Winning entries in the third annual Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge Photo Contest were announced on Saturday at the Refuge. Each year the judges select one of the winning photos as standing out from all the rest. This year the Best of Show winner, chosen from nearly 300 entries, is Laurie Lawler’s Leavenworth’s Eryngo.
Lawler also took Second and Third place honors in the Flora and Macro category, the second most popular category with photographers in this year’s competition, for Painted Lady and Yellow Sulfur on a Sunflower.
Moving to the opposite end of the spectrum with the Landscape category, honors went to three different photographers. Randy Conaway, repeating his win from last year, earned First Place for Peaceful Dusk. The award for Second Place went to Donna Niemann, for Sunset, and Third Place went to Oil Field Pad, by Carl Hill.
In Wildlife, the most popular category, judging by the number of entries, Lawler again took top honors with American Avocet, as well as Third Place with Osprey with a Fish. Great Egret by Donna Niemann earned Second Place.
Artistic, the fourth contest category offered the opportunity for innovation and photo enhancement, and both First and Second place awards went to Sally Papin, for Sunrise and Scissortail Art. After the Storm by Donna Niemann earned Third Placed in this category.
Judges for this year’s competition were Assistant Refuge Manager and award-winning photographer Rick Cantu, professional photographer Tom Judd from Denton, and Grayson College photography instructor and former professional photographer Dale Thoreson from Denison.
Laurie Sheppard, president of the Friends of Hagerman Nature Photography Club, in presenting the awards noted that not only were more images submitted this year but there was also participation from many first-time entrants in this year’s contest. Sheppard thanked the judges and all the entrants, and stated that the many photos showed the diversity of nature and the environment at Hagerman NWR, plant life -flowers and grasses to trees; wildlife – bugs, birds, mammals and amphibians; seasonal and daily variations – winter to summer, sunrise to sunset.
For more information about the Nature Photography Club and programs at the Refuge for photographers, contact fohphotoclub@gmail.com.