Innsbrook’s annual property owner photo contest wrapped up in the fall and once again, we’re amazed by the stunning, adorable, creative and well-timed images that were submitted by so many. We received just shy of 500 photos this year! These submissions are featured in many places – as Photo of the Day on our social media networks; in our Calendar of Events; the weekly Village Views newsletter; the annual Innsight magazine that goes out each spring; on our website; in our marketing materials and more! The winning photos from each category line the halls of Charrette Creek Commons throughout the year, where property owners are invited to enjoy their beauty.

“Wing it While Away at IBK” by Suzi Campbell

Speaking of the winners, have you ever wondered how they’re chosen?  After a panel narrows down the hundreds of submissions, Innsbrook property owners are invited to head to our website to cast their vote! It’s fascinating to watch which photos rise to the top. This year the top vote-earners in each category were as follows:

Community Events: “Colorful Chrysanthemums in the Sky” by Carolyn Mooney

Great Outdoors: “Ice Crystal Reflections” by Steve Serniak

People, Family & Pets: “Wet Dog” by Cynthia Bowers

Wildlife: “Cute Kit” by Cynthia Bowers

Best in Show: “American Bald Eagle on Alpine” by Cynthia Bowers

We reached out to some of these winners and the other finalists to get the stories behind the photos – what was happening at the moment, where they were and what they most enjoy photographing at Innsbrook and elsewhere.

“At Innsbrook, we are very fortunate to have American bald eagles as full-time residents,” said Cynthia Bowers. “During cold winter mornings, the eagles perch on trees located in my backyard. They stay close to the lake to watch for fish. On any given day, there are two-to-three eagles that fly overhead and on a good day, they rest on one tree to watch for their next tasty meal.

“So on December 9, 2015, around 11 a.m., I was excited to see this eagle in my backyard from my window. Grabbing my camera, I walked slowly to the water’s edge. The image was taken with my Pentax camera with my 300 mm lens (400 ISO, f/6.3, 1/800 sec.). Taking pictures in nature, I’ve learned the hard way that there are three rules for success:

1. Move slowly and stay quiet, as wildlife can be frightened by noise.
2. Photograph without being seen, which means, if possible, position yourself on the side of your subject, not in the front.
3. Be patient for the best shot (it may take more than a few times to get the best picture – I typically have to take 50 pictures before I snap that one good one!).

“Innsbrook is an ideal world for a photographer: The magic of nature, the wonder of wildlife, the abundance of beautiful sunrises and sunsets. One time (and this is a true story) a few years back, it was an early fall afternoon when I was taking out the trash and noticed a bunch of hummingbirds feasting on some thistle. I immediately turned around to go home and grab my camera and I was lucky enough to capture some awesome pictures of hummingbirds in the wild. So from that day on, I learned two lessons: Always (yes, I mean ALWAYS) have your camera handy because you never know when that gift of nature may reveal itself to you; and always (yes, I mean ALWAYS) keep your eyes and ears open for nature to open up to you. If I hadn’t been looking at the wild thistle, I may have missed the hummingbird ballet!”

One of Cynthia’s 2014 photo contest submissions!

Cynthia shared lots of great tips and information that you can look for in future blog posts about photography!

We received such great feedback from our photo contest winners that we’re going to leave you with a bit of a cliffhanger. Look for an upcoming post where we sit down with Mark Pohlman, Lynn Stark, Kim Harper and Carolyn Mooney for their tips, tricks and stories!

In the meantime, you can view all of the submissions to this year’s contest on our Facebook page.

“Golden Days of Summer” by Lynn Stark