Picture This: Focus on the Wild
Foundation's photo contest celebrates the Texas outdoors.
By Earl Nottingham
To help celebrate its 25th anniversary of working to promote the outdoors, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation invited supporters to enter a yearlong photo contest coined Focus on the Wild. Each month, a different subject allowed entrants to showcase their individual talents, with the winner receiving special prizes in addition to exposure on the foundation’s website.
I was enlisted to be the contest judge, which proved to be no easy task since it quickly became apparent that Texas has some really, really good photographers out there.
When judging a photo contest consisting of hundreds of images in multiple categories such as wildlife, sunsets, rivers and people, it’s important to see and appreciate the individual vision and creativity that each photographer brings to the table and not to pre-judge based on personal likes or dislikes. Luckily, among those hundreds of images, there will be those that quickly jump out from the pack and scream “winner.”
Usually their common denominators are the tried-and-true photographic elements of artistic lighting, strong composition, creative use of color and, in the case of human or animal subjects, interesting behavior. As you will see, the winning entries excelled at all of those components. By embracing those creative elements, the photographers have produced engaging images that celebrate the natural jewels that Texas has to offer in its wild places.
A selection of monthly award winners in the Focus on the Wild contest.
Window on Davis Mountains
Pelican Sunset
Smile For the Camera
» Like this story? If you enjoy reading articles like this, subscribe to Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine.
Related stories
Picture This: Dedicated to Craft
Picture This: Elements of Excellence
Picture This: Photographing Moving Water
Picture This: Pictures of Summer
Picture This: Keeping It Steady
Picture This: Accentuate the Negative
Picture This: Finding a New Angle
Picture This: Tips for Better Smartphone Videos
Picture This: Ambassador with a Camera
Picture This: Chasing Rainbows
Picture This: Shooting in Winter
Picture This: The Gift of Optics
Picture This: Using Scale in Landscapes
Picture This: Highlights and Shadows
Picture This: The Exposure Triangle
Picture This: Getting Exposure Right
Picture This: The New Crop of Cameras
Picture This: Kids and Cameras
Picture This: Gifts for Shutterbugs
Picture This: Video for Everyone
Picture This: Shooting Fall Color
Picture This: The Art of Seeing
Picture This: The Rule of Thirds
Picture This: Sensors and Sensitivity
Picture This: There's an App for That
Picture This: Photo Contest Winners
Picture This: Keeping Your Camera Steady
Picture This: Retiree's Photo Sessions Reflect the Nature of the Day
For more on TP&W magazine photography, go to our Photography page
