TUCSON, Ariz. — Arizona Highways has announced the winners of their 12th annual photo competition for amateur and professional photographers.
To enter, photos had to be taken in Arizona and were judged on composition, framing, light, and overall "wow" factor.
The winning image is a photo of the Milky Way arching over Monument Valley, taken by John Vermette.
![Milky Way over Monument Valley by John Vermette](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4837d9f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1000x500+0+0/resize/1000x500!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F4b%2Fc6%2F75f5eca541419683e2e2e94a373c%2Fmilkyway-johnvermette-arizonahighways.jpg)
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There were two categories, landscape and macro.
The second place photo features two bees sleeping in a flower, taken by Joe Neely.
![Two bees sleeping in a flower, US 60 near Globe, AZ by Joe Neely](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8fd275d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1000x1000+0+0/resize/1000x1000!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fc2%2F61%2F99e3b2b84601888366d070fcbde3%2Fbeesflower-joeneely-arizonahighways.jpg)
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Third place was awarded to Michael Wilson for his landscape of a small waterfall amid Sedona's sandstone following a winter storm.
![Waterfall appears amid Sedona’s sandstone after a winter storm by Michael Wilson](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/fcf579f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1000x714+0+0/resize/1000x714!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fc4%2Ff8%2F7fa864a947de99b57ade35efaaf2%2Fwaterfall-michaelwilson-arizonahighways.jpg)
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The winning images will be featured in the September 2020 issue of Arizona Highways.