GRAND PRIZE WINNER
Tam Ryan
It’s rare that a wildlife photo takes the top prize in our contest, but this image, of a great blue heron taking flight at the Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch in Gilbert, is a deserving winner. “Compositionally, the heron anchors the photo, but the mist and the receding layers of waterfowl on the pond make this a three-dimensional image,” Photo Editor Jeff Kida says. “The tones also come into play: cool in the foreground, warm in the middle ground and cool again in the background.” Our art director, Lisa Altomare, adds that the photo’s painterly, ethereal quality reminds her of a Maxfield Parrish painting.
NIKON D500, 1/2000 SEC, F/6, ISO 1800, 480 MM LENS
SECOND PLACE
Sathya Sayee
Coyote pups traverse a pond in another photo from Gilbert’s Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch. “I love the isolation of this photo — there’s a remoteness to it, and the coyotes don’t seem to be aware of the photographer,” Kida says. “The shallow depth of field increases that isolation by putting these animals in nature but separating them from the background.” The soft light elevates the image, too, while the use of a high shutter speed freezes the movement of the coyotes and the splashing water.
SONY ALPHA 1, 1/3200 SEC, F/4, ISO 1600, 600 MM LENS
THIRD PLACE
Dennis Tromburg
This image of Agathla Peak, a landmark near Monument Valley on the Navajo Nation, is a panorama created by stitching 14 exposures together in Photoshop. It evokes both cold and stillness. “The only true warm tones are on the peak itself, which contrasts with the snowy landscape and the blue of the sky,” Kida says. “There’s also a softness to the snow and sky, which forms another contrast with the hard textures in the rocks. For both of those reasons, the viewer is pulled right into the image. And the fact that it was composed as a panorama really helps it.”
CANON EOS R5, 1/8 SEC, F/8, ISO 100, 85 MM LENS
HONORABLE MENTION
Kenton Krueger
Swirling clouds and sunlight combine for a dramatic view of the Grand Canyon in a view from Lipan Point, on the South Rim. In another rarity for our contest, this photo was made with an iPhone camera. “If you’re out there in nature and all you’ve got is your phone, it’s a wonderful opportunity to make a memorable image,” Kida says. “Photographically, there’s a brooding quality here, and given the darkness of the foreground and the light in the background, there’s a discovery process for the viewer.”
iPHONE 12 PRO MAX, 1/2100 SEC, F/1.6, ISO 32, 5.1 MM LENS
HONORABLE MENTION
Shakil Chowdhury
This moody photo of the Four Peaks, northeast of the Phoenix area, captures a fleeting moment as the light disappears from the mountains late in the day.
“The tonal qualities of this are marvelous,” Kida says, noting the contrast of warm light hitting the peaks and cool tones above and below. “Additionally, the clouds passing through give the photo
a sense of aliveness and movement.”
CANON EOS R5, 1/100 SEC, F/4.5, ISO 400, 70-200 MM LENS
HONORABLE MENTION
Theresa Rose Ditson
Kida sees a storybook quality in this image of curved cottonwood trunks in the Prescott area. “The trunks almost create a doorway into the image,” he says. “There also are wonderful textural things happening here, with the hard bark of the trees contrasting with the softness of the leaves in the background. And the branch of green leaves at the top of the frame adds a great deal to this photo by introducing another element of contrast.”
NIKON D810, 1/13 SEC, F/16, ISO 160, 48 MM LENS
ADVENTURES IN NATURE STUDENT PHOTO CONTEST WINNER
Jessica Finnie
Snow geese take flight from Southeastern Arizona’s Whitewater Draw in this photo, the winner of this year’s student contest sponsored by Arizona Highways, The Nature Conservancy, and 3TV and CBS 5. “Jessica did a marvelous job of composing this,” Kida says. “She gave the viewer enough of the reeds in the foreground, then used the reflection of the trees in the background. I suspect she then was very patient about waiting for the decisive moment when the geese flew through the scene.”
NIKON Z8, 1/2500 SEC, F/5.6, ISO 1600, 180 MM LENS