Fall City resident Shannon Dunckel rose early to grab gold.

About 5:45 a.m. one late fall morning, she was asleep when her husband and son hurriedly woke her to witness a brilliant sunrise over the hills to east. She grabbed her camera, and the resulting image of rose and yellow daybreak is the first place winner in the 2010 Valley Record Scenic Photo Contest.

Dunckel, who won a stay at the Salish Lodge and Spa for her early-bird skills, was among the 60 photographers who contributed more than 150 images to the 2010 photo contest.

In second place, Barbara Latham of North Bend’s autumn colors flanking Mount Si impressed the Record’s staff judges. Taking third, Uplands resident Alan Ameche’s awe-inspiring tree-filtered light also grabbed notice.

Contributions displayed the scenic marvels of our region in all their aspects, from frozen waterfalls to magenta sunsets at Rattlesnake Lake, to the animals and plants of our gardens and wild areas.