The National Audubon Society has announced the winners of its 2024 Photography Awards that, among other amazing images, include photos of birds threatened with extinction.

Now in its fifteenth year, the contest features stunning work from professionals, amateurs and young people that highlights the beauty of birds and the joy of capturing it through photographs and videos.

Winning entries and honorable mentions were chosen from more than 2,300 entrants from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., nine Canadian provinces and one territory. For the first time, the competition awarded the Birds in Landscapes Prize, which was introduced to draw attention to how birds connect with their broader surroundings.

The Grand Prize of $5,000 was awarded to photographer Mathew Malwitz for his shot of a battle between two Blackburnian Warblers, which is one of the endangered species.

Whether the setting is wild, urban, or suburban, or the relationship is symbiotic or reflects a specific challenge birds face, the prize encourages photographers to take a step back, consider the environment as a whole, then let their photographs tell the story.

Audubon’s report, Survival by Degrees, reveals that two-thirds of North American birds are threatened with extinction from climate change, including species featured in this year’s Audubon Photography Awards such as the California Quail and Sedge Wren, in addition to the Blackburnian Warbler.

The next contest begins October 24 and ends February 28, 2025.

All the winners and honorable mentions can be seen here.

Taken in Promised Land State Park, Pennsylvania, two Blackburnian Warblers face each other, their gray and white wings outstretched behind them. Their yellow heads and orange necks stand out against a blurred gray background and their bills and feet are entangled.

Seven Willow Ptarmigan race through the image, each in a different stage of flight. Their white bodies blend in with the completely white background, while only their black eyes, bills and tail feathers stand out.

A Forster’s Tern is captured in the air, its head turned almost 180 degrees so that its bill is pointing nearly straight up, its tail twisted. The bird’s outstretched wings give the impression the bird is floating upside down. Water droplets appear in a stream from the bird’s bill and also below it.

Silhouetted grackles perch on power lines that bisect the image, with their tails nearly all pointing in the same direction. The sky is purple and pink. Throughout the photo, blurry grackles fly through the air.

A Barred Owl hangs upside down from a thin tree branch, its body horizontal, its face turned and looking at the camera. A squirrel hangs on a branch above it — its fur bloody and its head nearly severed and held in the owl’s talons.

A Black-capped Chickadee clings to a single beige, hook-shaped stem filled with seeds. The bird’s black legs appear to be spread at a 90-degree angle to hold the stem. The bird’s black bill is full of seeds.

A tiny russet brown Sedge Wren grasps two long, parallel stems as if they were stilts. The bird’s head looks to the left of the frame. Green grasses surround the bird, and yellow flowers line the lower image.

An American Kestrel stands on a post in profile, and a male kestrel is on her back with his wings stretched behind him. The birds are both in profile facing the left of the frame, the male above appearing to be an extension of the female below.

A female Wild Turkey stands in profile, her head held high and wings fanned out behind her. She stands between railroad tracks littered with leaves that extend into the distance.

A California Quail perches on top of a small bush in a field. One row of bushes and trees in the foreground is in focus, along with the quail, while other bushes are out of focus or blurred. The scene is a muted brown and orange, with layers of light and dark.

A Common Gallinule’s green feet stick straight out of the water while its body is submerged and not visible. Splashes of water are outlined in gold against a black background and dark surface.

Summer is officially here, and the pools are open. What goes well with pool time? If you are an artist, watercolors surely come to mind. If you happen to have a cool, shady spot, paint outdoors. If not, find one. Our parks have stairways and terraced trails leading to the cool creeks and streams.

Take your camera and sketchbook on a woodland walk. Pick a comfy log or rock, settle in and just be still.

Listen. Look.

Life will start to appear around you. Look for details on the logs and rocks. Let your hand choose loose flowing strokes to capture the feel and mood of the environment. Make notes to remind you of the smells and colors and the way they make you feel.

Your notes will remind you of how you felt you when you were “in the moment.” Being able to put that feeling into your artwork is a priceless gift and needs to be nurtured — a delightful task for a lazy summer day.

By this time, you should be ready for some air conditioning.

Calls are out for artists able to bring the viewer into the experience of creating as they look into the artwork. I saw a couple of shows just this week that included several feels-like-you-are-there pieces. Details to follow.

Penitentiary Glen

Lake Metroparks’ 37th annual “Amateur Photography Contest & Show” is open for viewing through Aug. 4 at Penitentiary Glen Reservation, 8668 Kirtland-Chardon Road, Kirtland.

I was a judge, as was Maria Perme, Maria Perme Photography and Roni Leatherman, Roni Leatherman Photography. This year’s show had 129 entries from 56 participants. Only four of them were juniors — 14 or younger. It’s a number we’d all like to see increase.

The Best of Show winner in the Adult division is Doug Wilson, and the Best of Show winner in the Junior division is Branson Porter.

The contest also named winners in several categories:

— in Lake Metroparks: Stewart Unsdorfer, first place; Rob Lewis, second place; Linda Janosko, third place; John Venen, honorable mention; and Sebastian Knez, honorable mention.

— in Lake Erie: Emily Zerecheck, first place; Nic Cassell-Greene, second place; Earl Linaburg, third place; and Lana Andriyenko, Sarah Komaromy and Jay Joseph, honorable mentions.

— in Wildlife: Gary Wright. first place; Doug Wilson, second place; Jim Legat, third place; and Dwight Boyer, Alexandria Novak, Jacquelyn Leach, Ty Whiting and Tony Gazso, honorable mentions.

— In Landscape: Grace Eapen, first place; Alexandria Novak, second place; Stewart Unsdorfer, third place; and Heather Barninger, Jacqueline Sprenger and Emily Zerecheck, honorable mentions.

— In Black & White: Doug Wilson, first place; Gary Wright, second place; Christy Buser, third place; and Linda Kelley, Evan Brzeczkowski and Taylor Stanley, honorable mentions.

— in Floral: Gary Wright, first place; Raymond Rundelli, second place; Heather Barninger, third place; and Roger Lokar, Evan Brzeczkowski, Sarah Komaromy and Aaron Knight, honorable mentions.

— in the Junior Division, which included all the above categories: Branson Porter, first place; Emma Gooden, second place; Brooklyn Amato, third place; Brooklyn Amato and James Komaromy, honorable mentions.

Wildwood Fine Art & Wine Festival

Enjoy the Wildwood Fine Arts & Wine Festival from noon to 6 p.m. on June 22 on the shady grounds of the Wildwood estate,7645 Little Mountain Road, Mentor. Learn more about the event or become a volunteer by calling 440-974-5735 or emailing wildwood@cityofmentor.com.

Stella’s Art Gallery

Stella’s Art Gallery, 38033 Euclid Ave., Willoughby, opened the first of a double show in the main gallery last weekend. This first exhibit, “Size Matters,” began with the artists’ awards reception.

Congratulations to Rickie Denes, the Best of Show winner.

The winners in Tiny Bits, no larger than 4 by 6 inches, are Tracy Zakaysek, first place; Nancy Nelson Brotz, second place; and Linda Janosko, third place.

The winners in Medium Muscle, between 8 by 10 inches and 12 by 16 inches, are Gregory Johnson, first place; Nancy Nelson Brotz, second place; and Wendy Playter, third place.

The winners in Living Large, for artworks 18 by 24 inches or larger, are Becky Grasser, first place; Heather Hayden, second place; and Anna and Sam Weisend, third place.

The second show, “Ekphrastic Poetry,” calls for the art of the word. Writers are to select and confirm their choice of artwork from the exhibit before June 27. Only one author per art piece is permitted. Writers will express their feelings or reactions to this specific piece, and it will join its inspiration on the gallery walls.

All are invited to the open-mic reading in the gallery from 7 to 9 p.m. on June 28. Cleveland Heights Poet Laureate Ray McNiece will jury the writings.

The July show is “Opposites Attract?” You decide between the two categories, Abstract and Realism, as both will fill the gallery with their opposing points of view.

Abstract is art that does not represent reality but uses colors, shapes and textures to present an appealing image. Realism features art that depicts everyday life in a naturalistic manner and can reach the point of appearing to be a photographic image.

All mediums are welcome. Art will be accepted from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on July 2 and 3 and from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on July 6.

For more information, visit StellasArtGallery.com or call 440-266-9111.

Ashtabula Arts Center

Entry is open for the 2024 Paul & Norma Tikkanen Painting Prize. Interest has grown as news spreads of this $40,000 competition. The first-place prize is $12,000 in both abstract and realist painting. There are also two $5,000 second-place prizes and up to four honorable mentions, $1,000 each.

Paintings must have been completed in the past three years, and the contest is open to artists from Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Mahoning, Medina, Portage, Summit and Trumbull counties. It is also open to artists from Pennsylvania counties Crawford, Erie, Lawrence and Mercer. Maximum size is 4 by 4 feet and 25 pounds.

The first round of submissions will done digitally and must be received by July 14.

Entry details and a link to entry are available at ashtabulaartscenter.org. Good luck, everyone!

Fairmount Center for the Arts

Fairmount Center for the Arts, 8400 Fairmount Road, Russell Township, is looking for artists to enter the 48th annual “Fairmount Art Exhibit,” set to open Aug. 6.

Submissions are being accepted online and will be accepted at the center on July 27 and 29. Get details at fairmountcenter.org or 440-338-3171.

Since April 2024, Meta has started labeling content on its platforms Instagram, Facebook and Threads to indicate whether its been crafted using artificial intelligence. 

This move’s aim was to enhance transparency and trust in Meta’s programs, and also to try and combat the spread of misinformation in the run up to the U.S presidential elections. 

All well and good, yes? 

Well no sadly. Meta are going to have to go back to the drawing board with this one, as users have found that the ‘made with AI’ tag is being applied to content that is AI, in the problematic way, innocent. 

Even minor Photoshop edits are being flagged as AI generated, causing disgruntled artists and photographers to complain. 

The rules according to Instagram’s help center are predictably unclear:

“Content that is created or edited using Meta’s AI tools and shared to Instagram as a post, story or reel may automatically be labelled as ‘AI” content above or on the content, or in some cases with a visible watermark that says “Imagined with AI’.”

They continue:

“Content that is detected to have industry-standard signals indicating that it’s generated by AI will be labelled as “Made with AI”. This includes content that is created or edited using third-party AI tools. It also includes content that is created using Meta’s AI tools, downloaded and then uploaded to Instagram.”

They then say that if your post needs but has not been given a ‘Made with AI’ label, it’s your responsibility to do so, and that not all content that is generated with AI will have a label. 

So essentially we’re back to square one with a flawed system we can’t trust, as artists’ touch ups are causing their entire work to be branded fake, and potentially significant uses of AI are slipping through gaps, relying on human honesty to point it out. 

One hilarious example came from photographer Peter Yan, whose photograph of Mount Fuji in Japan was labeled ‘Made with AI’ after he used a generative AI tool to remove a trash can. 

Matt Growcoot had the same issue after he removed a spec of dust from a photograph he took in Türkiye using an AI tool in Photoshop. 

The world is still figuring out how to recognize and handle AI, but arguably, simply mentioning that something has been made with AI is fairly useless unless we know exactly how and how much. 

When AI models and influencers exist, a speck of dust seems somewhat insignificant. 

We’re all still going to do it so here are the best photo editing software, and the best photo-editing laptops for photographers.  

The best camera is the one you have with you, right? That’s why the best smartphone cameras have changed the game, freeing you from learning all about aperture or shutter speed and helping you achieve shots you’d have thought were impossible from a device that slips into your pocket.

Can you really take photos that look like they’d have come from a pro photo studio with a phone? The new is here to show that you can.

While we all take loads of photos all the time, Honor’s focused (pun intended) on what actually matters by prioritising shots of people. Whether you’re always taking self-portraits or pictures of your mates, this setup will make you the designated photographer at every event on the summer calendar.

HONOR 200 Pro

Display size and resolution	6.78-inch, 2700 x 1224 OLED, 120Hz
Cameras	50MP main, 12MP ultra-wide, 50MP 2.5x telephoto, 50MP front-facing
Battery life	5200mAh battery
Storage	512GB
Weight	199g

What makes it different? drilled into the basics of what makes a good photo by refining how it treats light and shadow.

The hardware here is impressive: a 50MP portrait main camera on the rear of the phone (in addition to the epic landscape-worthy 12MP ultra-wide angle), a 50MP telephoto portrait zoom, and an optimised 50MP front camera for your selfies.

The main camera uses Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), a large 1/1.3-inch sensor and supports pixel binning tech with a pixel size of 2.4μm. Don’t worry about the jargon – it gets a lot of light to the sensor, tackles low-light conditions more capably, and shows off the nuances and details within your snaps.

Loads of clever AI features within the 200 Pro learn facial expressions, portrait backgrounds and lighting atmospheres for shots that you’ll swear were taken by a professional.

The real magic happens when you switch to the portrait mode and tap into the modes developed in collaboration with Parisian portrait photographers, Studio Harcourt. They’ve shot the likes of Roger Federer, Karl Lagerfeld and Marion Cotillard, so they know their stuff.

Here, you’ll find access to exclusive effects developed for : timeless black-and-white portraits with Harcourt Classic, a warm and appealing look from Harcourt Colour, and modern elegance with the Harcourt Vibrant mode.

Gallery: Honor 200 Pro Sample Photos

Open Gallery

Creating these capabilities took over a year of work between 20 imaging experts from Studio Harcourt and Honor. They analysed over a thousand lighting scenarios and millions of shots to make it possible to capture studio-worthy portraits from the phone, no matter how challenging the conditions are. And you’re still going to get the same vivid high-quality when you switch over to the front-facing camera system too.

Even if it’s a tremendous camera, you’re going to need more features to tempt you to upgrade, surely? Fret not, this smartphone is packed with high-end techy goodness.

You’re getting a stunner of a 6.78-inch OLED display with a silky-smooth 120Hz refresh rate, the powerful Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset, a hefty 512GB of storage, 12GB of RAM, IP65 water and dust resistance, a big 5200mAh battery, 66W Qi wireless charging, and the ability to recharge from dead to full in under an hour (at rapid 100W speeds).

It also runs on , based on Android 14, which has several handy shortcuts and optimisations. It’s set to get three major Android updates and four years of security updates, something to reassure you that it’ll keep running well in years to come.

What about its looks? It’s a smart and ultra-slim design, and it comes in the expected black shade as well as a graceful white and striking “Ocean Cyan” colour. The Honor 200 Pro is the full package, for a frankly surprisingly sensible price of ​​£699.

To sweeten the deal, Honor’s cutting £110 off the price if you use the voucher code AH200PJU140, bringing the RRP of £669.99 down to £559.99.

You also get the , 12 months of screen protection and the (for super-fast 100W charging) for free.

Maximilian Schwarz is a 24-year-old photographer and artist from Hamburg, Germany. He has always had a deep interest in painting and fashion, merging these passions through his photography. In early 2023, he graduated with a degree in design and now works as a freelance photographer for clients, magazines, and advertising.

In the digital age, he interestingly embraces analogue techniques, using materials such as gouache paint, pastel chalk, and dried flowers to create a unique mixed-media style. His art often tackles socially relevant topics, such as mental health and queer issues.

The inspiration behind the shoot

“Colorful splashes of paint, vibrant lines and sensitive expressiveness. Moving beyond the mundane, this shoot presents an exploration of photographs in mixed-media style. It experiments with contrasts by blurring the lines between fantasy and reality. It also challenges gender affiliations through the choice of clothing styled by Franziska Goll. For this particular shoot, I wanted to work more with bold colors balanced by a melancholy atmosphere.

“The series is about blossoming within yourself and spreading your wings. To illustrate this, I’ve been playing with different layers and materials such as flowers or feathers. The model Kelechi Onwuka also shows these emotions of vulnerability and tenderness in his expressions. Combined with poses in which he still appears slightly lost, but then opens his arms like wings, as if he is ready to fly off into a new beginning.

So, are you ready to fly?”

“As a queer man, I am still struggling to find a concept of masculinity that I can fit into. Due to the constraints of gender norms and heteronormative gender performance, it is necessary for individuals to craft their own models of masculinity and femininity that align with their identities and values. Since my interest in photography and my exploration of my queerness developed at the same time, both definitely had an impact on each other. That is why I always try to bring queer aesthetics into my work. I also feel inspired by other queer people and want to give otherness a real and authentic platform in my art.”

CREDITS

Photography/ Artwork Maximilian Schwarz @mximilianschwarz Styling Franziska Goll @_johnsy Hair and Makeup Lenya Jolie Belitz @lenyajolie.mua Model Kelechi Onwuka @keleechii Agency @modelwerk Photography Assistant Jean-Pierre Hägele @jeanxpic

June 20, 2024

Lead ImageWilliam Strobeck, 2023Photography by Jay Johnson