The Hill Country is looking its best in a new round of award-winning photos. In them are landscapes, surprise moments with hard-to-find creatures, and one shot that highlights the beauty of the old-fashioned architecture. The winners of the photo contest organized by the Hill Country Alliance are available to look at in this article, and Texans are encouraged to carry the images forward through 2025 with a wall calendar.

The premise is both proud and cautious; as beautiful and thriving as the Hill Country is, heightened development is known to bring problems along with progress to rural towns. The Hill Country Alliance, a coalition of more than 85 area organizations that focus on natural and cultural preservation, has created the contest as an initiative to visually preserve the region.

There is national interest in the Hill Country, although no one sees it quite like locals. CNN named the Hill Country one of its 24 best places to visit around the world in 2024, and in 2023, motorcycle classifieds site Cycle Trader named the Twisted Sisters outside San Antonio as one of the best scenic routes in the country. Just days ago, William Chris Vineyards in Hye made the World's Best Vineyards list for the third year in a row.

More than 550 entries were submitted to the alliance this year, but only four won prizes, and of course nine more make their way onto the calendar (if you count the cover).

Grand prize:

This shot by Jesus Corona features wildflowers bathing in the sunset in Bexar County.“Sunset” by Jesus Corona

First place:

Gary T. Ray caught Gruene Hall and the surrounding buildings at the perfect dusk moment.“Gruene Nights” by Gary T. Ray

A release announcing the winners extolls the beauty of sunsets. "However, just as a sunset is fleeting, the health of our region can also be precarious," it warns. "This balance is particularly evident in current drought conditions, and HCA’s water program is focused on protecting our most delicate resources – like clear, flowing waters and the natural infrastructure we rely on to keep springs bubbling."

Second place:

It's amazing that Bill Weekley found this rattlesnake among sunny wildflowers and much more ominous skies.“Danger in the Wildflowers” by Bill Weekley

Third place:

This gray fox may look like he's sitting on the ground, but Mike Zarella caught him sitting in a tree in Blanco County.“Gray Fox up a Tree" by Mike Zarella

Many of the submitted images were of animals. "So much of the photography submitted in this annual contest reminds viewers of their own connection to the region’s delicate web of life," the release says. "This urgency underscores the importance of the HCA’s work to advance local land stewardship and conservation efforts that directly benefit the wild creatures and open spaces of the Texas Hill Country."

People's choice award:

It's not surprising viewers were enchanted by this welcoming road, which seems to lead into a future with more Hill Country blooms and beauty.Bluebonnet and Live Oak Road by William Shelton

The images above are featured on the calendar (even if they're not a full page), along with other selections that highlight unique geography, beautiful pollinators, cacti, and the darkening night sky.

The rest of the calendar images.Mockup courtesy of the Hill Country Alliance

The Hill Country Alliance works in five major areas, which are represented in some way in the images above: land, water, night sky, community, and collaboration.

This year's calendar ($15) is available now at hillcountryalliance.org. Other items like an illustrated map and apparel are also available in the online store. More information about the coalition's work (with more amazing photos sprinkled in) is available here.

The release credits the following photographers with work featured in the calendar:

• Airon Mothershed
• Alan Zhou
• Ashley Campbell
• Aspen McCallum
• Baba Arimilli
• Carol Serur
• Carolyn Whiteside
• Daniel Gomez
• Delaney Kempf
• Donna Chance
• Elvis Canoy
• Gary Sertich
• Jackies Wise
• Jacob Saunders
• Jeff Newton
• Jennifer Bauerkemper
• Jess Brown
• Joseph Richards
• JP Sanchez
• Katherine Carvajal
• Kim Smith
• Lisa Hood
• Matthew Guthrie
• Meghan James
• Michael Tidwell
• Michael Wight
• Nicky Scott
• P. Michael Jones
• Patty Robertson
• Paul Huchton
• Shelby Sckittone
• Steffen Baumgart
• Stephen Isenhower
• Tim Speer