Liron Gertsman, 17, of Vancouver, British Columbia, surprised
even the judges in Audubon’s annual photo contest. Liron submitted
the best photo among youth entries, according to the judges. But
beyond that, he was awarded the only two honorable mentions given
in his division. The judges themselves were unaware of the trifecta
until the winners were tallied.
Grand prize winner: Great gray
owl by Steve Mattheis, 2018 Audubon Photography Awards
“Judging is anonymous, so we had no idea that Liron swept the
entire youth category, not only the winning image but also two
honorable mentions,” Sabine Meyer, one of six judges in
the contest, said in an email. “His photos exhibit quite a
sophisticated and mature eye, and he is very deliberate in his
image making – blurs, extreme close up, monochromatic palette with
a backlit bird.
“He is not afraid to push the conventions of classical bird
photography aside and invent his own visual vocabulary,” she said.
“It’s rare, at any age! I look forward to seeing what he produces
in the years to come and hope that other young photographers get
inspired and pick up an interest in birds and bird
conservation.”
Bonnie Block’s winning
photograph in the 2016 National Audubon Photography Contest
Audubon Photography
Awards
The winning photo shows a bald eagle swooping down on a great
blue heron at the mouth of Big Beef Creek near Seabeck. Bonnie, a
resident of Kingston, learned that her dramatic photo had been
chosen from among 7,000 entries from all 50 states and numerous
countries.
Big Beef Creek, not far from my home, is a favorite place for
nature photographers and bird watchers, who visit in spring and
early summer to observe eagles in action. That’s when the birds
come to hunt for fish called midshipman before heading out to find
migrating salmon. My wife Sue once counted 58 eagles at one time in
that location. See
Water Ways, June 18, 2010.
Bonnie describes how she prepared to shoot the critical moment
in a story by reporter Christian Vosler published in the
Kitsap Sun July 30.
Professional Division winner:
Dick Dickinson, osprey, Siesta Key, Sarasota, Fla. //
Audubon Photography
Awards
Bonnie’s photo was mentioned during a
CBS News interview with Melissa Groo, last year’s winner and a
judge in this year’s contest. Melissa said a good photograph
“freezes that instant that you can’t even see through the naked eye
sometimes. Sometimes this behavior happens in a split second, but a
photograph captures that unique moment for all of us to see.”
“Which is exactly what this year’s Grand Prize winner is,”
commented reporter Brian Mastroianni. “I mean, the shot of the
eagle and the heron is pretty incredible.”
“Exactly,” Melissa continued. “It’s that kind of confrontation,
that pivotal moment where the eagle is landing and its wings are
completely spread out, and you are seeing, obviously, some kind of
confrontation. It’s just beautifully captured, technically and
artistically speaking.”
A selection of Bonnie’s best photographs are on display this
month at Liberty Bay
Gallery in Poulsbo. You can also see some photos she has posted
on her Facebook
page.
Other winners in the Audubon Photography Contest are shown
below. Comments from the photographers themselves about their work
as well as other photos can be found on
Audubon’s webpage.
Amateur Division winner: Steve
Torna, eared grebes, Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park,
Wyo. // Audubon Photography
AwardsYouth Division winner: Carolina
Anne Fraser, great frigatebird, near Española, Galapagos Islands,
Equador // Audubon Photography
AwardsFine Arts Division winner:
Barbara Driscoll, green violetear, Savegre Hotel, San Gerardo de
Dota, Costa Rica // Audubon Photography
Awards
