(WNY News Now) – Photographers from Chautauqua County, New York, and northwest Pennsylvania have been celebrated in the 2023 Audubon Community Nature Center (ACNC) Nature Photography Contest, featuring entries from across the nation.
Jamestown – Entries poured in from photographers nationwide for the 2023 Audubon Community Nature Center’s (ACNC) Nature Photography Contest, with notable recognition bestowed upon talents hailing from Chautauqua County, New York, and northwestern Pennsylvania.
Contestants, spanning Youth (ages 8 to 18) and Adults (ages 19 and older), submitted their work in three categories: Wildlife, encompassing animals not in captivity; Landscapes, offering a view of the natural world; and Plants.
A panel of judges, maintaining anonymity, meticulously evaluated all entries to designate the Adult and Youth winners and finalists across these three categories. Additional information about the judging panel can be found on the contest website, GoGoPhotoContest.com/ACNCPhotoContest 2023.
In the Adult category, the victors are:
Landscapes: “Glacial Ice on Black Diamond Beach” by Arlene Bonnett of Jamestown, New York.
Plants: “Fall into Winter” by Karen Christy, Jamestown, New York.
Wildlife: “Down the Hatch” by Christopher Baker, Madison, Alabama.
Youth champions include:
Landscapes: “Sunrise at Lake Tipsoo” by Micah Williams, Eldon, Iowa.
Plants: “Red Flower” by Emma Soto of Gurley, Alabama.
Wildlife: “Laying Low” by Matt Strauss, Moorestown, New Jersey.
Winning photographers receive $200 cash prizes, and their works will be showcased at the Nature Center.
In the Adult category, Honorable Mentions in Landscapes encompass:
“Aurora Borealis Above Kirkjufell” by Arlene Bonnett, Jamestown, New York.
“Mardis Mill Autumn” by Christopher Baker, Madison, Alabama.
“Bear Rocks Preserve” by Thomas Hennessy, Mechanicsville, Virginia.
Honorable Mentions in Adult Plants feature:
“Reflection” by Christopher Baker, Madison, Alabama.
“New Beginning” by Deidre Kowalewski, Fredonia, New York.
“Every Rose has its Thorn” by Mikkayla Durlin, Warren, Pennsylvania.
Adult Wildlife Honorable Mentions comprise:
“Bald Eagle” by Scott Pelton, Venango, Pennsylvania.
“Baltimore Oriole amongst the Cherry Blossoms” by Mark Evans, Warren, Pennsylvania.
“A Mother’s Hope” by Sean Owens, Pullman, Washington.
Youth Landscapes that garnered Honorable Mentions include:
“Dome” by Matt Strauss, Moorestown, New Jersey.
“Lavender Haze” by Kaitlyn Eklund, Frewsburg, New York.
“Tranquility” by Mikaela Ellis, Mayville, New York.
Youth Plants Honorable Mentions feature:
“Thistle” by Greyson Carvalho, Brighton, Colorado.
“Sunny Sorrel” by Lee Pontiff, Lockport, Louisiana.
“Awakening” by Jillian Klemann, Fredonia, New York.
Youth Wildlife Honorable Mentions are:
“See You Later” by Emma Soto, Gurley, Alabama.
“Honey Bee on Torch Lily” by Tamsyn Kockler, Three Forks, Montana.
“Mantis Dahlia” by Joshua Popp, Floyds Knobs, Indiana.
Community Choice winners, determined by popular vote on the contest website, each receive a $200 cash prize. “Tranquility” by Mikaela Ellis of Mayville, New York, emerged as the Youth Community Choice winner in the Landscapes category, while “Catch and Release” by Vimal Bhalodia of East Hanover, New Jersey, claimed the Adults’ honor in Wildlife.
Proceeds generated from the contest will aid in supporting the ACNC’s extensive nature education programs, which annually serve over 1,400 individuals across Chautauqua County, New York, and Warren County, Pennsylvania.
For comprehensive competition details and to view all entries, visit GoGoPhotoContest.com/ACNCPhotoContest 2023.
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