2016 Winners & Runners Up
The 2016 contest had two divisions. Adults were 18 years old or out of high school. Youth were 18 or under, or still in school. There were four categories: Photos for the Landscapes, Plants (included lichens and fungi), and Animals categories could come from anywhere in the world. Photos submitted in the fourth category called "Nature Center" had to be taken in the building or on the grounds of the sponsoring organization and communicate "the nature center experience."
Adult Winners
Adult - Landscape - Winner
Spirit and Light
Wendy Blanchard
Schenectady, New York
Spirit and Light
Wendy Blanchard
Schenectady, New York
Adult - Plants - Winner
Reaching Beyond
Natalie Weber
Glenview, Illinois
Reaching Beyond
Natalie Weber
Glenview, Illinois
Adult - Wildlife - Winner
Kingfisher Fishing Reflection
José Luis Rodriguez
Ávila, Spain
Kingfisher Fishing Reflection
José Luis Rodriguez
Ávila, Spain
Adult - Nature Center - Winner
Fern Star
Wendy Bale
Jamestown, New York
Fern Star
Wendy Bale
Jamestown, New York
Youth Winners
Youth - Landscape - Winner
Water on Rocks
Andrew Gerace
Novelty, Ohio
Water on Rocks
Andrew Gerace
Novelty, Ohio
Youth - Plants - Winner
Shadows Amidst the Blaze
Julia Gong
Cary, North Carolina
Shadows Amidst the Blaze
Julia Gong
Cary, North Carolina
Youth - Wildlife - Winner
Bubbles
Nicholas Silberman
New York, New York
Bubbles
Nicholas Silberman
New York, New York
Youth - Nature Center - Winner
There were no entries in this category.
There were no entries in this category.
Runners Up - Adult and Youth
Juror's Notes
I want to start by thanking all who submitted photographs to this year’s Nature Photography Contest through the Audubon Nature Center. The natural world offers itself for such incredible inspiration. As I reviewed the entries, I was reminded that there is so much to explore. Throughout the world, from your kitchen windowsill to the marshes of foreign countries, something new can always be discovered. The same is with art, in this case photography. The exploration of combinations in subject matter, lighting and time of day, composition, perspective, exposure, depth of field, and so on, are endless.
I am honored to have had this opportunity. A spark of excitement was rekindled while viewing these photographs. I hope that you too have found inspiration from the selected photographs.
The criteria used to determine winners and finalists were as follows:
~ Kimberly Turner
I want to start by thanking all who submitted photographs to this year’s Nature Photography Contest through the Audubon Nature Center. The natural world offers itself for such incredible inspiration. As I reviewed the entries, I was reminded that there is so much to explore. Throughout the world, from your kitchen windowsill to the marshes of foreign countries, something new can always be discovered. The same is with art, in this case photography. The exploration of combinations in subject matter, lighting and time of day, composition, perspective, exposure, depth of field, and so on, are endless.
I am honored to have had this opportunity. A spark of excitement was rekindled while viewing these photographs. I hope that you too have found inspiration from the selected photographs.
The criteria used to determine winners and finalists were as follows:
- Decisive moment – These works capture stunning slivers of time. When it comes to nature photography, timing is key. Whether it be time of year, or time of day, there is an ebb and flow to the natural world. Finding and studying that routine will allow for more successful images.
- Creativity – The photographs offer something engaging and unique. This could be done through the perspective, concept, style, etc. These photos capture moments in ways that are not overdone or cliché.
- Technical proficiency – Exposures were well made, lens or lens focal length choices contributed to the image’s success, point of view was well selected, angle of view was well considered, focus was sharp where it should be sharp, depth of field choices were well made, images were neither over-processed nor over-sharpened, and refinements were carefully executed.
- Composition – Compositions are intentional and encourage an active eye. The framing is deliberate and takes the entire scene into consideration, not just the focal point.
- Lighting – Lighting adds to the mood and atmosphere of the photograph. As a medium derived from light, it makes a huge impact on a photograph. Direction and quality of light were a large part of the judging criteria.
~ Kimberly Turner
The 2016 juror was Kimberly Turner, an artist living and working in North Western Pennsylvania. Her studies mainly rest in the field of photography, though her work tends to bridge the gaps between multiple media. She began her artistic education at SUNY Fredonia, where she graduated with a BFA in both Photography and Illustration. She continued her education at Indiana University Bloomington where she obtained an MFA with a concentration in Photography. Turner has taught photography for several years at universities across the Midwest and locally at Jamestown Community College. She recently joined the Audubon Nature Center as an Administrative Assistant, where she uses her job as a way to inspire her art. Her personal work is dominantly influenced by the natural world and the concept of collecting.
