FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Oregon Wild Unveils 2011 Photo Contest Winners

Seventh annual contest highlights endangered places and beauty of Oregon outdoors

Eagle Creek, Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, and Borax Hot Springs featured in winning photos.

Winning photo in the "Endangered Places" category by Leticia Stryker of Bend, OR.

They may be a pharmacist and a registered nurse by trade, but Scott Smorra of Portland and Kelle Herrick of Bandon are now also award-winning photographers. Along with two professional photographers – Jamey Pyles of Gladstone and Leticia Stryker of Bend – Smorra and Herrick were unveiled as winners of the 7th Annual Oregon Wild Outdoor Photo Contest at a celebration event at the Ecotrust building in Portland’s Pearl District on Friday night. The winners were selected from over 400 submissions entered by 92 amateur and professional photographers across the state.

The winning photos:

• Wildlands—Scott Smorra of Portland, OR for his photo Mist Springs at the Borax Hot Springs near Steens Mountain
• Wildlife—Kelle Herrick of Bandon, OR for her photo Quail Mother taken in Bandon.
• Waters—Jamey Pyles of Gladstone, OR for his photo Waterfall Light along Eagle Creek in the Columbia River Gorge
• Endangered Places—Leticia Stryker of Bend, OR for her photo Pelican Flight in Lower Klamath Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Each winner was awarded a prize package totaling approximately $500 in value.

The Oregon Wild Outdoor Photo Contest features some of the most breathtaking landscapes in Oregon, but it’s not just about the beauty. Each year, Oregon Wild staff members select a theme for the “Endangered Places” category that highlights an area of the state at risk from harmful development. This year’s “Endangered Places” theme centered on the Klamath River Watershed, a special place featured at the top of the list in the just released, Oregon’s 10 Most Endangered Places 2011.

The wetlands of the Klamath Basin are consistently starved of water in a region where agribusiness has long dominated at the expense of fish and wildlife. Additionally, Congress is mulling a proposal that would strip the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate the release of pesticides into the region’s waterways.

“The places and wildlife preserved by these photographers should serve as a reminder of the value and beauty they offer our world and the importance of keeping them as wild and pristine for future generations to experience appreciate and steward for their children,” commented Oregon Wild Executive Director Scott Shlaes in advance of the unveiling.

Oregon Wild would like to thank the sponsors of the 2011 Outdoor Photo Contest: Pro Photo Supply, Wolf Haven International, Patagonia, Columbia Sportswear, Juniper Ridge, KEEN, Breitenbush Hot Springs, REI, The Joinery, and Andina Restaurant.

The 2011 winning photographs are available online.

Contact Sean Stevens for hi-res versions of these photos.

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