DDWS announces winners of annual high school photo contest
Following judging on April 28, the “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge announced the winners and honorable mentions for the 10th annual “Ding” Darling-Theodore Cross High School Photography Contest at the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel.
Sponsored by the Theodore Cross Family Charitable Foundation, the competition invites high school students from Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Glades and Hendry counties to compete for prizes that this year included a Canon digital SLR camera package, one-year subscription to Adobe photography software and one-year family pass to all Florida state parks.
Cross, who lived part-time on Sanibel, marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; advised the Johnson and Nixon administrations on anti-poverty programs; wrote the book “Black Capitalism,” among others; and created Birders United, a birding Web site that ranked legislators according to their record of bird protection support.
Late in life, Cross decided to indulge his love for birds and photography and traveled the world to collect stunning portraits and stories to chronicle his adventures. He photographed often at the Sanibel refuge, and a number of the images in his book reflect his love for it. Cross published “Waterbirds: Portraits and Anecdotes from Birding Adventures” in 2009 at age 85; he passed away shortly after that in 2010.
Refuge Ranger Yvette Carrasco, Fort Myers News-Press photojournalist Andrew West and refuge supporter Nancy Adams judged this year’s contest. They reviewed 321 images taken by students from nine different schools.
First place went to an image titled “Nature’s Bandit” by Chase Qurollo of Cape Coral High School.
“I love this photo because it’s in black and white, and because the raccoon is looking directly at the camera,” Carrasco said. “Raccoons have such fun personalities, and they are very curious animals.”
In second place, Jakob Keyes of Cypress Lake High School created a closeup floral portrait titled “Purple Rain.”
“I chose the flower because of its great depth of field, color, and rule of thirds,” West said. “Great use of macro lens, and it spoke to me artistically. Also, great leading line in the yellow part of the flower.”
Third place winner “Into the Horizon” was submitted by Alessandra Sanchez of the Community School of Naples.
“What spoke to me about this photo was the sense of appreciation as this snowy egret gazes across the gulf during sunset,” Adams said. “It seems we humans are not the only ones to recognize beauty around us.”
The honorable mention winners are as follows in alphabetical order:
– Emma Best, of Cape Coral High School, “Dragonfly”
– Kyler Carter, of Cypress Lake High School, “Branches of Electricity”
– Adrian Cox, of Cypress Lake High School, “Watchful Eye”
– Mikael Hernandez, of Lehigh Senior High School, “Nestlings in the Nest”
– Despina Kik, of Island Coast High School, “Bee”
– Khaleb Nunez, of Lehigh Senior High School, “Blue”
– Zulai Perez, of Cypress Lake High School, “Beautiful Yellow Rose”
– Jillian Peska, of Cape Coral High School, “Wonder”
– Daysie Rogers, of Cypress Lake High School, “Free as a Bird”
– Leslie Velasco, of Lehigh Senior High School, “Drop of Water”
– Cole Wesener, of Cape Coral High School, “Robin”
Judges and contest coordinators expressed difficulty in narrowing down the choices.
“Amazing work by all,” West said. “It was very hard to choose a winner.”
DDWS Executive Director Birgie Miller Gresham noted that Cross’ family made the contest possible.
“It has become a solid success story,” she said. “We couldn’t be more thrilled the family wants its donations used in this way — to reach an age group that often falls through the cracks of conservation education. Thanks to the ‘Ding’ staff, high school teachers, and judges who made this all happen.”
“We are so happy to be supporting a contest in my father’s name, a contest that will get our youth involved with nature by looking at it — as my father so loved doing — through a camera lens,” Amanda Cross said.
Students were able to submit up to two photographs.
To view the winning images and for more information about contest, visit dingdarlingsociety.org/articles/photo-contests.