Announcing Winners of the 2nd Annual NOAA Fisheries Northwest Photo Contest
Spring 2013
Careful science and management of the species and places in the Pacific Northwest takes more than just papers and meetings. It takes a discerning eye, a steady hand, and no small measure of luck, to capture the true beauty and value of our work. We’re pleased to announce the winners of our 2nd Annual NOAA Fisheries Northwest contest. There’s no denying that these images – including a close up of a bull kelp, a synchronous leap of porpoises, a foggy scene of field work, among many others – remind us of why our work is important and inspire us to do more.
NOAA Fisheries’ Northwest Regional Office and Northwest Fisheries Science Center held this competition to highlight the work we do everyday. Staff were asked to submit high-quality photos depicting the theme “Moments at NOAA Fisheries” to illustrate what they do daily to protect our region’s living marine resources. Three independent judges—all professional photojournalists—evaluated the photos for exposure, composition, and the story being told.
The results are in and all agree the 336 photos exemplify the depth and breadth of NOAA Fisheries’ work in the Pacific Northwest. The remarkable work of our colleagues reflects not only their artistic eye, but the diversity of work NOAA Fisheries employees conduct in the Pacific Northwest to support the mission of the agency.
This year, winners were selected in six categories. Judges chose one Best in Show, six 1st place category winners, and nine honorable mentions.
Thank you to all who participated in the contest, and special thanks to our panel of judges: Tom Reese, Tim Matsui, and Neil Buckland for donating their time and expertise to our contest. More information about these talented local photographers can be found at the end of this page.
CATEGORY 1: HABITAT WINNER as well as BEST IN SHOW - Matt Nesbit, Northwest Fisheries Science Center
Bear Valley - A team of biologists electroshock wild spring Chinook parr in the fog. Some of these fish will travel over 1,000 miles to the ocean and back again as adults to continue the cycle of life in these Idaho headwaters.
‘This image offers both descriptive and aesthetic qualities that invite viewers to linger, to take in the feeling of the habitat and to contemplate the exploration being done by the humans. The structure of the image emphasizes water as the subject of the study and of the photograph itself.‘ - Tom Reese | Photographer, Editor & Artist
‘This image has great mood, has foreground/background and shows people in the environment doing science. I can connect with this.’ – Tim Matsui | Multimedia Journalist & Producer
HONORABLE MENTION: Oleksandr Stefankiv, Northwest Fisheries Science Center
Lake Aldwell
‘The photographer was thoughtful in composition with respect to horizon, the foreground, and letting the river take my eyes to the background’. – Tim Matsui | Multimedia Journalist & Producer
HONORABLE MENTION: Peggy Foreman, Northwest Regional Office
Bull Kelp
‘Nice texture, repetition and color.’ – Tim Matsui | Multimedia Journalist & Producer
CATEGORY 2: HUMAN DIMENSION WINNER: Jeff Bash, Northwest Fisheries Science Center
Sunset, second to last day of groundfish survey off Long Beach, California.
‘Compositional elements frame not only a beautiful view of land, water and sky. It also implies a human presence that invites us to feel included. If you’re so inclined, you can also see the net lines pointing to mystery below.’ - Tom Reese | Photographer, Editor & Artist
‘The photographer clearly thought about this image and photographed it with intention. The sunset is a nice backdrop for the location.’ – Tim Matsui | Multimedia Journalist & Producer
HONORABLE MENTION: Eric Brasseur, Northwest Fisheries Science Center
WCGOP Fire Training
‘The photographer composed this well and caught peak action.’ – Tim Matsui | Multimedia Journalist & Producer
HONORABLE MENTION: Tom Good, Northwest Fisheries Science Center
Snorkel Practice
‘This is simply humorous and it's great that the photographer thought to photograph the moment.’ – Tim Matsui | Multimedia Journalist & Producer
HONORABLE MENTION: Casey Ralston, Northwest Fisheries Science Center
Ozette Field Trip
‘The photographer worked this scene and was able to capture youth engaging in culture and science.’ – Tim Matsui | Multimedia Journalist & Producer
CATEGORY 3: OTHER WINNER: Vera Trainer, Northwest Fisheries Science Center
Mussels
‘The palette of Northwest grays is used well to convey a sense of the place where land and water meet, suggesting vitality and fragility.’ - Tom Reese | Photographer, Editor & Artist
‘The photographer was capable of evoking a mood, which is as important as their awareness of foreground/background composition.’ – Tim Matsui | Multimedia Journalist & Producer
HONORABLE MENTION: Sarah Towne, Northwest Regional Office
Crescent Lake
‘Nice foreground/background and lines created by the landscape, drawing the eye further into the image.’ – Tim Matsui | Multimedia Journalist & Producer
CATEGORY 4: SPECIES WINNER: Peggy Foreman, Northwest Regional Office
Lagenorhynchus Obliquidens
‘Most of us fellow mammals probably find the sight of dolphins surfacing in a vast expanse on the earth’s surface irresistible. This is a great-feeling image that lets us project our desire for kinship.’ - Tom Reese | Photographer, Editor & Artist
‘While technically imperfect, this image has a definitive mood and captures a peak action moment I can only imagine is somewhat rare. It evokes emotion and feeling.’ – Tim Matsui | Multimedia Journalist & Producer
HONORABLE MENTION: Carla Stehr & Kyle Frischkorn, Northwest Fisheries Science Center
Vibrio Diatom
‘If I had an electron microscope I'd look at everything, but it probably wouldn't be as cool as this.’ – Tim Matsui | Multimedia Journalist & Producer
HONORABLE MENTION: Benjamin Sandford, Northwest Fisheries Science Center
Double Crested Cormorant
‘I feel this bird has character. The feathers are sharp and textured, the face expressive--or, at least, I project expression onto it. I can connect. Add to it the bird in flight for some framing and foreground/background and I think it completes the image.’ – Tim Matsui | Multimedia Journalist & Producer
HONORABLE MENTION: Benjamin Sandford, Northwest Fisheries Science Center
Caspian Tern, California Gulls
‘Little details make this image a surprise. It's a nice peak action moment, but has depth because it took me a moment to see two different kinds of birds and even longer to see the fish. It gives me more to appreciate.’ – Tim Matsui | Multimedia Journalist & Producer
CATEGORY 5: TOOLS & TECH WINNER: Scott Carlon, Northwest Regional Office
ForebayModel
‘In a straightforward way, this shows an unusual phenomenon that makes us wonder and want to know more – a vital role that photography can play.’ ’ - Tom Reese | Photographer, Editor & Artist
‘Interesting in that it raises questions for me, drawing me into the image.’ – Tim Matsui | Multimedia Journalist & Producer
CATEGORY 6: UNDERWATER WINNER: Sara Towne, Northwest Regional Office
Newport Aquarium
‘A composition that suggests the way nature flows, even in the confines of an aquarium display.’ ’ - Tom Reese | Photographer, Editor & Artist
‘Creative and graphic.’ – Tim Matsui | Multimedia Journalist & Producer
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ADDITIONAL COMMENTS FROM TOM REESE:
‘We all know that mood and feeling can often be conveyed in a photograph even more effectively than in words. And we know that engaging other people, who cannot have these experiences directly, is a very rewarding type of communication. The best of these images achieve at this level, and we celebrate with the photographers!
When documenting with photographs, it can often be just one step further to find an image that also tells a story to someone else. Even small and inexpensive cameras, kept handy above and below the water, can offer a window into the world that will be much appreciated by those of us who want to see what you see.’
Learn more about the judges:
Tom Reese: www.tomreesephoto.com
Tim Matsui: www.timmatsui.com
Neil Buckland: redredphoto.com
