1st Place Winner

Comments from our judge, photographer Larry Vogel:

This one really blew me away. Talk about in your face! The Walking Stick’s aggressive posture suggests the photographer surprised it, and it immediately went into a “don’t mess with me” mode. The long, almost painfully thin legs evoke Tim Burton’s Jack Skellington from Nightmare Before Christmas. The focus is crisp, and the insect’s tan legs contrast well with the background of green fuchsia leaves and reddish branches. This is another one you’ll come back and look at many times. Frame this one and hang it someplace where it can be seen.