Great Outdoors Photo Contest Winners

Plants, Animals, Insects and Gardens Prize

Photograph by Aung Gyi

Winner: Aung Gyi, Meadowbrook, Pennsylvania

$100 gift card to B&H Photo, Video and Pro Audio, Canson fine art paper, and a Gold Pass to PDN’s Photoplus International Conference and Expo in New York City this October.

Anesthesiologist Aung Gyi grew up in the northeastern hills of Burma (now Myanmar), where his father taught him woodland craft and a passion for nature. Gyi likes to spend any time he has away from work in a national park setting, especially when it involves getting to see animals in their natural habitat. Gyi walks through the Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust several times a week, making it a point to go rain or shine, which he says “adds to the charm and brings out aspects of the woodland animals otherwise missed.” On one such trip, just before dusk, Gyi came upon a small area where wild turkeys congregate every spring to strut their stuff.

Gyi describes the moment he took the photo: “I saw the sunlight hitting a particularly colorful tom strutting toward me. I took my camera and lens out as fast as possible and got a few shots before the light took away further opportunity.” It pays to photograph quickly and creatively: with no time to set up a tripod, Gyi steadied his camera against a tree trunk to get a clear picture. (Nikon D80, 500mm Nikkor VR lens shot at 1/250 sec F4 at ASA100)

Judges chose these six Great Outdoors Photo Contest winners from an abundance of talented amateur photographers.

Outdoor Sports and Activities Prize

Photograph by Seth Rubin

Winner: Seth Rubin, Washington, D.C.

$100 gift card to B&H Photo, Video and Pro Audio, Canson fine art paper, and a Gold Pass to PDN’s Photoplus International Conference and Expo in New York City this October.

A boy runs and flips off of truck tires in Tarrafal on the Cape Verde island of Santiago. Scientist Seth Rubin comments that the boys in the foreground didn’t stay still for long, but jumped up to join in the fun. “While the older boys sailed through the air gracefully, the younger boys would often land on their head, pop up, and go again!”

Rubin enjoys nature, wedding and travel photography, especially when it involves his yearly trip to JazzFest in New Orleans. While NOLA remains his true love, Rubin has also spent time in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Kenya, Senegal, and Cape Verde. Living in D.C. for the past three years has increased his passion for the “life, truth, and storytelling of photojournalism.” (Canon 7D, 16-35mm f/2.8 L lens shot at 1/3000 sec f/2.8 at ISO 200)

Judges chose these six Great Outdoors Photo Contest winners from an abundance of talented amateur photographers.

Beaches, Islands, and Underwater Prize

Photograph by Terry Senovich

Winner: Terry Senovich, Golden, Colorado

$100 gift card to B&H Photo, Video and Pro Audio, Canson fine art paper, and a Gold Pass to PDN’s Photoplus International Conference and Expo in New York City this October.

Software engineer Terry Senovich has been snapping photos since the age of 15. He enjoys photographing wildlife and landscapes both at home in Colorado and while he’s out traveling. On a recent trip he had the opportunity to go on a doors-off helicopter tour of the Hawaiian island of Kauai. The rare combination of a clear, windless morning and 30- to 35-foot ocean swells made for a glimpse of the “breathtaking beauty and isolation” of the rugged Na Pali coastline.

Senovich shot this photo straight down, leaning out the helicopter door as they flew over Kalalau, a beach only accessible via boat or a rugged 11-mile hike. (Nikon D300, 18-200 mm f/3.5-5.6 VR-I shot at 70 mm, 1/2500 sec f/7.1 at ISO 400, aperture priority matrix metering)

Judges chose these six Great Outdoors Photo Contest winners from an abundance of talented amateur photographers.

Scenes of the Natural World Prize

Photograph by Daniel Ewert

Winner: Daniel Ewert, Pensacola, Florida

$100 gift card to B&H Photo, Video and Pro Audio, Canson fine art paper, and a Gold Pass to PDN’s Photoplus International Conference and Expo in New York City this October.

Attorney Daniel Ewert patiently and artfully captured this fiery sunset over Mt. Sinopah. Ewert frequented this location on Two Medicine Lake for several sunrises and sunsets during a late summer hiking and photography trip in Montana’s Glacier National Park. His first attempts were unsuccessful due to “bland lighting,” but his patience finally paid off on one particular visit when he was able to catch the clouds as the sun hit the horizon.

In addition to working on photography projects near his home in northwest Florida, Ewert has a huge national park destination hit list that “will likely be a lifetime project.” This fall and winter he will be traveling to Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Mt. Rainier National Park. (Canon EOX 5D Mark II, Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0 L lens, Gitzo Mountaineer Tripod with ballhead, Singh-Ray 2-stop graduated neutral density filter shot at 20mm, 3.2 sec f/14.0 at ISO 125)

Judges chose these six Great Outdoors Photo Contest winners from an abundance of talented amateur photographers.

Parks and Safaris Prize

Photograph by Steve Currie

Winner: Steve Currie, Park City, Utah

$100 gift card to B&H Photo, Video and Pro Audio, Canson fine art paper, and a Gold Pass to PDN’s Photoplus International Conference and Expo in New York City this October.

Steve Currie is big on landscapes. And his wide-lens point-and-shoot camera served this passion well during a trip to the town of Tequila in the heart of Jalisco, Mexico. “The light in the valley is magical at the end of day,” he says, “creating a soft palette almost like a painting.” But what really inspired the photo, according to Currie, was the composition—the rows of agave creating a linear pattern and the solo jimador (agave farmer)positioned perfectly in the corner. (Panasonic Lumix LX2 shot at 1/160 sec f/4.0 at ASA 400)

Judges chose these six Great Outdoors Photo Contest winners from an abundance of talented amateur photographers.