Photo by Corey Adams – Winning images to be featured in 2026 calendar
WATERFORD, NY – The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor is pleased to announce the winners of its 20th annual Erie Canalway Photo Contest. Judges selected first, second, and third place winners in four contest categories as well as 12 honorable mentions from a field of 334 entries.
“These award-winning images serve as a visual reminder of what makes New York’s canals distinctly beautiful and worth preserving. Thank you to the talented photographers who submitted images and shared their perspectives on these extraordinary places,” said Bob Radliff, Executive Director of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.
Corey Adams of Little Falls took first place for his image “Morning Glory” (Little Falls), while Adam Fine of Liverpool took second place for his image “Tranquility in an Aqueduct (DeWitt).
Winning images can be viewed online and will be featured in the popular 2026 Erie Canalway Calendar, available at no cost in libraries, visitor centers, and by request starting December 1. Funding support for the calendar is provided by the NYS Canal Corporation and the National Park Service.
New York State Canal Corporation Director Brian U. Stratton said, “As we look ahead to our third century of operation, we are committed to celebrating canal-related arts and culture. These photographs, submitted by an ever-talented cadre of canal enthusiasts, embody some of the most beautiful aspects of our canals and support our mission.”
2025 Erie Canalway Photo Contest Winners
Corey Adams, First Place Winner
Corey Adams, a Little Falls resident, has been passionate about photography since his childhood in the 1990s, when he first experimented with his mom’s 110 camera. His interest deepened during college, where he began capturing campus scenes.
“Looking at the world through a different perspective” drives him, especially when walking and documenting “God’s beauty in creation” along the Erie Canal.
Adams first learned of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Photo Contest via a post on My Little Falls last year, submitting three photos—though none placed, one was featured on the contest’s Facebook page.
Undeterred, he entered again this year with fresh shots, including his winning first-place image of sunbeams piercing through morning humidity on the Erie Canal trail. Captured on June 23, 2025, with his iPhone 14 Pro Max during a muggy morning run, Adams snapped 20-30 photos in the area before selecting this unedited gem.
“I was debating if I wanted to turn around… but that just opened up with the humidity clumping right there,” he recalled.
Thrilled by the surprise email notification, the win has reignited his enthusiasm: “It’s inspired me to continue… now with the autumn season, I love taking photos and just being able to look at it.”
Melissa Bicknell, Third Place Winner
Melissa Bicknell of Little Falls discovered her love for photography as a child with a simple pocket camera loaded with film cartridges, though she initially shied away from traditional lenses, feeling they limited her view.
The advent of high-quality iPhone cameras reignited her hobby, allowing her to capture moments spontaneously. She caught wind of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Photo Contest through a My Little Falls post and entered on a whim the night before the deadline, sifting through her library for landscape-oriented favorites.
Inspired by a recent iPhone photography class with instructor Jack Hollingsworth, she submitted three unedited shots from a chilly, post-rain walk along the canal, where rising fog and clearing skies revealed stunning colors.
Her third-place winner—a raw, exposure-tweaked scene of the fog lifting—was among them, straight from her iPhone without any post-processing. “The picture that won, I didn’t even edit it at all,” she shared.
Notified via email just hours after doubting her chances during a walk with her husband Steve, Bicknell was elated: “Oh my God, we were so excited… I actually couldn’t wait to tell you (Dave Warner) about it.”
She consulted friends for feedback on her selections, noting how opinions varied but led to a strong consensus on her entries.
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