The 2016 Audubon Photography Awards
The National Audubon Society announced the winners of its 2016 Photography Awards on April 21, 2016. The categories were "Grand Prize," "Professional," "Amateur," "Fine Art," and "Youth" (ages 13-17). The winning photographs are published in "Audubon" magazine, "Nature's Best Photography" magazine, and will be displayed in the 2016 Nature's Best Photography Exhibition at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. The Grand Prize winner receives $5,000, while the Professional, Amateur, and Fine Art winners each receive $2,500. The Youth recipient receives five days, all expenses paid, at Maine's Hog Island Audubon Camp in July. The student winner will be treated to photography sessions, accompanied by their parent or guardian at the camp.
Here is Bonnie Block's Grand Prize-winning shot of this bald eagle and great blue heron encounter in Seabeck, Washington.
"Seabeck is a small town on the edge of the Hood Canal, in western Washington. In early summer Great Blue Herons and Bald Eagles converge here to feast on fish that get trapped in the exposed oysterbeds at low tide," Block said in a release. "While both species catch their own fish, the eagles are especially fond of harassing the herons for their catch. They charge at the herons, which at times release their prey with a loud squawk, dropping the fish back into the water. Though they're not always successful, the eagles seem to take pleasure in trying to steal a meal."
Professional winner
Dick Dickinson's photograph of an osprey's wing taken in Siesta Key, Sarasota, Florida, was the Professional winner.
"I have lived in Florida all my life, and watching the ospreys around the bays is a constant delight," Dickinson said in an Audubon release. "For this shot, I was photographing an active nest off the end of a dock on the south end of Siesta Key. Both of the adults were active around the next; this one was taking off from a nearby perch on its way back to the nest."
Amateur winner
Steve Torna's shot of milling eared grebes at Yellowstone Lake in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming was named the Amateur winner.
"In May 2014 I was fortunate to see hundreds, perhaps a thousand, migrating eared grebes floating in a tight flock between the ice and the shore on Yellowstone Lake. I was drawn to their bright-red eyes, their golden 'ears,' and the way the flock created a colorful natural pattern," Torna said in a release. "With their heads tucked into their feathers, the birds seemed harmonious and peaceful. They were silent--I never once heard a vocalization--and I felt a sense of gratitude that I could witness this tranquil and serene moment."
Youth winner
Carolina Anne Fraser's impressive shot of two great frigatebirds shot at Near Española, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, was the winner in the Youth category. Fraser receives five days -- all expenses paid -- at Maine's Hog Island Audubon Camp in July. She will be treated to photography sessions, accompanied by their parent or guardian at the camp.
"On a family vacation in the Galápagos, I was taking pictures when great frigatebirds started landing on our boat. The rocking boat, as well as the heat and brilliant Galápagos sun were a challenge, but I braced myself, checked my settings, and focused on the birds' behavior," she said in a release. "Great frigatebirds, which are graceful and acrobatic in flight, often eat fish from the ocean's surface, and harass other birds like blue-footed boobies for their prey. These two seemed to be challenging each other for a seat on our boat."
Fine Art winner
Barbara Driscoll's shot of a green violetear hummingbird shot at the Savegre Hotel at San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica was named the Fine Art winner.
"A friend and I were taking pictures of hummingbirds in Costa Rica, and decided that while some have to be shot from a specific angle to look good, there are no bad angles for taking pictures of the Green Violetear," Driscoll said in a release. "This day it had rained, and the birds were perching on an agave plant in front of the lodge, trying to dry out. The nontypical portrait from the back, the way the angle of the bill matched the point on the agave, and how the bird spread its feathers, displaying that beautiful rainbow of color, made me feel I had achieved a shot that managed to capture the bird's spectacular texture and color."
Amateur honorable mention
Artur Stankiewicz's photo of a black-winged stilt shot near Skala Kallonis on Lesbos Island, Greece, was named the Amateur honorable mention.
"Lesbos is one of Europe's best-known birding spots because so many birds migrate through. Still, for some reason, the numbers in early May 2015 were way down," he said in a release. "Despite the discouraging situation, I spent my last day on a concrete slab by the salt pans, trying for photos of stilts and avocets. I was finally able to get this shot of a stilt hunting water bugs."
Amateur honorable mention
Colleen Gara's shot of two common ravens in Alberta, Canada was another Amateur honorable mention.
"Besides being known for their intelligence, ravens are thought to mate for life," she said in a release. "When I spotted this pair one morning, I tried to stay as still as possible. I wanted them to act naturally. Soon they began to preen each other. It was amazing to feel that these birds were comfortable in my presence. I zoomed in, and got this intimate shot."
Amateur honorable mention
Martin V. Sneary's shot of a piping plover off the North Shore of Massachusetts was another Amateur honorable mention.
"I was on a beach in Massachusetts, crawling on the sand, pushing the camera equipment around on a ground pod, trying not to turn the lens hood in a sand shovel! Sometimes the chicks, oblivious to our presence, would run too close to photograph, and on those occasions it was a wonder to just observe," Sneary said in a release. "This shot is my absolute favorite, capturing a rare pause in a usually frantic schedule of feed, brood, feed some more, sprint across the sand, and brood again. It reminds us to take in the joy around us, bask momentarily in the warming sunshine, before we head off again at 100 mph."
Fine Art honorable mention
Blake Shaw's shot of a turkey vulture near San Felipe in Baja California, Mexico, was a Fine Art honorable mention choice.
"South of San Felipe, there are many stands of cardon cactus, which are often excellent spots to find birds such as gila woodpeckers, ash-throated flycatchers, and ospreys," he said in a release. "One evening I noticed a group of turkey vultures roosting in a stand of cardon cactus about 75 yards away. I quickly positioned myself so that the colors of the sky after sunset would be behind the cacti. One last vulture flew into the roost, and I was lucky to capture it with legs and wings outstretched for landing!"
