2025 Nebraska Life Photo Contest Winners and Finalists

For 30 years, Nebraska Life has told this state’s story through words and pictures. This year, we invited readers to help tell it too in our first “Spirit of Nebraska” Photo Contest.

From the air and from the ground, from lightning over the prairie to the stillness of a Sandhills pond, these photographs reveal Nebraska in all its moods – the sweep of open skies, the laughter of community, the grace of wildlife, and the quiet pride of those who work the land. Each image reflects a Nebraska moment – real, familiar and full of life.

This issue’s feature opens a two-part showcase of winners across 14 categories, beginning with Aerial & Drone, Wildlife, Landscape, Agriculture, History and Celebration, and culminating with Photo of the Year. The next seven, including Photographer of the Year, will appear in our January/February issue.

Presented in partnership with Rockbrook Camera, whose dedication to Nebraska photographers helps bring these stories to life, this photo contest builds on Nebraska Life’s long tradition of celebrating the people and places that make our state extraordinary.

We hope it inspires everyone to keep photographing Nebraska – whether you’re an aspiring shutterbug or seasoned pro. Dive in and experience the remarkable ways photographers captured the spirit, landscapes and life of our state.

LANDSCAPE


Jeff Phelps of Sidney demonstrates extraordinary control over light in a striking Cheyenne County shot. At Rattlesnake Knob, he balanced the brooding, stormy sky with the illuminated prairie below, carefully exposing for both highlights and shadows. Timing was critical. A sharp pink lightning strike aligned parallel to the rock formation, captured through precise shutter speed, a steady tripod and anticipation. As a licensed pilot and drone photographer, Phelps leverages aerial perspective to find angles impossible from the ground. His technical expertise of blending exposure, timing and vantage point transforms this scene into an electrifying landscape.