23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Wildlife
Maramec Spring, Missouri

The water at Maramec Spring, Missouri, is so clear that fish in the stream appear suspended in the aether, while colors from the streambed and the reflected sky create a vivid, painterly effect. The spring produces almost 100 million gallons of water per day.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 10.2025
Date Uploaded: 12.2025
Photo Location: St. James, Missouri, United States of America
Camera: LEICA M10
Copyright: © Virginia Hines