Manhattan, Illinois Man's Photo Of Snake Wins Will County Forest Preserve Contest
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A Manhattan man won top honors in a photo contest this week for his photo of a sunbathing snake.
No, Jacob Dalen does not live in Greenwich Village, TriBeCa, the Upper West Side, or East Harlem – in fact, he does not live in New York City at all. The Manhattan where he lives is Manhattan, Illinois southwest of Chicago – and the 2019 Preserve the Moment photo contest was mounted by the Will County Forest Preserve District.
Dalen shot his photo at the Sauk Trail Reservoir in Frankfort. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign student won a $500 gift card.
Dalen said he was out taking photos in the forest preserve when he almost stepped on the garter snake, which was warming itself on the gravel trail, according to the forest preserve district.
"I am very excited to have won the photo contest this year! I was astounded at the amount of support I had in the contest, for there were many amazing shots featured this year," Dalen told the forest preserve via email. "Overall, just participating in the contest has been a great experience for me."
Dalen said he told the forest preserve he will use the money to upgrade his photography gear " ... so that I can continue to photograph the nature around me."
Finishing in second place was a photo by Minooka resident Eileen Capodice, showing a great blue heron with a water snake clutched in its bill. That photo was taken at t eh Rock Run Rookery Preserve in Joliet.
In third place was a photo of a red-tailed hawk poised to pounce on prey, taken by Robert Schwaan of Lemont at Veterans Woods in Romeoville.
The second- and third-place winners won $250 and $150 gift cards, respectively.
More than 800 photo submissions came in, and were whittled down to nine monthly finalists during the contest period of April to December 2019. The three overall winners were picked this month in public voting on the Will County Forest Preserve Facebook page.
