2010 Nature Photography Contest winner. (Landscape) 1st Place: Glowing Vista by Rachel Walsh
WONDERS OF THE WATERSHED PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS UNVEILED
A record 221 photos were entered into the contest.
November 14, 2010
By: MyBayCity Staff
Thirty-two photos were given highest honors by the Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy during its fourth Nature Photography Contest, sponsored this year by Consumers Energy. Approximately 70 individuals and families attended the Wonders of the Watershed event, designed to showcase the natural resources within our region and to recognize winning photographers.
The goal of the photo contest is to encourage people to capture the images of nature in the Saginaw Bay Watershed. Categories include Landscapes, Plants & Flowers, Wildlife, and Students. In addition, photographers were provided an opportunity to digitally enhance their photos through a new category called Photo-Art.
"The Saginaw Bay Watershed is an extremely valuable resource," said Valerie Roof, executive director of the Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy. "The contest is intended to promote the beauty of natural areas and help us better appreciate the resources that surround us."
The Watershed is the largest contiguous freshwater coastal wetlands system in the United States. It features more than 175 inland lakes and about 7,000 miles of rivers and streams. It is home to large populations of waterfowl, birds, snakes, turtles, amphibians and more than 138 endangered or threatened species.
A record 221 photos were entered into the contest. "We are proud of the fact that so many families used this as an opportunity to share their love of photography and nature," Roof said, noting that many family groups entered the contest, including husbands and wives, mothers and daughters, siblings, grandparents and grandchildren.
Kawkawlin resident Athan Zoes, 5 years old, received honorable mention for two of his photos, while his mother, Angela, won third place in the Landscape category. Siblings Corbin, 17, and Jocelyn Denham, 9, of Bay City were both recognized for their photos. A photo of the Saginaw Bay taken by Rachael Walsh of Bay City of won first place in the Landscape category, while her granddaughter Rori Chapman, age 4, received an honorable mention in the Student category.
Husband and wife John and Janine Britt of Pigeon won recognition in the Photo-art and Landscapes categories. The youngest participant this year was four years old.
The top three winners in each category received cash prices (1st place was $50, 2nd place was $25; and 3rd place was $10). In the student category, all who received an honorable mention received a $10 prize.
Taken in the Saginaw Bay Watershed, the photos were judged on use of color, creativity, subject matter, originality, relevance to the watershed and overall "wow" factor. The judges were Anne Trahan from Anne E. Trahan Photography; Mike Randolph, chief photographer for The Bay City Times; and Don Scherzer, president of Spicer Group.
2010 Nature Photography Contest winners follow.
(See all of the photos in the
2010 Winners,
2009 Winners,
and
2008 Winners articles.)
Landscapes
1st Place: Glowing Vista by Rachel Walsh
2nd Place: Trail Through Color Clusters by Janine Britt
3rd Place: Fire Sunrise by Angela Zoes
Honorable Mention: Misty Morning at Ojibway by Weston Woodbridge
Student category - 17 years of age or younger
1st Place: Double Lily by Vaughn Hartley, age 15
2nd Place: Autumn Raindrops by Jocelyn Denham, age 9
3rd Place: Friends by Brooke Moeller, age 6
Honorable Mention: Dinner for a Bee & Beautiful Day by Athan Zoes, age 5
Honorable Mention: Crushed Lilies by Rori Chapman, age 4
Honorable Mention: Reflections by Jocelyn Denham, age 9
Honorable Mention: Goldenrod by Joy Bonke, age 12
Honorable Mention: Daisies Galore by Tavian Anderson, age 12
Honorable Mention: Ruby Berries by Hannah Castillo, age 14
Honorable Mention: Timber by Taylor Duhaime, age 14
Honorable Mention: Pond of Hope by Katarina Nerio, age 17
Honorable Mention: Spring Awakening by Corbin Denham, age 17
Plants & Flowers
1st Place: Imminent Sunrise by Adam Periard
2nd Place: Ghost Pipes by William Gough
3rd Place: Cattail in Autumn Sunlight by Connie Heslinger
Honorable Mention: Faces to the Sun by James LaFleur
2010 Nature Photography Contest winner. (Wildlife) 1st Place: White Tail Fawn by Nancy Nickerson.
Wildlife
1st Place: White Tail Fawn by Nancy Nickerson
2nd Place: Family Time by Gary L. Anderson
3rd Place: Sweatin' It by Michael Weadock
Honorable Mention: Bee in the Garden by Rich Gill
Honorable Mention: Chase by Ruth Richardson
Honorable Mention: Praying Mantis by Nancy Nickerson
Honorable Mention: Mating Dragonflies by Christi Raines
Honorable Mention: A Duck Out of Water by Christi Raines
Photo-Art
1st Place: Two Paths Diverged by Craig Sterken
2nd Place: Rainbow Monarch by Janine Britt
3rd Place: Summertime Transients by John Britt
The Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy works to maintain the quality of life in the Saginaw Bay Watershed through the preservation of important wetlands, waterways and land of all types. The Conservancy is a non-profit charitable 501(c)(3) organization working in the Saginaw Basin. To date, the Conservancy has protected more than 5,560 acres in the watershed.