Kansas Wildlife and Parks Magazine Announces Photography Contest Winners

PRATT – For the third year running, Kansas Wildlife & Parks magazine staff have not been disappointed by the entries received in the “Wild About Kansas” photography contest. What used to be a contest only open to youth age 18 and younger was expanded to accept entries from photographers of all ages and skill levels.

A total of 124 participants submitted work this year in hopes of landing on the pages of Kansas Wildlife & Parks magazine, and 24 of them will realize that dream in the 2016 January/February photo issue. To obtain a copy of the special photo issue out in early January, call (620) 672-5911, or become a subscriber at ksoutdoors.com by clicking “Publications,” then “KDWPT Magazine.”

“Wild About Kansas is really about appreciating Kansas outdoors from all perspectives,” said Kansas Wildlife & Parks managing editor, Nadia Marji. “We’ve seen incredible photos taken from the heart of the suburbs, and we’ve seen equally stunning photos taken from the middle of the prairie. It’s just a true testament to the diversity of our state and all that our landscape has to offer.”

Photos were judged based on creativity, composition, subject matter, lighting, and overall sharpness. The 2015 “Wild About Kansas” award winners are as follows: 

WILDLIFE

Adult

1st- Tony Pianalto,“Sumac Buck”

2nd- Chuck Gibson,“Great Blue Heron”

3rd- Dale Roark,“Towhee”

Honorable Mention- Aaron Thompson,“Focused Eagle”

Youth

1st- Amelia Kilmer,“Monarch”

2nd- Ross Ifland,“Upland Sandpiper”

3rd- Christina Craig,“Halloween Pennant”

Honorable Mention- Julien Reynard,“Moonlight Geese”

LANDSCAPE

Adult

1st- Aaron Thompson,“Wood Skeleton”

2nd- Tony Ifland,“Dewy Prairie Morning”

3rd- Robert Dilla,“Foggy Sunrise”

Honorable Mention- Jay Miller,“Kansas Night Sky”

Youth

1st- Christina Craig,“Almost Spring”

2nd- Grace Young,“Marais Des Cygnes”

3rd- Amelia Kilmer,“Tree Arch”

Honorable Mention- Julien Reynard,“Sunset in The Spring”

OUTDOOR RECREATION

Adult

1st- Tony Ifland,“Duck Season Training”

2nd- Darrell Skrdlant,“Flying High”

3rd- Ken Brunson,“Sylvie Spots Mushrooms”

Honorable Mention- Chuck Gibson,“Gone Fishin’”

Youth

1st- Katelyn Ifland,“Camping Moonrise”

2nd- Callie Bowley,“Kansas Winter Trout”

3rd- Christina Craig,“Fishing on Glass”

Honorable Mention- Andrew Fischer,“Hunting Sunset” 

Details on the 2016 contest will be made available after the New Year on ksoutdoors.com.

KANSAS WILDLIFE AND PARKS MAGAZINE TO FEATURE JUNIOR PHOTOGRAPHERS

Cedar (Photo credit: hynkle)

Winning entries from the Wild About Kansas junior photography contest feature photographers as young as age 12

PRATT – “To see the world through the eyes of a child” will soon be a reality for readers of the January/February photography issue of Kansas Wildlife & Parks magazine. Winning photographs from the magazine’s first annual Wild About Kansas junior photography contest will feature works from photographers as young as 12. To obtain a copy of the January/February issue, call (620) 672-5911.

“We saw this contest as a creative way to showcase our beautiful state in a new light,” said Kansas Wildlife & Parksmagazine associate editor, Nadia Marji. “You don’t have to be a professional photographer to capture a beautiful moment in time and these kids are proof of that.”

Photos were judged based on creativity, composition, subject matter, lighting, and the overall sharpness of the photo. A total of 77 entries were received from 32 participants, ranging from age 11-18. Forty-four entries were submitted in the landscape category, 25 in the wildlife category, and eight in the outdoor recreation category.

2013 Wild About Kansas junior photography contest award winners are as follows:

LANDSCAPE

1st - Mark Kreider (18), North Newton: “Lightning and Evening Storm”

2nd - Mark Kreider (18), North Newton: “Winter Morning on Sand Creek”

3rd - Anna Faust (16), Lawrence: “A Moment in Time”

Honorable Mention - Lexi Brady (17), Lawrence: “Colors of the Lake”

WILDLIFE

1st - Allie Ifland (12), Cedar: “Collared Lizard”

2nd - Christina Craig (15), Lawrence: “The Boss”

3rd - Ross Ifland (14), Cedar: “Walking on Water”

Honorable Mention - Addie Bruns (18), Spring Hill: “Kansas Fawn”

OUTDOOR RECREATION

1st - Allie Ifland (12), Cedar: “Duck Hunt”

2nd - Jessica Lahasky (18), Overland Park: “Patience”

3rd - Heather Woleslagel (13), Hutchinson: “State Fair Shooting”

Honorable Mention - Jessica Lahasky (18), Overland Park: “Gone Fishin’”

Details for the 2014 contest will be announced at ksoutdoors.com in January.

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NEW CONTEST TO SHOWCASE BUDDING OUTDOOR PHOTOGRAPHERS

 The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) is proud to announce the 1st Wild About Kansas junior photo contest. Designed to showcase Kansas outdoors through the lens of photographers age 18 or younger, Wild About Kansas will feature winning entries in the 2014 January/February issue of Kansas Wildlife & Parks magazine.

“This is a great opportunity for area youth to explore the outdoors on a completely different level,” saidKansas Wildlife & Parks magazine associate editor, Nadia Marji. “We hope this contest will showcase some of the wonderful talent that our youth have to offer, and possibly even be the start of a new hobby for some.”

Divided into three categories, participants can submit photos related to wildlife, outdoor recreation or landscapes. Participants can submit up to three photos and multiple entries can be submitted in the same category. Photos will be judged on creativity, composition, subject matter, lighting and overall sharpness of the photo.

Prizes will be awarded to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in each category, as well as one honorable mention per category.

Entries must be received by 5 p.m. on Oct. 25, 2013. An entry form must be submitted for each participant. Requested format for photos is JPEG, 8 inches by 10 inches, 300 dpi. File size should be a minimum of 1mb and not exceed 5mb.

For more information, or to submit an entry, e-mail Nadia Marji at nadia.marji@ksoutdoors.com. Enter “Junior Photo Contest” in the subject line.

Photo Contest Entry Form 638.31 kB

Nikon ProStaff 3 & ProStaff 5 Rangefinders Video Interview at SHOT Show!

We have a lot of SHOT Show Video Interviews coming out today, so I’m going to keep on rolling them out as quick as I can.  Here we have our second interview with Nikon representative Jon LaCorte.  Jon shows Steve two new rangefinders displayed by Nikon at SHOT Show.  Both models are part of the Nikon ProStaff line of products, and will give you quality performance at a great price.

Watch as Jon first shows off the Nikon Prostaff 3 Rangefinder.  With one button operation, it doesn’t get much easier to operate, and it has a very fast processor for quick range finding.  This is really important when you’re out hunting and finally spot a buck after hours of waiting.  You won’t want to miss that shot because you were waiting for the rangefinder to figure out the distance.  It has a great range of about 550 yards, and the optics are nice and bright, so you’ll have no trouble seeing your intended target.  6x power is just right for finding distance, and the tough construction is both waterproof and fog proof, so you don’t need to worry about it breaking on you when you need it!

The Nikon ProStaff 5 Rangefinder was even more impressive.  The ProStaff 5 is actually a fair bit smaller than any other Nikon Rangefinder, and as Steve points out, though you may not think about the size very often, it makes a big difference when you’re trying to put it in or take it out of a pocket.  While the overall size of the Nikon ProStaff 5 is smaller, they made the ocular bigger, so you’ll have an easier time seeing your target.  An additional feature that really sets the ProStaff 5 apart is the LED illumination.  This LED can be turned on with a single button press, and your reticle will be illuminated for easier use.  This is especially welcome in the morning or evening, when light is scarce.

I’ve been really impressed so far with everything Nikon brought to SHOT Show this year.  I’ll have another video interview with Jon LaCorte up soon that talks about the Nikon Monarch 3 and Monarch 5 binoculars, so stay tuned!

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