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A Natchez resident’s photograph was selected by judges as the winner of the 2023 10 Most Endangered Photography Competition sponsored recently by the Mississippi Heritage Trust.

Ben Hillyer’s photograph of Oakland Cemetery on the Alcorn State University campus was chosen from the top five most popular entries in the competition by judge Rory Doyle, a professional photographer in Cleveland, Mississippi. The photo will be a part of the silent auction at the 10 Most Announcement Event on October 19th at Hal and Mal’s in Jackson.

A photograph of Arlington by Miss-Lou photographer Debbie Waltman Ashley received the most public votes during the first phase of the competition.

Two other images from Hillyer – a photo of Dumas Drugstores and one of detail from Temple B’Nai, both in Natchez – were among the top five. Doyle selected the winning photo from the top five vote-getters.

“I am thankful to all of the people who voted and continue to support my work and to Rory Doyle for selecting the image. Also to the Mississippi Heritage Trust for hosting the contest and shining a spotlight on places across the state — like the Oakland Cemetery at Alcorn, the Dumas Drugstore and the Temple B’Nai — that are endangered and need to be preserved,” Hillyer said.

For more information or tickets to the 10 Most Endangered Places announcement event, click here.