congratulations to maya delamater of the george washington university for winning planet forward’s photo of the month for september!

maya’s photo depicts a florida beach at dusk with storm clouds rolling in. the photo was selected by planet forward staff and interns for its striking composition and the direct connection to last month’s theme of “summer”.

the crab trap in destin, fl, is a popular “hidden gem” summer spot for the south. taken just after sunset, growing storm clouds creep in from the right as locals and tourists watch the last dwindling minutes of sun. born and raised in the panhandle, florida is home for me. i am “flogrown,” as locals say. most of the people from my high school stayed in florida for college, so when i came to gwu last fall, it was freeing, lonely, exciting, and alienating altogether. the movement of the storm clouds towards the shoreline parallels these pressures of adulthood — relishing in the last few moments of peace before the real world demands your life. but, it is also a promise of change. in a way, this photo resembles the transition to college: anticipating the storm, weathering the rain and wind, waiting for the sun. -maya delamater

we received submissions from multiple schools during our kick-off session of this contest, which will be continuing this month with the theme of orange! you can submit your best orange photo now that connects to sustainability and the environment.

check out some of our amazing runners-up from september!