Man In Nature Photo Contest Winners

Thank you to all the photographers that shared their best photos showing people enjoying nature in the Man In Nature Photo Contest in collaboration with our friends at NANPA with chances to win an awesome prize pack!

"Overall there was some tough decisions to make as there were several images neck and neck for the Grand Prize and Runner-ups and many high quality images in this selection" - Jeff Vanuga

A special thanks to our friend and professional photographer Jeff Vanuga for his collaboration as a guest judge. Jeff Vanuga is based in Dubois, Wyoming and specializes in both advertising and editorial media. His work has been published world wide in magazines and major advertising campaigns. Some of his credits include National Geographic Magazine, National Geographic Traveler, Travel Holiday, People Magazine, NBC News, The Guardian, Outside, BBC Wildlife, National Wildlife, Ranger Rick, Audubon, Sierra Club, Time, Natural History, Smithsonian, Discovery, Wyoming Wildlife, Outside, New York Times, Random House, Apple Computer, Ford, Nissan, Frontier Airlines, Early Winters, Patagonia, Wyoming Division of Tourism and thousands more in magazines, advertising, books and calendars around the globe.

Congratulations Grand Jury Winner "Amanda & Canopener" by Spider1987

"The image Amanda and Canopener best exemplifies the theme of the competition “Man in Nature.” This is an incredible capture of a woman interacting with one of the largest mammals on the planet ina simplistic, yet rare, scene. At first glance, the image appears to be a snapshot of a diver and Canopener but there is so much more to this photograph. Upon further study, I see a 15 ton female sperm whale just floating underneath the surface of the water totally relaxed and at ease by the presence of Amanda, a female snorkeler. It is a rare capture and a rare moment in time that has great composition while at the same time telling a fascinating story of human interaction with the natural world." - Jeff Vanuga

Congratulations Runner Up "My western baby!" by Lindsey_Shedd

"What’s not to like about this image of a young boy in a cowboy hat that is half as big as his entire body venturing out on a mission of exploration. What complements this photo is the hat, electric blue plaid shirt, extended arms and walking posture that says I am heading out to the unknown with open arms. The viewers eye is instantly locked onto the young cowboy who is colorful and poised in a grand natural scene heading out into the sunset. The photographer utilized some key photographic techniques in making this image come together, such as selective focus, color and light." - Jeff Vanuga

Congratulations Runner Up "Reverence" by TanyaHouppermans

"I like the way this image comes together compositionally with the diver and rising air bubbles on one side, sharks in different planes of focus and the sun flare with crepuscular rays of the sun in the upper right hand corner balancing out the other side the image. The diver is obviously the central focus and it appears they are floating in space surrounded by other areas of interest which moves the viewers eye from diver to the swimming sharks and around the photograph. No distractions and a very clean capture of Man inNature." - Jeff Vanuga

Congratulations Runner Up "Morning Auatumn Run" by ceridjones

"The color, lighting and composition of this image sets it apart from some of the other finalists in this competition. The fall colored trees starts off with a great framework for composition creating a tunnel effect directing the viewers eye to the pair of runners. The slightly brighter background also compliments this effect and the fact there is no detail in the bright area offers no distraction or additional information for the viewer. Therefore the composition, light and color makes this image worthy of recognition." - Jeff Vanuga

Congratulations Amateur Winner "Magic is everywhere" by austinmullen