Thursday, Nov 10, 2022

We are excited to announce the winners in this year’s Annual Photo Contest. This year’s photo contest saw more than 300 entries from dozens of photographers. After much deliberation, the photo contest judges selected the winners based on their photographic and ecological qualities. In honor of MNA’s 70th Anniversary in 2022, and considering the number of quality photos entered, the judges also decided to award three additional winners in a “MNA Sanctuary” category, rather than the typical Overall winner. The winning photographers will be honored with a framed print of their winning photo, and their photo will be featured in future MNA publications.

 

Congratulations to the following winners, and thank you to all who entered this year! These beautiful photos help us tell the story of why Michigan is so worth protecting and preserving for future generations.

 

Category: Flora & Fauna

Honorable Mention, “Worker bee on a starflower” by Jenifer Selwa

a bee collecting nectar from a blue flower

3rd Place, Spring Peeper by Ashley Keesling

a small brown spring peeper frog on a leaf in shallow water

2nd Place, blue eyed grass by Lynn Okenka

blue-purple flowers with green grass background out of focus

1st Place, “Dinner time for barn swallows” by Julie Mitchell

juvenile barn swallows on a branch being fed by a parent

 

Category: Landscapes

Honorable Mention, “Thin cloud aurora over Lake Superior” by George Bailey

the aurora borealis lights up a night sky over a series of rocks in a body of water

3rd Place, “Land and water meet” by Justin Hu

aerial view overlooking crashing waves on rocky cliffs

2nd Place, “Tree overlooking Belle River” by Glen Robertson

a tree without leaves reflected on a body  of water in fog

1st Place, “Late October forest reflections” by Tanya Iretskaia

forest trees reflected on a pond

 

Category: People in Nature

Honorable Mention, “A Mackinac Morning” by Jim Bretz

a person stands under a tree both in silhouette by an orang pre-sunrise sky

3rd Place, “Man and woman walking on trail in autumn” by Addie Geissel

two people walk on a trail through a forest

2nd Place, “Swimming in a waterfall” by Halle Funk

a woman standing under a waterfall in water

1st Place, “Two paddlers at sunrise” by Jenifer Selwa

two people paddle a canoe in a bay as the sun rises over a series of islands

 

Category: MNA Sanctuary

3rd Place, “Periwinkle Permutations” Bois Blanc Nature Sanctuary by Brandie Dunn

a rock in the foreground with shoreline in the mid and background under a purple cloudy sky

2nd Place, Submerged spotted turtle, undisclosed MNA sanctuary in Southwest Michigan by Dan Burton

a spotted turtle under the surface of water

1st Place, “River frog” Joan Rodman Memorial Plant Preserve by Jodi Louth

a green frog sits on a rock in a body of water