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Stephanie Sheffield\u2019s photo of an anole snoozing in a flower beat out 2,795 other images to win Grand Prize in the Wildlife in North Carolina Magazine Photo Competition, according to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.<\/p>\n
Facebook screengrab of Stephanie Sheffield photo<\/p>\n
A strange sight in the front yard led a Gastonia woman to win top prize in Wildlife in North Carolina\u2019s annual photo competition.<\/p>\n
Stephanie Sheffield<\/a> says she typically focuses on landscape photography, but was charmed by a lizard \u201csleeping\u201d in a flower planted by her husband, Michael.<\/p>\n Her comical photo beat out 2,795 other images to win Grand Prize in this year\u2019s Wildlife in North Carolina Magazine Photo Competition, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission said in an Aug 5 social media post. The competition is open to the state magazine\u2019s subscribers.<\/p>\n \u201cIt (the lizard) was there for a number of days and I easily took 50 to 100 shots, trying to target light on it,\u201d Sheffield told The Charlotte Observer.<\/p>\n \u201cIt kind of blew me away that I won the Grand Prize the first time I entered the contest, and the photo was taken right here in my own front yard. I was shocked.\u201d<\/p>\n The photo was taken with a 100-400mm telephoto zoom lens, and shows the anole giving her the side eye at being spied on. Anoles are harmless lizards<\/a> of 5 to 8 inches that thrive in the southern Piedmont and coastal plain, the state says.<\/p>\n \u201cThis photograph stood out from the rest of the competition for its extraordinary color, sharp focus and intimate portrait of an anole,\u201d Wildlife in North Carolina Art Director Marsha Tillett said in the release.<\/p>\n \u201cThe composition leads your eye to the vibrant anole and beautiful background, while the dramatic lighting highlights the animal\u2019s texture. This image transformed a small reptile into a compelling wildlife subject. The combination of artistic beauty and technical quality is what made this a Grand Prize\u2011winning photograph.\u201d<\/p>\n Sheffield says she took up photography as a hobby 10 years ago, focusing on landscapes to use in a business calendar. Photography is now a full-time passion, including a website www.momentsbystephanie.com.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m a natural light photographer and I aim to capture scenes as I truly experienced them,\u201d Sheffield said in the state\u2019s news release. \u201cI process them in a way that reflects what I saw and felt in the moment. My goal is to convey the emotion of a scene and draw the viewer into it.\u201d<\/p>\n Gastonia is about a 22-mile drive west from uptown Charlotte.<\/p>\n This story was originally published August 10, 2026 at 5:08 PM.<\/p>\n