A Wayland resident is one of five first place winners in the 12th annual Keep Iowa Beautiful Photography Contest.

Sharon Scarff received first place in the Iowa Cities category of the contest with her picture titled “Snake Alley in Bloom.” Other categories in the competition were Iowa Landscape, Water and Wildlife and Iowans in Action. Scarff and the other first place winners received a $100 prize with all second and third place winners receiving $75 and $50, respectively. The KIB Photography Contest aims at raising awareness of Iowa’s natural and environmental beauty while learning what resonates with Iowans based on the photos they share. A total of 601 photos were entered in the five categories. Beginning Monday through January 31st, Scarff’s photo will go up against the other first place winners for the KIB Public Favorite photo.  All photos will be featured on the KIB Facebook page for voting.  See all the winning photos and cast your vote.