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Photo of the Week Winners 2011
Published: March 4, 2011
Wood Duck by Ned Bagno
Subscriber Ned Bagno of Fremont, California, is the winner of our Photo of the Week contest for November and December. We featured his stunning close-up of a male Wood Duck, photographed behind a library in Union City, California, during the week of December 12.
Robert McCaw, whose photo of a Black-capped Chickadee appears on the cover of our February 2012 issue, was our judge.
"A number of factors lead to the success of this outstanding photograph," Robert says. "It reaches technical perfection with rich colors and overall sharpness and clarity from the tip of the bill to the back of the head. Supporting this is a clean, uncluttered background having colors complementing and supporting the subject.
"The main impact of this photo, however, comes from the facial expression of the bird. The photographer enhances this by placing the subject in the very center of the frame; the commonly used photographic rule of thirds would not work here. A superb job by the photographer."
Look for Ned's photo in our April 2012 issue.
Learn how to submit your photo.
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Swallow-tailed Gull by Mike Landwehr
Congratulations to Mike Landwehr of Waukee, Iowa! He wins our Photo of the Week contest for September and October for his terrific photo of a Swallow-tailed Gull from Española, the southernmost of the Galápagos Islands. We featured it during the week of September 12.
Brian Shema, whose photo of a Downy Woodpecker appears on our December 2011 cover, was our judge.
"There are several qualities contained in this photograph that contribute to its appeal," Brian says. "The focal point of the image, for me, is the contrast between the bird’s dark head and bright eye-ring, which is captured with sharpness and clarity. The depth-of-field provides a focal plane that suggests dimension in the gull, while completely blurring the background. The result is a subject that pops from the image. The well-chosen exposure setting reveals the natural white tones of the plumage, and the posture of the bird implies movement, adding additional interest to this well-composed image."
We'll publish Mike's photo in our February 2012 issue.
Learn how to submit your photo.
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Roseate Spoonbill by John Phillips Jr.
John Phillips Jr. of Orange, Texas, is our Photo of the Week winner for July and August for his exceptional photo of a flying Roseate Spoonbill. He took the photo at Smith Oaks Bird Sanctuary in High Island, Texas, a place he calls “one of the best sanctuaries in the U.S. for photographing spoonbills.” We featured his photo during the week of July 25.
Mia McPherson, whose photo of a Great Egret appears on our October 2011 cover, was our judge.
“The delicate, natural colors combined with the dynamic landing pose, eye contact, and the slightly open bill of this Roseate Spoonbill are very appealing,” Mia says. “The drama of the darker background, the soft quality of the light, and shadows on the subject, plus the sharpness, detail, composition, and exposure ultimately define this as a high-quality, visually compelling image.”
John’s photo will be published in our December 2011 issue. Congratulations, John!
Learn how to submit your photo.
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Dunlin by Prem Balson
Congratulations to Prem Balson of Columbus, Ohio! He is our Photo of the Week winner for May and June for his great shot of a Dunlin opening its bill on a beach. Prem shot the photo at Conneaut Harbor in northeastern Ohio in May, and we featured it during the week of June 13.
Danny Brown, whose photo of a Belted Kingfisher appears on the cover of our August 2011 issue, was our judge.
“Photos in this competition included unique species and fascinating behavior, but I found Prem Balson’s simple composition of a Dunlin on the beach the most captivating,” Danny says. “First, the photographer put himself at eye level with his subject and then waited for the perfect moment when the Dunlin opened its bill wide. Color, contrast, and exposure were handled skillfully, and the razor-thin plane of focus intersects the catch-lit eye with precision. Finally, Mr. Balson’s bold decision to leave the beach horizon on the diagonal made the image even more interesting to me — a work of art.”
We’ll publish Prem’s photo in our October 2011 issue.
Learn how to submit your photo.
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Grand Prize Winner: Cooper’s Hawk
Congratulations to Bryan D. Hix! He is the grand-prize winner of our 2010-2011 Photo of the Week Contest Sponsored by Zeiss for his photo of a juvenile Cooper's Hawk chasing a rabbit (right). His prize is a Zeiss Victory 8x42 T* FL binocular.
Visitors to our website voted in our May 2011 for their favorite of six bimonthly winners. Hix’s photo won with 36 percent of the vote. Read more about how he got the shot and see other photos from the scene on that winter day in Chicago on our blog.
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Great Kiskadee and Red-winged Blackbird by Roy Priest
Roy Priest of Cloverdale, British Columbia, is our Photo of the Week winner for March and April for his superb photo of a spat between a Great Kiskadee and a Red-winged Blackbird (left). Roy shot the photo in south Texas in January, and it was featured during the week of April 25-May 2.
Randy Mehoves, who photographed the Summer Tanager pictured on our June 2011 cover, was our judge.
“The species interaction here is really nice,” Randy says, “as is the out-of-focus background to focus all your attention on the action of these two birds. The beaks being open and wings up on both birds adds to the action. The F stop and shutter speed chosen works really well here, as you have a good exposure with nice details, and both birds are in focus. The slightly blurred wings showing motion and the colorful Bougainvillea perch are bonuses in this image.”
We’ll publish Roy’s photo in our August 2011 issue. It will be one of six bimonthly winning images you can vote on from May 9-16 to determine the winner of our Photo of the Week Contest Sponsored by Carl Zeiss Sports Optics.
Learn how to submit your photo.
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Cooper’s Hawk by Bryan D. Hix
Congratulations to Bryan D. Hix of Gilberts, Illinois. He is our Photo of the Week winner for January and February for his remarkable shot at right of a Cooper’s Hawk chasing a rabbit. It was featured during the week of January 17-24.
Brian Small, whose photos illustrate Kenn Kaufman’s “ID Tips” and who photographed the Northern Parula on our April 2011 cover, was our judge. He calls Hix’s photo “stunning.”
“It’s striking to see the look of terror in the eyes of the rabbit, as well as the lovely, haunting shadows on the snow in the background,” Small says. “The composition and framing of the image are wonderful. What’s more, the photograph is perfectly exposed in a difficult lighting situation, and the action speaks for itself. This image has it all. It’s truly unique and well deserving of the Photo of the Week winner. All I can say is that I sure wish this image were mine!”
We’ll publish the photo in our June 2011 issue, and it will be one of six bimonthly winning images you can vote on in May at the conclusion of our Photo of the Week Contest Sponsored by Carl Zeiss Sports Optics.
Learn how to submit your photo.
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