PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department is excited to announce the winners of the 2019 wildlife photo contest.
Julie Curtis’s photo of Harris’s antelope squirrels was awarded best in show and is showcased on both the cover and in the calendar issue of Arizona Wildlife Views.
Curtis, of Golden Valley, was preparing to take a photo of a Harris’s antelope squirrel at the top of a rock when a second one popped up. The surprise addition, as she describes it, was a combination of luck and timing.
“Photos like this don’t come along very often for me,” Curtis says. “When I saw the photo, I just sat back in my chair staring at it and knew it was one of my best so far. Everyone who has a passion for photography knows what I’m talking about.”
More than 300 photographers entered this year’s wildlife photo contest. Twelve winning images are published in a full-size 2020 wildlife calendar in the November-December 2019 issue of Arizona Wildlife Views magazine, which is for sale for $3 at all Arizona Game and Fish Department offices.
In addition to Curtis, the other 11 winning photographers are:
Dominic Ambrosino, Surprise:
Bobcat
Timothy Cota, Mesa:
Northern leopard frog
Joshua Esquivel, Sedona:
Rufous hummingbirds
Darin Guerena, Globe:
Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep
Tom Jones, Phoenix:
Harris’s hawk
Bryan Keil, Gilbert:
Gadwall
Kathleen Reeder, Peoria:
Mountain lion
Kathy Ritter, Happy Jack:
Bison
Bruce Taubert, Glendale:
Coues white-tailed deer
William Wells, Surprise:
Eastern collared lizard
Patrick Wundrock, Tucson:
Pronghorn
Given the strength and diversity of this year’s nearly 750 entries, the judges singled out 20 images from talented photographers for honorable mention. These photos also are featured in Arizona Wildlife Views magazine. The names of honorable mention photographers are posted at www.azgfd.gov/photocontest.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department welcomes new subscribers to the state’s award-winning magazine about wildlife and outdoor recreation. The regular price is $8.50 for six issues (one year), but through Dec. 31, subscriptions are on sale for $7 for seven issues. Those who subscribe by Dec. 31 will receive the calendar issue showcasing this year’s winners and honorable mentions.
