Raymond Kerber of Warrington, PA has been named the Grand Prize winner of the 2018 Outer Banks Photo Contest, sponsored by Village Realty. Kerber’s winning entry, “Morning Glory,” was selected from more than 1300 images submitted to the contest from May to August. He has been awarded a free, one-week stay in a premier Village Realty vacation home, which he plans to redeem in the fall. The contest was open to the public, who were invited to enter photos taken on the Outer Banks, during any time frame. The competition will return in May 2019, kicking off its 11th season.

Kerber heard about the Outer Banks Photo Contest from a Village Realty email that captured his attention (sign up here). Last year, he was a finalist in the same competition, winning a restaurant gift card, so he decided to enter again for fun. His striking photograph ended up in a final pool of 60 images, comprised of the winners from a series of weekly, summer “pop-up photo contests,” hosted online. A team of Village Realty employees made up the panel of judges that took into consideration the photos’ qualities, their composition, and deliberated whether they were representative of the Outer Banks. “This is a discussion that is not taken lightly; we put a lot of thought and care into selecting the winning photo,” said Bridget Black, Social Media Coordinator for Village Realty. 

“Morning Glory,” Kerber’s winning entry, depicts a deep-sea fishing vessel embarking at the crest of dawn – the sky blanketed in vivid shades of orange, gold, and fuchsia. He chose the photo from countless others taken with his phone. “It wasn’t so much about the picture, as it was naming the picture… putting a heading on it,” he mused, recollecting a memory of winning a photo-naming contest many years ago. “I guess I’m good at naming things,” he said with a laugh. The subject of “Morning Glory” is certainly relevant to the Outer Banks where anglers from all over the world flock to fish every year.

Kerber has been fishing since he was a toddler. He has been drawn to the Outer Banks twice a year since 1995. His first trip made a lasting impression thanks to a memorable fishing experience with his son. The two cast lines off the Nags Head Pier from 7 p.m. until 2 a.m. “Bluefish were running; it was crazy!” he recalled. Ever since, he’s made the journey to the Outer Banks twice a year, rain or shine. “In October, I come down with my wife, Joann, but in May I fish in a tournament,” he explained.

Kerber is the actual organizer of said tournament, which already has more than 70 registered fishers for its 14th run on May 19, 2019. The Giuseppe Giaimo Scholarship Tournament began in 2005 in tribute to Kerber’s close friend, Joe Giaimo. Their friendship developed through a decade of fishing trips on the Outer Banks. The year his friend passed, Kerber honored their bond by continuing the tradition, growing the day at sea into a public charity event in Giaimo’s name. “It was something that we did together – he loved it so much,” he said, adding that he now takes comfort knowing the event has become a blessing to several college students in his community. Last year, tournament proceeds turned into 15 $500 scholarships for graduating seniors.

Kerber thinks it was a stroke of luck that led him to choose Village Realty for his first Outer Banks vacation rental in 1995, but he’s consciously chosen to stay loyal ever since. “I always rent houses from Village Realty because over the years, and with the number of people I’ve dealt with, they’ve always taken care of us. No matter the circumstance, they’re always very kind and helpful,” he reflected, adding that Kara and Sue were two vacation rental specialists for whom he had great appreciation.

Every time he visits, he opts to stay in the Village at Nags Head. For his winning, week-long stay, he’s eyeing s Village Realty property in the Nags Head oceanfront community of Whispering Sands. The choice was a recommendation from his son, who has vacationed there many times with his wife – funnily enough, at different times of the year. “The house is right on the beach, so I’ll love to get up in the morning and look at the water!” he beamed.