| Contest #2, 1999 |
Judge's comments: Some very nice shots here. I like the ocean shot as the photographer used good composition in utilizing the bird in giving perspective to the immensity of the sea. Also the light was quite dramatic on the breaking waves. I was really taken by this shot. I liked the buck photograph but much more than just a deer shot was the texture of the undergrowth around the animal. It gave insight into where these creatures exist. The deer by itself would have meant little. The diffused lighting is quite complimentary as well. I loved the raccoons in the tree. I am not an advocate of strobe usage but this was the only way for the photographer to get this almost comical image. It was a difficult photo to get and the photographer was there for the moment. The other photographs were all very nice and the choice was not easy. I like the macro images especially those showing texture. Lighting was great and selective focus was well chosen. Thank you for the opportunity to view these images and I hope my selections are worthy of note! Wyman Meinzer
About the judge: Our judge for this contest was Wyman Meinzer, an author/photographer of eight coffee table books on Texas wildlife, history, and landscape. Wyman began developing his photography skills while working as a research associate at Texas Tech University. His photos were first published in 1979 in National Wildlife and Texas Parks and Wildlife magazines. Since that time his work has appeared on more than 200 magazine covers, including 45 national and international covers. His photos have been published in magazines worldwide, including: Smithsonian, National Wildlife, Audubon, Natural History, US News and World Report, Time, Newsweek, National Geographic, Geo and dozens of others. His magazine assignments have spanned a region from Alaska to Mexico. In 1997, he was fittingly named "State Photographer of Texas" by the 75th Texas legislature and Governor George W. Bush. He is also the 1996 recipient of the John Ben Sheppard Jr. award for photography and journalism from the Texas Historical Foundation (an organization dedicated to the preservation of Texas history) and the 1995 recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus award from the School of Agriculture Sciences and Natural Resources at Texas Tech University. In 1999 he gave the commencement address at Texas Tech, located in Lubbock, Texas USA. And, in 1993, he received the San Antonio Conservation award for the work he did on one of his amazing books, Roadrunner. Wyman is not only a talented photographer but he's perhaps the nicest person you could ever hope to meet. We are extremely grateful to him for the time he took from his busy schedule to judge this contest and offer us some insight into his vision through his excellent comments. If you would like to learn more about Wyman Meinzer, you can read a story recently published in The Dallas Morning News reprinted by permission at Field and Forest or check out his web site. |