Nature's Best 2010 Photography Awards: Windland Smith Rice International Awards

Where: Natural History Museum

When: through September 25, 2011

I went with a friend to see this exhibit, and I was reminded of how different an experience it is to see a show with someone else.  Other people notice things I don't and cause me to look at things in new ways.  As much as I like the "alone time" I get when I go to exhibits on my own, it's nice every so often to go with another person.

I had been to see this exhibit last year, and was looking forward to seeing this year's award winners.  The pictures are stunning on several levels; the animals and plants themselves are beautiful, and the skill and patience necessary to capture their beauty is breathtaking all on its own.  Each photograph had a small blurb written by the photographer, and many of them recalled waiting hours for just the right composition, or taking hundreds of shots to get just one that was good.  Then, the technology that's available to the photographer now is also amazing - the pictures are so sharp, you expect the animals to jump right out of the shot.

Each picture is fantastic and well worth seeing, but these are the ones that really caught my eye:

• The Grand Prize Winner, "Osprey," by Peter Cairns.  It shows an osprey diving into the water, about to snare a fish.  You can see each drop of water, as the bird goes after its prey.
• The Animal Antics Winner, "Black Bear," by James Galletto.  The bear is scratching his back on a tree, but appears to be making a speech, with one of his arms stretched out as if for emphasis
• The Plant Life Winner, "Wildflowers," by Edward Nunez.  This is a picture of grassland in California; although the photo was taken in springtime, the flowers have painted the hillsides in fall colors
• The Creative Digital Winner, "Mediterranean Tree Frog," by Francisco Mingorance.  There appear to be two frogs in the picture, but it's actually only one.  You see it as it sits on the branch, and then in mid-flight.
• The Highly Honored photo in the Oceans category, "Sea Angel," by Christian Stauge.  Despite its name, it's actually a slug.  Amazingly enough, it's quite beautiful

Verdict: This is a wonderful show - do make time to go see it.  It would make a great outing for kids, as well as adults.