Bakersfield, California
First Place Winner
2023 Competition
It was a cloudy day when Gabriela Duncan drove eight hours with her kids and boyfriend from their home in central California to Burney Falls, an iconic waterfall near the foothills of Mount Shasta.
Pine trees surround the solid rock wall that towers 129 feet above visitors. More than 100 million gallons of water thunder over its sides each day.
"It was beautiful," remembers Duncan, who snaps photos for fun when she isn’t busy being a single mom and medical assistant.
Duncan likes taking road trips across the West on weekends in search of nature and scenes to photograph. "Wherever I can go to find a good spot."
But she wasn't sure the long drive to Burney Falls would be worth it. She even complained along the way, Duncan says now with a laugh.
That all changed when she saw its beauty - and when voters chose her photo as America's Favorite Photo of 2023. Along with the title, Duncan won the $10,000 grand prize.
"Every picture I have, it has a story behind it," Duncan says. "That’s what I love about photography. It’s like a timestamp of your life."
Although she isn't formally trained, she’s passionate about photography as a way to leave something of herself behind for her sons, ages 17 and 20, and future generations.
"We’re not going to live forever, so it’s something for our kids or their kids to know about us," Duncan says.
Duncan spread the word about entering America’s Favorite Photos to garner support.
"I was telling my friends, my family members, my coworkers," she says. "Even some of the doctors, they were voting for me."
But Duncan also attracted a broad array of voters she didn’t know. She thinks the waterfall’s allure helped lead to her success.
Receiving the prize will help Duncan pursue her dream of opening her own photography business.
"I wanted the title because that is going to open a lot of doors for me," she says. "I feel like a celebrity right now."
Anyone thinking of entering the next round of the competition should go for it and not give up, Duncan says. You never know if you might win.
Everyone is welcome to enter a photo in the next upcoming competition at AmericasFavoritePhotos.com
