2011 photo contest winners

Sean Mullin, 13, spotted this caterpillar perched on a milkweed plant near the beach of his Georgian Bay cottage. He was attracted to its colours, and after taking photos from various angles, Sean liked this one, “because its head is popping over the leaf, which looks chewed.”

Judges' comments

We love the peekaboo aspect of the photo, too. It’s as if Sean caught the caterpillar right in the middle of eating. Photos work well when they create a narrative in the viewer’s head. Placing the caterpillar off-centre also makes this a dynamic shot, and gives viewers more to look at, since it encourages their eyes to move around the photo.