Michigan Audubon Photography Awards

The Michigan Audubon Photography Awards is an annual contest celebrating the incredible images of Michigan birds captured by photographers, both amateur and professional. Winners are announced on July 1 each year and the winning photographer’s image appears in the Michigan Audubon member magazine, the Jack Pine Warbler.

To learn about the upcoming 2024 Michigan Audubon Photography Awards, including rules and how to submit your photos, please visit michiganaudubon.org/2024-michigan-audubon-photography-awards/.

2023 Winners & Honorable Mentions

Jan Lewis
2023 Winner
Sharp-tailed Grouse Battle

“The Sharp-tailed Grouse battle was captured this past March on a 2-day private workshop in the Upper Peninsula near Pickford. The grouse lek is on private land which they had permission to set up a photography blind on. We were on the lek 30 minutes prior to sunrise. The birds flew in at sunrise. The males paraded around the lek, stamping their feet, puffing out their purple air sacs. They would face off, then eventually lunge at each other. The fights generally lasted only a few seconds, but occasionally a little longer. Capturing the action required a great deal of patience, total silence, high shutter speeds, and plenty of hand and foot warmers to fight the cold temperatures!” ~ Jan Lewis

Enya deFeijter
2023 Honorable Mention
Tufted Titmouse

“This Tufted Titmouse hopped on nearly every rock around this little pool before deciding to take a quick dip. Capturing birds’ behavior through a lens is a fun challenge, and I was excited to catch the sun glinting off its eye as water droplets scattered about.” ~ Enya deFeijter

June Kuiper
2023 Honorable Mention
Least Bittern

“Michigan has so many trails and sanctuaries perfect for bird photography. I always carry my gear with me when I travel in the event I get an opportunity to explore. I was up north for work, not far from the Arcadia Marsh Nature Preserve, and was able to work in a quick visit before returning home. In the last minutes, before heading back to my car, I noticed a handful of birders pointing out to a small area of tall vegetation. They mentioned they saw a bittern and that it was hiding in the weeds. There was debate about whether it was an American or a Least Bittern, but that did not matter. Any bittern was a lifer for me! I stayed, hoping it would reappear, and my patience paid off. It did appear, and I saw it crouched, hunting for food. As it crept forward, I fired off many shots and was fortunate to capture it catching a small fish. It was a perfect end to a long day.” ~ June Kuiper

Jenifer Selwa
2023 Honorable Mention
Common Loon

“One early morning, while out kayaking at the lake, while Dad was feeding Junior, Mom was diving and feeding for herself. She surfaced about 75 feet from my kayak with a large perch, and she quickly dropped and began stabbing the fish to subdue it. Mom thought she had the situation under control, but the perch decided to try a last-minute attempt at escape, flapping helplessly in the grip of her strong beak. She proceeded to swim and carry it above the surface for a minute or two until she finally gulped it down in three swallows. I had my camera on a collapsed monopod for support and set to high-speed capture with a fast shutter to stop the action. Photographing in a kayak requires a lot of factors coming together — balance, posture, camera settings, wind, sun direction and intensity, other boats on the lake — and, of course, the bird’s behavior. It’s an activity I do repeatedly because of the peace it brings, even if I don’t capture a single image while out. Every paddle is a different event I look forward to each time out.” ~ Jenifer Selwa

2022 Winners & Honorable Mentions

Chris Hendra
2022 Winner
Song Sparrow

Hendra’s winning photograph captured the perfect moment of the Song Sparrow pausing to look at its reflection from the edge of a beaver pond in the Western Upper Peninsula. The thoughtful composition draws in the viewer, inciting introspection and a connection  with this quiet moment in nature.

Hendra is a Michigan Audubon member who hails from the Copper Country of the Upper Peninsula, where he is married with one daughter. “I have always loved being outdoors and spend the bulk of my free time pursuing Upper Michigan wildlife with my camera. I especially enjoy photographing birds in their natural habitat,” he said.

Jocelyn Anderson
2022 Honorable Mention
Great Blue Heron

Jocelyn Anderson is a wildlife photographer in Southeast Michigan who is a big fan of birds. She focuses on capturing moments of wildlife, looking to showcase the beauty of the natural world. These photos range from dramatic moments of action to birds simply being. Anderson was the winner of the 2020 Michigan Audubon Photography Awards. Her work has been featured by the National Audubon Society, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and BBC Wildlife.

Steve Jessmore
2022 Honorable Mention
Common Mergansers

Steve Jessmore is a 30-year photojournalist, five-time Michigan Photographer of the Year, Robert F. Kennedy Photojournalism awardee, and former Chief Photographer of the Flint Journal. He has won numerous Michigan, national, and international photojournalism awards primarily focused on community journalism and storytelling. In August of 2018, he stepped away from his position as the photographer for Central Michigan University, got married, and moved to Grand Rapids and began freelancing. His focus is higher education, interaction, and storytelling. He is also an avid outdoor photographer with a love for all wildlife, but especially birds. In 2021, two of his bird images swept the professional division of the national 2021 Audubon Photography contest, winning 1st and HM. He also won a first place in the national contest again in 2022.

Joseph Malott
2022 Honorable Mention
Ruffed Grouse

Joseph Malott received an honorable mention for his Ruffed Grouse image captured at the Chippewa Nature Center in Midland this spring.