2010 photo contest winners

Buckhorn area cottager Dave Furney was actually in North Gower, Ont., when he saw these barn swallows at feeding time. He took several shots, using the digital SLR he bought when he retired in 2007. “It was very easy to photograph, because every time the mother came back, they’d start screaming. The whole process took about twenty minutes. I didn’t really work very hard for this!”

Judges’ comments

Don’t be so modest, Dave. Getting all five figures sharp must have been difficult—we can even clearly see the insect in the mother bird’s mouth. This would have required a fast shutter speed, a tripod, or a very steady hand—and a bit of luck. The blurred background is ideal here; if the leaves were defined, there would be no clear separation between foreground and background. We also love the story this photo tells. That’s the sign of a good picture: When you can imagine the before and after.