The National Audubon Society has announced the winning photographs and videos of its 2021 Audubon Photography Awards which showcase the beauty of birds and brings attention to species that are threatened by extinction.
National Audubon Society is a nonprofit conservation organization established in 1905 which works to protect birds and their habitat through various programs and in collaboration with other partners, such as nature centers, and more.
The competition — which is one of the leading North American bird photography competitions — featured eight prizes across five divisions and, for the first time, it awarded the Female Bird Prize and Video Prize.
The former was introduced to draw attention to female birds, which are often overlooked and underappreciated in both bird photography and conservation, the organization says. The second new addition, the Video Prize, was introduced to “illuminate unique and fascinating ways birds behave and interact with their environment.”
The prizes were awarded as follows: $5,000 for Grand Prize, $2,500 for Professional Prize, $2,500 for Amateur Prize, $2,500 for Plants for Birds Prize, $2,500 for Video Prize, $1,000 for Female Bird Prize, $1,000 for Fisher Prize, and six days at Audubon’s Hog Island Audobon Camp during the 2022 season for the Youth Prize.
Below is a list of all awarded winners and honorable mentions at the competition:
Grand Prize
Carolina Fraser was awarded the Grand Prize for her photograph of a greater roadrunner, shot at Los Novios Ranch in South Texas. The winning image was taken on a blazing hot summer day just before sunset, and the photographer managed to capture the bird in golden sunlight as it took a dust bath.
This bird species have adapted to live on the ground in the dry country and can run considerable distances at 20 miles per hour. It derives the moisture it needs from lizards, rodents, and other prey unless water is available.
Professional Award Winner
Steve Jessmore | 2021 Professional Award Winner
Amateur Award Winner
Robin Ulery | 2021 Amateur Award Winner
Youth Award Winner
Arav Karighattam | 2021 Youth Award Winner
Plants for Birds Awards Winner
Shirley Donald | 2021 Plants For Birds Award Winner
Video Award Winner
Bill Bryant | 2021 Video Award Winner
Female Bird Prize
Elizabeth Yicheng Shen | 2021 Female Bird Prize
Fisher Prize
Patrick Coughlin | 2021 Fisher Prize
Professional Honorable Mention
Steve Jessmore | 2021 Professional Honorable Mention
Amateur Honorable Mention
Tom Ingram | 2021 Amateur Honorable Mention
Youth Honorable Mention
Josiah Launstein | 2021 Youth Honorable Mention
Plants for Birds Honorable Mention
Karen Boyer Guyton | 2021 Plants For Birds Honorable Mention
Video Honorable Mention
Brent Cizek | Great Gray Owl, 2021 Video Honorable Mention
The competition was judged by an expert panel of bird photographers, videographers, and other experts, such as Sabine Meyer, photography director, National Audubon Society, Kathy Moran, deputy director of photography for National Geographic Partners, Allen Murabayashi, co-founder of PhotoShelter, and others. A full list of judges can be found here.
Each entry was judged on its technical quality, originality, artistic merit, and whether the photographer followed Audubon’s Guide to Ethical Bird Photography list, which was a must. The competition received entries from 2,416 photographers across 50 states, Washington D.C., and 10 Canadian provinces and territories.
The full list of winners and detailed information about each entry can be found on the Audubon website.
Image credits: All photos individually credited and provided courtesy of the National Audubon Society.
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