We were all wild, once. The inherent raw beauty in wild lands and wildlife is essential to who we are as humans, a piece of ourselves that hearkens back to our collective ancestry. My photography highlights this wild element and serves as a reminder to who we once were, as well as to who we can still become.
SUBMISSION: Silverback by Elisabeth Olson
I have had 2 things on the top of my bucket list since I was 5 years old, and they were to go to Africa to see wildlife and the number one thing was to see Mountain Gorillas in the wild. This past summer, I had fulfilled my life long dream! We were in Uganda, and had the opportunity to hike into the forests of Bwindi in search for Mountain Gorillas. We hiked for a few hours tracking them, when we found them. We were only allowed to be with them for an hour. It was the best hour of my life. I was in complete awe, and wanted to stay there for the rest of time. No wonder Diane Fossey and Jane Goodall were able to spend their time observing apes/primates. It was a day that changed my life forever. Each time I look at my photos from that day, I hardly believe I was there and those images were taken by me. It makes me want to do more to help conserve these amazing animals.
SUBMISSION: Tired, Worn and Old Baboon by Vicky Ayala Richardson
I found my tired, worn and old baboon at the Oakland, California Zoo. He was not only tired, worn and old but he also seemed like he was still ready to take on the world. Capturing a moment which depicts a strong statement and mood is always my goal. The viewer will interpret my work and take it a step into the future.
See more of Vicky's work at vickyarichardsonbasquecountry.com
SUBMISSION: Waiting by Shelley Lake
A hungry polar bear surveys the Arctic free ice for prey. Many bears hunt at glacier fronts in the fjords because of the high concentration of seal lairs, Svalbard, Arctic Archipelago. We must remain vigilant as stewards of our ecosystem
PHOTOGRAPHY 3RD PRIZE: Rhino Extinct by Jack Kenner
Black and white giclee depicting the rhino extinction going into the negative space. There is a rhino poached every 7.5 hours. Why? Because rhino horn is worth more than gold. The people of Asia believe it has magical powers when in truth it is nothing more than keratin, the stuff fingernails and hair are made from. I have been photographing and lecturing about protecting animals since 1989 and today if we don't educate the world the rhino will be extinct from the wild in six years. As a photographer, I have seen too much. PLEASE SAVE THE RHINO.
Take a look at Jack's website http://jackkenner.com
PHOTOGRAPHY 2ND PRIZE: White-Throated Mountaingem by Focus Frog
Hummingbirds are true jewels of the forest. Their grace and beauty is found only in the Americas. The Grey-tailed subspecies of the White-throated Mountaingem is endemic to a small area of the Talamanca Mountains of Costa RIca. Although it is thought to be locally abundant, the tropical climate and mountainous terrain makes their study challenging, so population and population trends are unknown. Photographing hummingbirds is interesting. Their wings can beat up to 90 beats per second and their vivid colors come from iridescence rather than pigment. Just like the iridescence of oil on water, the color seen is dependent on the angle of the light source. We photograph them in a small, shaded outdoor studio, with very low powered strobe lights from 14 different angles. A flash duration of 1/15,000 of a second produces exceptionally sharp images while the light from 14 different angles reveals their natural colors. Flowers are added later to produce an artistically pleasing image.
Please look at her website : http://www.focusfrog.com
PHOTOGRAPHY 1ST PRIZE: Valentine's Day by Caroline Brown
The image was taken at San Diego Zoo where this male orangutan seemed to be collecting flowers for his "mate" who was pregnant and close to her baby's birth. I am a documentary style photographer specializing all things living in the natural world.
My photography has been exhibited at the von Liebig Art Center in Naples Florida, San Diego Museum of Natural History in San Diego California, Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg Pennsylvania, and the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies in Banff Alberta and other locations.
I have received over 25 awards for my photography and am widely published in health care and photographic publications.
Take a look at Caroline's website carolineebrownphotography.com
SUBMISSION: Captive Hawk by Carol Erenrich
In a dark corner of the Marrakesh Souk a hawk stood chained a decrepit chair. Around him were piles of tanned hides, bones and horns, the remnants of even less fortunate creatures. At their most successful my images combine surprise, mystery and narrative. A work’s success on a visual level is not enough for me, and a personal political and social commentary, sometimes obvious, sometimes not, is almost always included in my photographs.
Please take a look at Carol's website: cuegraphics.net
SUBMISSION: Lunching Leopard by Catherine Vitale
Leopard eating the carcass of an impala in Botswana. I have always viewed life with an artist’s eye. As a professional dancer and art and architecture lover, my life always involved studying movement and light. I’m an admirer of the great works of Van Gogh, Picasso, Gaudi, Lloyd-Wright. I fell in love with making images as a child, using my mom’s ‘Brownie’. A true Sagittarian, I am prone to wanderlust, travelling extensively and am passionate about capturing the inherent beauty of our world. I have merged my life’s passions: the arts, travel, and photography to create unique images that tell a story. I shoot with a digital SLR and creating images for theatre, dance, publications and private collections. I enjoy volunteering for philanthropic and non-profit organizations, specifically those involved with the Arts and children with special needs. If my images of our world’s myriad landscapes, iconic architecture, and exquisite artists in motion inspire others to explore what lies beyond our own backyards, then I have done my job.
SUBMISSION: Bonobo Vic by Marian Brickner
Three year old bonobo, Vic, looking through glass at a three year old boy who came to visit him every week at the Cincinnati zoo. Please see Marian's fascinating website:http://www.marianbricknerphotography.com
SUBMISSION: Innocence by Andy Sokol
Original black & white photograph of a jaguar cub, taken at a local conservation-minded zoo. Physical print is a 20x30 canvas, the texture of which brings additional life to this beautiful animal! As an artist, I am proud to offer a vast diversity of subject matter in my photography portfolio, from minute creatures to majestic spacecraft. This innocent and beautiful jaguar cub was photographed in a conservation-minded zoo, where we observed each other in peace and patience.
There are some wonderful images on Andy's websitewww.turbofoxphotography.com
SUBMISSION: Grace by Phoenix Marks
It’s magical when the light, the photographer and nature all align in that decisive moment. I’m truly blessed to capture this majestic great egret in breeding plumage in flight. Hunted nearly to extinction by the late 19th century, today it is the symbol of the National Audubon Society. For native Miamian and Fort Lauderdale photographer Phoenix, preserving wilderness is not a necessity, it is an essential for the human spirit. More than a scientific necessity for creating air, clean water and producing food, preserving nature is a sacred necessity for healing and bringing peace to the human soul. As an artist, it is her hope that the visions she captures of magnificent places and amazing animals will inspire others to love and protect the environment for generations to come. She has created a recognizable body of original works of the highest artistic quality, been accepted in numerous juried exhibitions, had eight solo exhibitions, garnered awards and private sales and developed a greeting card line. Phoenix considers it a sacred privilege to reveal the extraordinary wonder and beauty of south Florida, particularly its wetlands. Her work captures the beauty of our natural environment while revealing our unique and fragile ecosystem.
Check out more lovely work on her website:http://www.photographsbyphoenix.com
SUBMISSION: Endangered Wood Stork by Cindy Rose
This is a young endangered wood stork perched in a tree with an airplant in Big Cypress Preserve. Emotions are stirred as you become absorbed in photographs capturing the most intricate of details and lighting. My enthusiasm for photography is enhanced as it can be seen and felt. To quote a friend, "you shoot not only with good eyes but also with your heart".
SUBMISSION: The Many Sides of Coraline by Durga Garcia
A group of nine images, of a juvenile Green Sea Turtle depicting a day in the life of "Coraline" while in recovery at Loggerhead MarineLife Center. Coraline was found stranded, emaciated. lethargic and covered in barnacles which had caused some shell damage, in an intake canal of the St Lucie Nuclear power plant.In April 2014 Loggerhead Marinelife Center started her recovery process with betadine scrubs, antibiotics, blood-work and nutrition. As of September 2015, Coraline is still in the program and being monitored closely, she weighs about 14 pounds, eats everything offered and her lesions have healed. These images were taken over a few days in her win tank at Loggerhead Marinelife Center.
A wonderful story, please take a look at Durga's websitewww.durgagarcia.com
SUBMISSION: Touched by Nature by Caroline Brown
A monarch butterfly just emerged, for the first several hours after emerging the butterflies are vulnerable to predators. I started my butterfly garden with monarch host and nectar plants to support the decline in monarchs. Butterflies are threatened by the use of pesticides and lost of habitat. I am a documentary style photographer specializing all things living in the natural world.
My photography has been exhibited at the von Liebig Art Center in Naples Florida, San Diego Museum of Natural History in San Diego California, Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg Pennsylvania, and the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies in Banff Alberta and other locations.
I have received over 25 awards for my photography and am widely published in health care and photographic publications.
See Caroline's website carolineebrownphotography.com
SUBMISSION: Dancing Baby by Wendy Simmons
Baby and Mother Gorilla, Republic of Congo. Wendy Simmons won’t stop travelling until she visits every country in the world! Despite her hatred for packing, she’s managed to explore more than eighty-five so far—including territories and colonies—and chronicles her adventures on her blog, wendysimmons.com and on Huffington Post.
Wendy is president of Vendeloo, a consultancy she founded in 2001, Chief Brand Officer of a NYC-based global eyewear brand, and an award-winning photographer. She’s also owned a bar in Manhattan, worked for a lobbying firm on Capitol Hill, and written a Japanese-language phrase book. Though her Japanese is now terrible, Wendy’s Pig Latin is flourishing. She graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from George Washington University.
Wendy practices Muay Thai daily and lives in Brooklyn in a converted 1800s schoolhouse.
Her first book, “My Holiday in North Korea; The Funniest Worst Place on Earth” will be released May 3, 2016.
Take a look at her website www.wendysimmonsphotography.com
SUBMISSION: A Grand Reflection by Debbie Rubin
This image was taken at a camp ground that was flooded 7 1/2 feet. I wore my hip boots and stood there hoping that the alligators and snakes were sleeping. I loved the reflection which appears to be a transparency of its roots. I hope that the reader feels the captivation that I felt. I am a photographic artist with a passion for nature. I love finding the extraordinary in the everyday. The image exhibited here is an example of the incredible beauty and strength that our world possesses. I try to capture and portray a sense of emotion, either through humor, pathos or peacefulness. My landscapes represent the pastoral side of life, my seascapes--the force of nature and my portraits an expose of what is under the protective mask. My camera’s eye is always with me.
See more of Debbie's original work athttp://www.debbielynnphotography.com
SUBMISSION: Peeking Through by Wendy Simmons
Gorilla in the Republic of Congo. Wendy is president of Vendeloo, a consultancy she founded in 2001, Chief Brand Officer of a NYC-based global eyewear brand, and an award-winning photographer. She’s also owned a bar in Manhattan, worked for a lobbying firm on Capitol Hill, and written a Japanese-language phrase book. Though her Japanese is now terrible, Wendy’s Pig Latin is flourishing. She graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from George Washington University.
Wendy practices Muay Thai daily and lives in Brooklyn in a converted 1800s schoolhouse.
Her first book, “My Holiday in North Korea; The Funniest Worst Place on Earth” will be released May 3, 2016.
Take a look at her original website www.wendysimmonsphotography.com
SUBMISSION: My Question To You Is ... by Michael Caroff
Eye to eye chimpanzee photograph. With my photos, I strive to create a new intimacy between viewer and subject. My hope is that this intimacy fosters a heightened compassion for and appreciation of their sheer beauty, their stunning intensity, and their singular agenda; that of survival.
We, now more than ever before, have the burden to insure that the earth’s wildlife indeed does have a future. Through overpopulation, global warming, worldwide pollution, and habitat destruction, we are making their chances for survival more tenuous everyday.
With no voice of their own, the responsibility to speak for them and to insure their future falls squarely on our shoulders.
We must learn to coexist and support the other inhabitants of this planet, all of whom were here long before we were. Failure to do so, will not only hasten their extinction, but will surely diminish the life experience of our own future generations.
I photograph them because i love and admire them. Although their physical attributes far surpass our own, their future is anything but secure.
SUBMISSION: Leg Hugger by John Hartung
Photo of gorilla baby hugging the leg of his mother taken with a Nikon D300 with a 300mm lens and a 1.4 teleconvertor. Photograph printed using archival materials with a life expectancy of over 100 years. Here the baby gorilla looks scared and is hugging it's mother's leg for protection and comfort. I love photographing animals, and the challenge of capturing a bit of their personality and soul in each photograph.
There is more great work at http://www.artthatsmiles.com