The Wildlife in North Carolina magazine photo competition is now in its ninth year.
Paul Malcolm of Garner won the grand prize for his image of live oak trees at Fort Fisher historic site near Wilmington. The contest is a collaboration between the Museum and the NC Wildlife Resources Commission. All winners were published in the January/February 2014 issue of Wildlife in North Carolina, with Malcolm’s grand prize image appearing on the cover.
This year, judges reviewed 1,235 entries in 10 categories. First-place winners by category:
- Birds: Charles English, Wilmington, belted kingfisher
- Mammals: Tyler Bailey, Raleigh, squirrel
- Reptiles and Amphibians: Joe Congleton, Clayton, anole
- Invertebrates: Stephen Atkins, Weaverville, moth
- Wild Plants: Jim Ruff, Blowing Rock, rhododendron on Blue Ridge Parkway
- Youth Photographer, 13-17: Lucas Bobay, Holly Springs, jumping spider
- Grand Prize: Paul Malcolm, Garner, Fort Fisher, live oak trees
- Outdoor Recreation: Ed Ziegler, Raleigh, surf fishing at dawn
- Animal Behavior: Kim Hawks, Chapel Hill, Bald Head Island turtle tracks
- Youth Photographer, 12 and younger: Darci Burger, Macon, little frog
Image Left: Jim Ruff, Blowing Rock: Rhododendron, Blue Ridge Parkway
Exhibition sponsored by JW Photo Labs of Raleigh.
2012 Wildlife in North Carolina Photo Competition
Now in its eighth year, the Wildlife in North Carolina Photo Competition seeks to encourage high-quality nature photography and to identify talented wildlife photographers working in North Carolina. This year’s field totaled 1,611 photographs from hundreds of photographers. The Wildlife in North Carolina Photo Competition attracts photographers of all types, many of whom bring tens of thousands of dollars of equipment and years of experience into the field in hopes of capturing prize-winning images. But in the end, it’s the brain behind the equipment that ultimately makes the difference. This year’s Grand Prize winner, Mickey Moten, is proof. Moten, of Kings Mountain, used a $400 camera, some homemade equipment and a dose of ingenuity to come up with the winning picture. His photo (at right), along with 30 other winning shots in 10 categories, were on display at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences through the end of April 2013.
2011 Wildlife in North Carolina Photo Competition
Sometimes you have to break the rules to get results. Gene Furr, the 2011 Wildlife in North Carolina Photo Competition Grand Prize winner, did that for his winning shot of the great egret. His photo, along with 30 other winning shots, are now on display at the Museum.
“Most of the time, you do not want to photograph birds from the rear, but breaking this rule gave me a special image,” said Furr. “I am so honored to win the Grand Prize.” Furr is no newcomer to photography. During his 30 years at The News & Observer of Raleigh, he won more than 300 awards while serving as staff photographer, chief photographer and photography coach. He retired in 2002 and starting photographing wildlife.
Now in its seventh year, the Wildlife in North Carolina Photo Competition seeks to encourage high-quality nature photography and to identify talented wildlife photographers working in North Carolina. This year’s field totaled 3,689 photographs from approximately 1,000 photographers. Judges were: WINC art director Marsha Tillett, WINC photographer Melissa McGaw, Museum senior manager of outreach Mike Dunn, and Wildlife Resources Commission public information officer Jodie Owen.
The Photo Competition is held in collaboration with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, the NC Museum of Natural Sciences and the NC Division of Parks and Recreation, with support from JW Photo of Raleigh (Exhibition Sponsor).
Best of Wildlife in North Carolina Photos Exhibit
January 9-April 19, 2009
Including 65 outstanding images of the natural world in the old north state. Jared Lloyd, of Kitty Hawk, won the grand prize with his image of Tulls Creek in Currituck County at dawn, which graced the January cover of "Wildlife in North Carolina" magazine.
Established in 2005, The Wildlife in North Carolina photo competition is intended to encourage high-quality nature photography and to identify talented wildlife photographers working in North Carolina. The 2008 field totaled 6,368 photographs— the largest number of entries to date— submitted by 1,160 photographers, including 156 young nature photographers with entries in two youth categories. The most popular subject was Birds (1,069 entries); followed by Invertebrates (919); Peaks, Valleys and Plains (910); Wild Plants (809); Reptiles and Amphibians (660); Animal Behavior (615); Outdoor Recreation (576) and Mammals (481).
The competition is a collaboration between the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, the NC Museum of Natural Sciences and the NC Division of Parks & Recreation, with generous sponsorship by Great Outdoor Provision Co. More information about this and future competitions can be found at www.ncwildlife.org.