Thank you to all the photographers that shared their how they feel when surrounded by mountains, trees or rivers in the Connecting With Nature Photo Contest in collaboration with our friends at Vanguard and with chances to win a Vanguard Up-Rise II 48 and more!

A special thanks to friend and professional photographer John Paul Caponigro for his collaboration as a guest judge. Internationally renowned fine artist, John Paul Caponigro, is a highly sought after author and lecturer who leads seminars and workshops around the globe, his clients include Adobe, Apple, Canon, Epson, and Sony. visit John and get a free subscription to his enews Insights.

Grand Jury Winner

"This image is very strong technically, compositionally, and conceptually. The exposure and processing are excellent holding detail in the full dynamic range and focus throughout the frame. The composition is excellent. Three strong figures are anchored three dimensionally by cast shadows accent a rhythmic almost two dimensional abstraction. The oscillating man made marks left on the land record traces of states before and suggest new ones to come. The lone human figure’s gesture is strong, adding new marks as it moves to the right corner of the frame leading us to wonder what’s next. Conceptually there’s a full, almost celebratory, integration between man and nature; the forest is groomed, every inch of the the surrounding land is marked, and a person is passing through it at this very moment, responding to the land and recording their response to it as they do so." - John Paul Caponigro

Runner Up

"This simple composition moves beyond human interest and interaction with nature into the realm of metaphor. The gesture of both the figure’s body and hair parallel other gestures found within the grass. Metaphorically the waves of grass can be seen to suggest water, a symbol of the unconscious. It’s a dreamy image full of possibilities." - John Paul Caponigro

Runner Up

"The interaction of the human and animal gestures create a magical moment that is quite tender. The soft unified color palette supports the with a mood that’s fully in sync with the message. The accent of the rising/setting sun near the horizon adds additional interest." - John Paul Caponigro

Runner Up

"The woman’s gesture is the heart of the image’s strength. The echo between the color in the sky and the color of the flowers creates a metaphorical resonance suggesting she could be harvesting sunlight as much as she is harvesting flowers, touching the sky as much as she is touching the earth." - John Paul Caponigro

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