"April 2025 Photo Contest Image Critique"

The results are in! Our April 2025 Wildlife Photography Contest invited members to capture wildlife in motion, emotion, and interaction—with a focus on authentic, unstaged behavior.

From playful cubs to predator-prey tension and tender family moments, this month delivered a stunning range of storytelling images.

Critique duties were led by Gail Bisson, long-time judge and pro wildlife photographer, with guest commentary by Vicki Santello, an award-winning photographer known for her immersive work in Africa and the polar regions.

💥 What the Judges Looked For

The theme, “Behavior,” called for images that captured clear, natural wildlife action or interaction—not just movement, but meaning.

Judges evaluated each image based on:

• Authentic behavior — Wildlife needed to be acting naturally, not staged or manipulated.
• Emotional impact — Images had to tell a story, not just document a moment.
• Strong composition — Subject placement, framing, and environmental balance all mattered.
• Technical execution — Exposure, focus, and post-processing needed to support the story, not distract.
• Theme alignment — Judges prioritized images where the behavior was clearly the focal point.

🔍 What Gail Covered in the Critique

Throughout the live session, Gail offered detailed, practical feedback—breaking down what worked and what weakened an image. Topics included:

• Oversaturation in post-processing: Overuse of sliders, especially saturation, reduced the natural feel of many entries.
• Magenta color casts: A frequent issue, especially from Canon RAW files in low light, that was easily correctable—but often overlooked.
• Heavy crops: Excessive cropping lowered image quality and limited print/display potential.
• Exposure mistakes: Many photos were underexposed to protect highlights, but the result lacked visual impact.
• Background distractions: Unintentional clutter, harsh light, or awkward intersecting objects hurt otherwise strong compositions.
• Timing and luck: Gail reminded members that great behavior shots often require patience, planning—and a touch of luck.
• Disqualification reminders: Watermarks, borders, and visible photographer names automatically disqualify entries—even if the image is strong.

💬 What Members Said

• “These critiques are pure gold—thank you for the honest feedback.”
• “I had no idea color cast could be that subtle… great tip.”
• “Such an incredible variety this month. Loved the wildlife moments.”
• “Oof, that magenta cast callout hit me—I need to recheck my edits.”
• “Appreciate the mix of education and encouragement.”

🏆 April 2025 Contest Winners: “Behavior”

🟢 Beginner Category

Winner: Hook On The First Try by Andrew Vergelius
→ A dramatic shot of a striated heron spearing a fish, freezing motion with exceptional clarity and timing.
→ Praised for natural behavior capture, sharpness, and composition.
View the winning image →

🟠 Intermediate Category

Winner: Running Ermine by Frank Jacobs
→ A minimalist white-on-white shot capturing a bounding ermine with sharp detail and movement.
→ Judges loved the subtlety, energy, and unique framing.
View the winning image →

🔵 Advanced Category

Winner: Sunset Ascent by Mike Rigney
→ Silhouetted dolphins leaping in warm evening light off Baja’s coast.
→ Celebrated for composition, color harmony, and pure joy in timing.
View the winning image →

This month’s contest was a powerful reminder of how behavior tells the real story in wildlife photography. Whether it was quiet tenderness, dramatic action, or something unexpected, our members rose to the challenge with creativity and skill.

Thank you to everyone who submitted—and to those already planning for next month’s theme, we can’t wait to see what you create next.