2025 Life of TXK Photo Contest
Overall Winner
This year’s overall winner captures a breathtaking moment of nature in motion—a stunning image of pelicans in migration at Wright Patman Lake. It is a reminder that beauty surrounds us in Texarkana, often when we least expect it. This photo stood out for its composition, timing, and the way it reflects the quiet wonder of life in TXK. With so many stunning pelican submissions, narrowing it down to just one was impossible, so we have made a collection of some of our favorites.
“Patman PeliKeys” by Eric Ethridge
Prints available for purchase. Contact Eric Ethridge at [email protected].
Inspiration Wildlife photography has become my favorite hobby over the last ten years, but after traveling around the world to photograph African lions, grizzly bears, great white sharks, snowy owls, and other exotic creatures, I was thrilled to learn about the migration of the American white pelicans to our area—specifically Lake Wright Patman. This great convenience will allow me to photograph these massive, majestic birds every winter. I like to catch them at the spillway, where they herd together into very large groups. Even with the location being the same, I capture something different and unique every time I go—whether it is a different lighting condition or a unique behavior or movement that can make for a great photo.
Name Eric Ethridge
Age 41
Day Job Media Manager, City of Texarkana, Arkansas
Camera Panasonic Lumix GH6
Night Photography
Events, landmarks, people, and activities in the Texarkana area that capture the essence of the city after dark. Due to low light conditions, night photography typically requires longer exposure times to capture more light, higher ISO settings, wider apertures, and manual focus for enhanced control and precision.
“Texarkana Next Six Exits” by Rodney Love
Prints available for purchase. Contact Rodney Love at 903-701-4731 or [email protected].
Inspiration I enjoy portraying motion in still photographs. I liked the idea of vehicles streaming toward our corner of the world.
Name Rodney Love
Age 70
Day Job Retired
Camera Canon 50D
Architectural
Buildings, cityscapes, and/or landscapes, construction elements, architectural features, and facades in the Texarkana area.
“Rust” by Anna Haley
Digital downloads available for purchase at annahaleyphoto.com.
Inspiration I wanted to capture the architecture that makes Texarkana so unique while also playing with leading lines and shadows.
Name Anna Haley
Age 18
Day Job Student/Photographer
Camera Canon R
Perspective
Events, objects, locales, peoples, or activities in the Texarkana area that convey a sense of place.
“Make it Rain” by Braylen Garren
Prints available for purchase. Contact Braylen Garren at [email protected].
Inspiration At the time, I was a student journalist at my high school, responsible for covering school events. I observed the behavior of the student section as the night progressed and placed myself in a position to capture the excitement. My goal was to freeze the emotion of that moment in a single frame, and to capture a genuine moment of emotion while keeping the composition strong and intentional.
Name Braylen Garren
Age 20
Day Job Creative Media Coordinator at Church on the Rock
Camera Canon EOS 6D Mark II
Altered Image
Photographs manipulated for artistic purposes by applying digital and/or traditional special effects (i.e., colorizing, toning, collage, photo composites, HDR, etc.) in the Texarkana area.
“The Great Gig in the Sky” by Dr. Drew Morton
Prints available for purchase. Contact Dr. Drew Morton at [email protected].
Inspiration I got into photography as a teenager with a 35mm camera, and I was always drawn to capturing complex images—time lapses of traffic patterns, double exposures, and star trails. When I transitioned to digital in 2017 and took some partial eclipse photos, I realized how much easier this type of work had become and made a point to mark April 2024 on my calendar. I had never experienced a total eclipse before, and I practiced for a couple of weeks beforehand to make sure I was ready. The persistent clouds were the most frustrating part, but—as you can see—it all worked out in the end!
Name Dr. Drew Morton
Age 41
Day Job Professor of Mass Communication at Texas A&M University-Texarkana
Camera Canon Rebel T7i
HONORABLE MENTIONS
These standout shots may not have taken home the top prize, but they left a lasting impression with their creativity, perspective, and vision.
