Winners announced in Museum photography contest

October 29, 2010

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Jon Sund of Green Cove Springs and Miranda Bennett of Archer received top honors in this year’s ButterflyFest Pollinator Photography Contest. The winners were announced Oct. 23 during an awards presentation at the Florida Museum of Natural History’s fifth annual ButterflyFest.

Sund, who won first place in the adult category for his photo, “Looks Good,” and Bennett, who won first place in the junior category for her photo, “Can you see me?” both received cash prizes.

The museum will display the winning photographs in its Central Gallery through Nov. 30 and online on the ButterflyFest website www.flmnh.ufl.edu/butterflyfest/photo_contest.htm. Contest sponsor The Gainesville Sun published the winning photographs in the newspaper Oct. 24.

More than 70 photographers from three states submitted over 120 entries for the second annual contest.

In the adult division, open to ages 18 and older, Paul Morris of Micanopy won second place for his photo, “Moth Pollinating Moon Flower,” and Bridget Lanier of Bradenton won third place for “Pollin Cameo.” Orlando resident Stephen Presutti received honorable mention for “Eye on the Prize.”

In the junior division, open to ages 10-17, Collin Kane of Gainesville won second place for “Bumble We Go,” and Trey Lanier of Bradenton won third place for his untitled photo. Elena Newman of Gainesville won honorable mention for “Milkweed Feeder.”

Volunteer judges for the competition were Andrei Sourakov, Florida Museum of Natural History Lepidoptera collections manager; Ryan Fessenden, Butterfly Rainforest production assistant; and