of American flags planted in front. David shot the original on film-era gear years ago, for a photography class assignment, then reedited it in ON1 Photo RAW with NoNoise AI to bring it up to today’s standard. In America’s 250th year, it’s a quiet reminder of what the country has asked of some of its own.

“Bryce Canyon, Utah” by Cynthia Schmidt

Aerial view of the orange hoodoo rock formations at Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah.

Location: Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Cynthia photographed Bryce Canyon’s orange hoodoos on a cross-country camping trip. “It is such an underrated national park!” she says. She used ON1 Photo RAW 2026.5’s depth lighting, HDR, and sunshine filters to bring out the color and detail in the rock formations while keeping them true to life.

Thank You to All Who Participated

Thank you to everyone who submitted a photo and helped build this collection: a real look at what America looks like right now, at 250 years old. You can browse every submission in the full contest gallery.

If you’d like to edit your own “time capsule” shots the way our winners did, ON1 Photo RAW is free to try.