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It could be said that the next best thing to being there is a photographic image. And even though we in Illinois are in the midst of a rather cold, confining winter season, it's fun to dream about the places and outdoor enjoyment that led to these winning entries in our first-ever OutdoorIllinois photo contest. The grand prize package, a weekend stay at Pere Marquette State Park Lodge and a limited-edition John S. Eberhardt print entitled Winter Refuge, went to Tim Tiemann of Litchfield for his photograph of wintertime at Lake Yaeger Park, Litchfield. The first-place winner in the wildlife category was James M. Miller of Dunlap for his shot of eagles at sunrise. Kathryn Bish of Thompsonville claimed second place with her image of a chipmunk on a tree limb in Hamilton County. Autumn leaves gathering at a beaver's dam were the focus of Paul Tobeck's winning photo in the scenic/flora category. Tobeck resides at Milford. Second place in this category went to Kevin Bfeifer of Springfield for his photo of a waterfall at Starved Rock State Park. In the recreational activities category, James W. Colgan Jr. took first place with "Fishing at Horseshoe Lake," while Rudy Stinauer of Havana claimed second place with his early morning duck hunt photo, which was shot at Quiver Creek near Havana. A three-year subscription to OutdoorIllinois was awarded to each first-place winner, and a two-year subscription went to the three second-place winners. Hundreds of entries were received, and because of the popularity of the contest among readers, the contest will be held again this year. Watch for more information in the May issue. One noted change will be the addition of a fourth category entitled backyard/city wildlife. Judges for this year's event were Chris Young, veteran photographer at Springfield's State Journal-Register, and Illinois State Museum Photographer Gary Andrashko. Young's 1997 photo of the comet Hale-Bopp soaring over the carillon in Washington Park at Springfield earned him wide acclaim for the beauty of his work. His new book Close to Home: the Landscapes, Wildlife and Hidden Beauty of Central Illinois is available through The State Journal-Register. Visit its website at http://www.sj-r.com/. Andrashko's career dates back to the 1970s, when, as a commercial fisherman in Massachusetts, he photographed other fishermen working on the boat. His photos appeared in "National Fisherman" Magazine and other fishing publications. Currently, his work at the state museum includes images for its quarterly publication, The Living
First Place - Scenic/Flora
Museum, its scientific publications and catalogs to accompany such exhibits the Amish Quilt Collection. Much of his work can be viewed on the MuseumLink, http://www.museum.state.il.us/muslink. Both Young and Andrashko were impressed by the photos submitted to OutdoorIllinois. "Some of the photographers had very professional entries, and there were dozens of images I wish were mine," Young said. "We had a lot of great photos to choose from," Andrashko added. "It's nice to see everyone out taking pictures of the natural environment and enjoying the outdoors."
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