GRAND PRIZE WINNER
Jim Shoemaker
This black-and-white photograph of a cloudburst over Monument Valley was the unanimous number one pick for our judges. In the words of Senior Editor Kelly Vaughn, "It takes my breath away." Photo Editor Jeff Kida says, "Everything about this photo works beautifully. The composition is spot on, with the low horizon allowing the magnificent clouds to dominate. And with Jim choosing to convert this to black-andwhite from the start speaks volumes about his ability to previsualize a scene."
CANON EOS 5 D MK II, 1/100, F/8, ISO 100, 16-35 MM LENS
SECOND PLACE
Todd Wynia
A photo of a young black-necked stilt at Gilbert's Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch appealed to the judges for the instant connection it establishes between subject and viewer. "This is a simple image, but there are a number of things that work together nicely to make it extra special," Kida says. First, the photographer shot in soft light, which really brings out the bird's soft, downy features. Second, he used an extremely long telephoto lens to isolate his subject, and shot at ground/bird level to underline the subject-viewer connection. And third, he showed enormous patience, waiting for the tiniest bit of activity before releasing the shutter.
SONY ILCE-1, 1/2500, F/13, ISO 10000, 200-600 MM LENS
THIRD PLACE
Beth Toussaint
A desert bighorn sheep surveys the landscape of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, west of Tucson. “This image is all about discovery — finding the silhouette of a desert bighorn sheep that is engulfed by an impending monsoon storm,” Kida says. “Beth did a number of things very well. She did not zoom in but instead gave her subject space within the frame. The photo was made in a captive environment, but it alludes to the wild nature of the animal. And she wisely placed the sheep on the right-hand side, not smack in the middle of the frame, which also gives the viewer a greater sense of the environment.”
CANON EOS 90 D, 1/60, F/5.6, ISO 2000, 35 MM LENS
HONORABLE MENTION
Hanasur Khan
A butterfly with magically translucent wings stands out at Scottsdale's Butterfly Wonderland. Kida says, "What immediately caught my eye about this photo is the singularly verdant color palette. The one standout element is the butterfly. It's an integral element, but at the same time, the butterfly is outlined, making it the payoff in the frame. Hanasur used a 100 mm macro lens to ensure sharp focus on his subject but also create enough separation from the foliage."
CANON 6D MK II, 1/80 SEC, F/5, ISO 800, 100 MM LENS
HONORABLE MENTION
Hanasur Khan
A painterly scene at Canyon Lake combines layers of land, lake and sky. “Hanasur used a 25 second exposure, which created a dreamlike quality to the surface of the water,” Kida says. “This surreal element acts to unify the textured, stony shoreline and the distant buttes.”
CANON EOS 5D MK IV, 25 SECS, F/16, ISO 500, 16 MM LENS
HONORABLE MENTION
Jenny L. Clark
When our judges first saw this photo, taken at Woods Canyon Lake, almost everyone fell in love with its furry subject, who is separated from the background thanks to the photographer’s use of a long lens. Kida says, “Jenny took advantage of soft light and very possibly a cooperative subject to make this lovely outdoor portrait.”
CANON EOS R5, 1/1000, F/6.3, ISO 6400, 100-500 MM LENS
HONORABLE MENTION
Jonathan Cline
A butterfly alights on a vermilion flower at Butterfly Wonderland. In capturing this image, the photographer was able to position himself to shoot the butterfly against a virtually black background. He also was aware of the backlight, which created better separation from the background. “By making these choices, Jonathan has made a wonderfully simple, graphic image that has immediate impact,” Kida says. “Shooting at f/4, there is limited depth of field, but the critical focus on the eye of his subject is spot on.”
CANON EOS R7, 1/160 SEC, F/4, ISO 100, 70-200 MM LENS
ADVENTURES IN NATURE STUDENT PHOTO CONTEST WINNER
Nathan Hoffman
The winner of this year’s student contest, sponsored by Arizona Highways and The Nature Conservancy, titled his photograph Warmth, and it’s 100 percent appropriate. The Tucson-based photographer captured this moment during the golden hour, and the judges were moved by the strong simple lines juxtaposed against the soft hues of the setting sun. “The icing on the cake,” Kida says,
“is the bird in the center of the frame that hasn’t quite stuck its landing. This begs the question: Was it a successful attempt? The ability to create an unspoken dialogue in a
still photo is always a winner for me.”
CANON EOS R100, 1/4000 SEC, F/7.1, ISO 200, 55 MM LENS
HONORABLE MENTION
Sean Parker
In recent years, Parker has become a regular contributor to the magazine, and we often call on him to provide weather and night sky photos. “Sean is meticulous about doing research, and it definitely paid off here,” Kida says. “Knowing the location where storms were predicted, Sean arrived in San Manuel and set up multiple cameras, which increased his odds for success. With this shot, he used a relatively long exposure of 1.3 seconds to capture the trifecta: rainbow, saguaro and lightning.”
PANASONIC DC S5, 1.3 SECS, F/10, ISO100, 21 MM LENS
HONORABLE MENTION
Mark Koster
A young coatimundi feasts on dates at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum in Superior. “This photo is successful for a number of reasons,” Kida says. “By using a 500 mm lens, Mark was able to let the youngster go about his business uninterrupted. Shooting in open shade means we are able to see all of the details and rich tones that combine to make this a wonderfully harmonious photo. And Mark showed great patience in releasing the shutter, capturing a pose that any gymnast would be proud of.”
NIKON D 850, 1/800 SEC, f/5.6, ISO 100, 500 MM LENS