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With diverse wildlife, clear springs, sprawling rural landscapes, historic towns, and some of the starriest night skies in the country, the Texas Hill Country has a special place in a lot of hearts.
The Hill Country Alliance (HCA) holds a photo contest each year to honor the region, encouraging photographers to capture features of the Texas Hill Country they would like to protect forever.
There were more than 500 entries this year, and the winning photos show the diversity of life and natural beauty that is abundant in the region - brilliantly colored songbirds, flowing rivers, hidden caverns and clear views of a million stars above. The final four winning photographs were selected by a panel of judges and are featured in HCA’s 2026 Texas Hill Country Calendar.
Geary Schindel’s grand prize-winning photo shows a rare view of the Texas Hill Country taken to the west, in Edwards County. “Into the Depths, Devil’s Sinkhole” stole the show with a view from within the sinkhole, honoring the hidden world beneath our hills – made up of caves and karst. As Schindel noted in his submission, “The entrance to the Devil’s Sinkhole is a 145-foot rappel into a large chamber. The cave is home to a large colony of Mexican free-tailed bats and swifts.” Devil’s Sinkhole State Natural Area is open to the public and managed by Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Devil’s Sinkhole Society.
The first runner up went to Phil Ort for his entry “Painted Bunting” - a familiar face to many folks across the Hill Country. With vibrant blue, green, and red feathers, male Painted Buntings are a sight to see, especially during their annual spring migrations.
Second runner up is Kim Clendenen’s “Captured by the Stars.” Taken on the banks of the Guadalupe River, Clendenen shared, “One of my favorite activities during a photography class at the beautiful Mo-Ranch was gathering at the low water crossing to capture the stars.”
Third runner up, “Changing Colors” by Norman Williams, captured not only a season but a moment in time. Taken on the Guadalupe River near Comfort before the floods of this summer, this photo stands out as a reminder of the delicate beauty and rugged balance living in the Hill Country entails.
HCA said these photos help underscore the importance of their work to advance local land stewardship and conservation efforts that directly benefit rivers and streams, wild creatures, and open spaces of the Texas Hill Country.
In addition to these photo contest winners, the HCA would like to recognize the following contestants whose photography is featured in the 2026 Hill Country Calendar: Airon Mothershed, Alicia Paparo, Allan Boutwell, Amira Van Leeuwen, April Rohlich, Ashley Campbell, Carol Serur, Carolyn Whiteside, Colette Nicholl, Daniel Filipe, Holly Ewing, Jacob Janssen, Jeffrey Newton, Jesus Corona, John Neyland, Karen Roberts, Kathy Locke, Khanh Le, LaRue Roth, Laura Bray, Laura M Levy, Mariela Rodriguez, Mia Havelka, Michael Mallory, Michael Tidwell, Michael Wight, Michelle Graham, Pascual Cervantes, Patrick McKimmey, Sergina Flaherty, Sheila Ellwood, Stephanie Saldivar, Steve Kotzur, Susan Hanson, Tracy Costello and Cole Hoffman – People’s Choice Award Winner.
The calendar aims to highlight the beauty of the region, provide an informative resource on Hill Country conservation, and inspire people to learn more and become involved in the issues important to keeping the natural resources of this unique region intact. The 2026 Texas Hill Country Calendar is available for purchase on HCA’s website, www.hillcountryalliance.org.
