Congratulations to this year’s Photography Contest winners! Here are the first place winners. Thank you to this year’s judges Susan McClellen, Larry Mendenhall, and Tim Schoon, and to the contest coordinator, UIRA Board member Diana Lundell. Many thanks to Hills Bank & Trust for once again sponsoring the contest.

University of Iowa

First Place: Todd Stewart, Chit Chat Wright hits a 3
Judges’ Comments: Sports photographers often focus too tightly on the peak action of a game. What stands out about this photo is that it features both the right moment with the ball going through the net, but also the reaction that goes with it. Reaction photos are often so much more storytelling about a game than action photos, and this one does it well.

Second Place: Mary Palmberg, Boat on the River at the IMU 
Judges’ Comments: This is a little bit of a busy scene, but in this case, that is what drew us to it. The light is great, and the reflection is fantastic. We probably would have straightened this photo a little bit, but there is a lot to keep the eye interested in this picture.

Third Place: Jan Lawler, Victory Celebration at Kinnick Stadium
Judges’ Comments: A stripe game at Kinnick with fireworks going off. What’s not to love? We loved that this includes so much tradition in one photo. Historic Kinnick stadium, the black-and-gold stripes, the celebratory fireworks, and the composition is kept simple and uncluttered by not including any other distractions.

Iowa

First Place: Mark Reagan, Bald Eagle catching breakfast on the Iowa River
Judges’ Comments: Great catch! For both the photographer and the eagle. This is peak action captured at the exact right moment. The bird is tack sharp, and the shutter speed is perfect for catching the action. Getting low to the ground, so you were shooting at the level of the bird really helps this photo to shine.

Second Place: Yvonne Galusha, Lamoni Farmhouse Winter
Judges’ Comments: We loved this idyllic setting. The cute, colorful house caught in the sea of white is straight out of a postcard. We really loved how clean this composition is. There are no distracting elements protruding in from the edges to distract you. 

Third Place: Marc Wold, Aurora Over St. Mary's Church, Newport Township
Judges’ Comments: We saw a lot of aurora photos this year, and the ones that stand out are the ones that include something in the foreground that make the picture more than just a picture of the sky. Here you’ve got great aurora with both red and green, but there is also the nice, easily identifiable silhouette of the church and the cemetery sign to add that extra bit that makes this photo stand out.

USA

First Place: Vicki Siefers, Smoky Mountains near Bryson City, North Carolina
Judges' comments: We loved the beautiful hazy light in this photo that really accentuated the layers of mountains receding into the distance. Using the foreground tree for framing and adding a sense of depth worked well here.

Second Place: Jan Waterhouse, Bull Moose in Grand Teton National Park 
Judges’ Comments: Beautiful bull moose. Great use of depth of field to keep the moose separated a little bit from the background without blurring it so much you lose the sense of place. Moose can be hard to get the proper exposure for, because they are so dark. This photo nailed it.

Third Place: Rachel Stewart, The Lost Forty, Northern Minnesota
Judges’ Comments: Lovely photo of a lonely trail through the woods. The receding trail gives this photo a nice sense of depth, and the lovely, even color palette works well.

International

First Place:  John Donelson, Sunrise in Cappadocia, Turkey
Judges’ comments: This is our favorite photo of the entire contest. It’s a lovely scene with beautiful light. When you throw in the extra element of interest with the balloons, it takes it to a whole other level. Capturing this scene with a panoramic format only accentuates all the good things in the scene.

Second Place: John Moyers, Glaumbaer Turf Houses, Iceland
Judges’ Comments: This is a beautiful photo with great light and a lovely color palette. The splash of red from the roof really caps off a great photo.

Third Place: Linda Jones, Bai Tu Long Bay, Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
Judges’ Comments: We loved the simple beauty of this composition. The symmetric composition and the lovely reflections make for a stunning scene.