Twelve years ago when we first launched the DIVERGE Photo Contest, we hoped to see photos that celebrated the life we knew as hunters but seldom saw depicted in traditional hunt media. Our ultimate goal was to protect hunting’s future by sharing the full experience with the masses. Each shutter click can either improve public perception and bolster hunting’s future–or increase skepticism of its merit in modern society.

Over the past months, each entry has helped expand what a hunting image can look like. We’re grateful to all who’ve followed along, entered and took the time to vote. And now, the votes are in. We’ve gone from thousands of entries down to just 6 Category Winners and 1 Grand Prize Winner. See all the images below.

Why we chose this: How we experience imagery has drastically changed in recent years. Mass consumption on pocket supercomputers has rewired the rewards systems of our society; it would be naive of us to think that this shift would leave the niche world of hunting media untouched. This year’s Diverge grand prize winner was chosen because it presented itself as an outlier in a sea of the expected.

This photograph is reminiscent of a simpler time. A foggy morning. Sparse decoys. A medium-dicey retrieve for a single duck in the opening minutes of shooting light. This is a scene that has been lived by nearly every waterfowler at one time or another. The story is relatable and timeless. The composition is simple and clean.

It is very difficult to do black and white well. There is no pop of color, real or manufactured, to use as a crutch. The negative space and dense fog beyond the subject with no horizon line leaves much to the imagination. The branches used as a simple frame add depth and subtle context to the scene. The high ISO, heavily grained edit is additive to the feel of the image making it easy to imagine yourself there in the blind, watching your buddy walk into the abyss. This image feels like it could have been printed in a guide book 100 years ago. An image that makes you feel something and create your own story around it, is an image worth appreciating.

Thank you to everyone who submitted images and voted in DIVERGE 12. We encourage you all to continue to push the boundaries of hunting photography in new and creative ways. These moments in time are important to the preservation of the lifestyle that we champion. It is an honor to take part in this effort with you to share your work with the world.