Grand Prize
Stan Rose
This wintry photograph, made in an aspen grove near Arizona Snowbowl in the San Francisco Peaks, evokes a feeling of wanting to be there, Photo Editor Jeff Kida says. “The first things I see are the ferns in the foreground, but others might use the bright red leaf as their entry point,” he says. “Your eye then is led all the way through the image to the logs, the yellow leaves and the sunburst. The fact that it’s backlit gives it a three-dimensional feel, and there’s a wonderful color palette. Stan’s photo was the clear favorite among our judges.”
SONY ALPHA 7R IV, 1/400 SEC, F/18, ISO 800, 17 MM LENS
SECOND PLACE
David Swanson
In this action shot, a bald eagle plucks its next meal from Lynx Lake, a reservoir in the Prescott area. “David cropped this perfectly, and there’s no wasted space,” Kida says. “He also shot it with a very long lens, rendering the foreground and background soft and putting the emphasis on the intensity of the moment. And by using a fast shutter speed, he was able to freeze the action and the splash of the water. This is a peak moment, and it’s been captured very well.”
NIKON Z 9, 1/2500 SEC, F/5.6, ISO 250, 500 MM LENS
THIRD PLACE
Mark W. Henn
We see a lot of photographs from Cape Royal, an overlook on the Grand Canyon’s North Rim, but this sunset shot stands out. “I’ve been to Cape Royal many times and have rarely seen atmospheric conditions like those captured here,” Kida says. “The silhouetted forms in the bottom right corner anchor the scene, and your eye then follows the bend of the butte through the image. And the weather conditions and quality of light emphasize the texture of the butte. In all, it’s a wonderful juxtaposition of shadow and light.”
NIKON Z 7II, 1/125 SEC, F/8, ISO 500, 28 MM LENS
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Brayden Pfister
“In some ways, Brayden’s image goes against the rules of photography,” Kida says of this autumnal shot from Oak Creek Canyon. “The dominant form, the ponderosa pine, is right in the middle of the frame, which is generally a no-no in composition. But because of the quality of the light coming in from the left, all of our judges kept coming back to this photo. The light illuminates the leaves and puts a hot spot on the tree itself, and the leaves on the right seem to be reflecting light on that side of the tree. Additionally, the blue at the top of the frame provides color contrast and makes the image more dynamic.”
Jonathan Cline
“When I used to shoot sporting events, ‘Hurry up and wait’ was the throwaway line, and Jonathan’s photo is a testament to the value of that approach,” Kida says. “You plan your photos, you find your position, you set up your equipment, and you wait — and if you can learn to be patient, you might be rewarded. Here, one butterfly landed on another one resting on a branch in Scottsdale, and Jonathan was ready to capture the moment.”
CANON R5, 1/100 SEC, F/8, ISO 1250, 420 MM LENS
Mary Hone
“What makes this photo is its sweetness,” Kida says of this shot of burros traversing a field of wildflowers near Alamo Lake, in Western Arizona. “An adult animal with a baby is always a wonderful thing. This is a simple shot that I think almost anyone can look at and enjoy. It’s very cleanly composed, and it was shot at a lower angle and with a long enough lens to avoid disturbing the burros.”
NIKON Z 7II, 1/500 SEC, F/5.6, ISO 64, 500 MM LENS
Greg Conn
One of the Sonoran Desert’s many lizards watches its photographer in the Phoenix area. “This macro shot is a product of soft light and texture,” Kida says. “By using selective focus, Greg draws the viewer’s eye to the eye of this reptile, and he also makes the image more mysterious — it makes you want to know more about this animal. The fact that it’s shot on a diagonal makes it more interesting.”
NIKON Z 9, 1/640 SEC, F/3.3, ISO 80, 105 MM LENS
Tina Wright
Kida says this shot of burrowing owls in Scottsdale combines a decisive moment with an alluring color palette, despite being captured among invasive stinknet weeds. “You’ve got this event happening, but also these golden colors,” he says. “Everything works together beautifully, from the soft light to the illuminated background. Tina draws your eye to the owl coming in for a landing, and then you see the second bird and move through the frame to see everything else.”
NIKON D850, 1/2500 SEC, F/6.3, ISO 1250, 600 MM LENS
ADVENTURES IN NATURE STUDENT PHOTO CONTEST WINNER
Jessica Finnie
Wild horses race across the landscape in this image, which won the grand prize in this year’s student contest sponsored by Arizona Highways, Arizona’s Family and The Nature Conservancy. “In still photography, it’s difficult to convey a sense of motion, but Jessica has done it very well here,” Kida says. “One of the ways to convey motion is to use a slower shutter speed and pan the camera, which she did. Additionally, the light is soft and the photo is cropped perfectly, keeping the image simple and allowing the horses to stand out.”
NIKON Z 8, 1/25 SEC, F/2.8, ISO 800, 200 MM LENS