Mother's Day Photo Contest Winner

Melissa Herron and her husband, Mike, of Bradenton, are active members of the Longboat Key Turtle Watch. Herron is used to watching Longboat Key’s spectacular sunrises, but this sunset photo, taken on Greer Island, was a more rare sighting for her. She said the lighting was spectacular on this January night, and she couldn’t resist capturing this universal moment between a mother and child, when the mom was showing her child the beauty of the world.

Herron’s daughter, Danielle Etienne, jokingly asked her mom why she didn’t submit a photo of the two of them for The Observer’s Mother’s Day photo contest.

“This appeals to everyone,” Herron said of the photo.

This year’s contest included 25 submissions, and 3,993 total votes were cast. Herron’s winning photo received 1,370 votes. As the winner, Herron will receive a $75 gift certificate.