A 15-year-old Tucson girl has won the statewide βAdventures in Natureβ Photo Contest with her shot of a snowy scene in the Catalina Mountains.
Arianna DuPont took home the $5,000 top prize for capturing the tranquil beauty of a βRare March snow in Sabino Creek,β which was selected over more than 300 other photos from almost 200 teenage photographers.
βIβve always been so drawn to capturing the beauty of our surroundings, and Iβm so fortunate to live in such a beautiful city (and an) amazing state, where we have all these beautiful things to capture,β DuPont said in a written statement, after celebrating the award with her family and her photography teacher, Amy Haskell, at the Gregory School.
Malia Means, 16, of Phoenix, took second place β and $2,000 β for a photo of the Superstition Mountains called βTowering Rocks Peeking Through Low Clouds.β
Corbin Rouette, 18, of Tucson, captured third place β and $1,000 β for a striking black-and-white image of βSaguaros Watching the Clouds.β
The 10th annual contest was put on by Arizona Highways magazine, The Nature Conservancy and Cox Communications.
βOur mission at Arizona Highways is to get people off the couch,β said Robert Stieve, the magazineβs editor. βWeβve been a proud co-sponsor of this photo contest for many years because it goes to the heart of what weβre trying to do.β
The judges for this yearβs contest were Arizona Highways photo editor Jeff Kida, Phoenix-based professional photographers Suzanne Mathia and Mark Skalny, former Arizona Daily Star photo editor Rick Wiley and acclaimed photographer John Schaefer, who previously served as president of the University of Arizona.
Seven participants earned honorable mentions and $250 each. They are: Gibson Gallares for βGolden Hour with Bird Taking Flight,β Grace Shepard for βFog Floating Through the Valley Alongside the Peak of Mt. Lemmon,β Faiza Tasnim for βHorseshoe Bend During a Semi-Cloudy Day,β last yearβs first-place winner Kaden VanDuyne for βSycamore Falls Evening,β Tobey Yamashita for βPortrait of a Red Fox,β and Aidan Yu for two entries, βNatural Elements of the Salt Riverβ and βThe Great Roadrunner.β
βPhotography provides a purpose for these kids β it makes them think about what theyβre seeing and experiencing,β Stieve said. βAnd even if their photos donβt finish in the Top 10, theyβre already winners for having had the experience of being outside.β
Winning photographs from this yearβs contest are expected to be featured in Arizona Highways and in promotional materials for future contests.