Our inaugural Caligo Ventures Photo Contest featuring Trinidad and Tobago and the Asa Wright Nature Centre was launched in August of 2018 with an announcement in our weekly eNews. The deadline for entry was September 14, 2018. We received 240 entries from over 30 photographers on a wide range of subjects - from birds to mammals, invertebrates, scenics, and people.
Each judge made their first picks independently. Amazingly, all agreed on the first place winner, and mentioned a close second - a strong enough agreement that we added a Runner Up prize!
The flashy Tufted Coquette was the most photographed species, with 18 entries, followed by White-necked Jacobin with 13 images presented. Copper-rumped Hummingbird, a regional endemic, was featured in eight images, as was the Green Honeycreeper. Purple Honeycreeper followed with six, and both Scarlet Ibis and Ruby Topaz had five images each. The most unusual species entered was Amethyst Woodstar.
Winners
Honorable Mentions
Noteworthy
Our Judges
Peg Abbott
Peg is the owner of Naturalist Journeys and Caligo Ventures. She has been designing, guiding, and organizing natural history tours for thirty years, working for the National Audubon Society and other organizations before launching Naturalist Journeys, LLC in 1998. Her work has taken her from Alaska to Africa and Argentina, as well as many other locations around the world. She has conducted research on several bird and mammal species and keeps a close interest in Yellowstone and Mexican wolf reintroduction projects. Her interests include all aspects of natural history and geology.
Steve Wolfe
Steve is a photographer specializing in wildlife and landscapes and he has written articles for Birdwatching Magazine and the websites at Cornell Lab's All About Birds and Birdzilla. He has been to Trinidad as the official photographer for Caligo Ventures, staying at the Asa Wright Nature Centre from which he marveled at the beauty and unique qualities that the island and the Centre have to offer. Steve is now a full-time resident in southeast Arizona's birding mecca of Portal. Life is good!
Hugh Simmons
Hugh is a freelance photographer, avid birder, and conservationist. Combining forty years of photography experience with a life-long love of nature, he strives for images that give the viewer a sense of place. Hugh is a former National Audubon board member and is currently an Audubon chapter president and volunteer field trip leader for both his Chapter and the Cape May Bird Observatory. His photographic subjects range widely, including medical settings, events, people, birds, and landscapes.