Local man wins Mass Audubon statewide photo contest

Mass Audubon has announced that Bernard Creswick of Raynham took top honors in its 2017 Picture This: Your Great Outdoors statewide photo contest, for his impressive photograph of a ruby-throated hummingbird.

Grand Prize Winner Creswick, 58, was at Mass Audubon’s Stony Brook Wildlife Sanctuary in Norfolk when he took his striking, “stop-action” image of the 50-wingbeats-per-second avian marvel preparing to alight on a jewelweed bush.

“My wife Cindy was with me and she saw the hummingbird,” he recalled of their late-August, mid-morning walk at the popular wildlife sanctuary. “I positioned myself so the sun was behind me, and got off three quick shots. Obviously, it’s an honor to win and pretty exciting to have this result. And support the work that Mass Audubon does.”

The contest, now in its eighth year, again attracted hundreds of photographers of all ages and backgrounds who submitted thousands of images celebrating the natural beauty of Massachusetts and people connecting with nature.

Participants competed in two age categories, Under 18 and 18 and Older. Subject areas included People in Nature, Birds, Mammals, Other Animals, Landscapes, and Plants and Fungi.

As Grand Prize winner, Creswick was awarded a $250 gift card (to be redeemed at a Mass Audubon shop or at a wildlife sanctuary), in addition to being featured in Explore, Mass Audubon’s member newsletter.

Eleven other winners in specific subject and age categories were also announced and were awarded $100 gift cards; $50 gift cards will go to eight honorable mentions.

Creswick took up photography at the age of 10, and it was a substantial interest until adulthood—marriage, family, career— intervened. “Then, for a long time, I was just a ‘tourist’ photographer,” he chuckled. But since his retirement from the biotech industry, and his joining a photography club, it has again become a serious avocation.

His enthusiasm for taking photographs also gets Creswick outdoors, obviously.

“I’ve always been something of a science geek, and my mom had an eye toward birds,” he said. “And my wife is a big walker.” Both are Mass Audubon members, and in addition to Stony Brook, the Creswicks have explored Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary in Sharon and Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary in Marshfield. “I know I got a good image of a Cooper’s hawk at Daniel Webster,” he confided, “and yes, I will be submitting it for next year’s photo contest.”

Please visit www.massaudubon.org/picturethis/ for a complete list of winners and honorable mentions and their photographs.

Mass Audubon protects nearly 37,000 acres of land throughout Massachusetts, saving birds and other wildlife, and making nature accessible to all. As Massachusetts’ largest nature conservation nonprofit, we welcome more than a half million visitors a year to our wildlife sanctuaries and 20 nature centers. From inspiring hilltop views to breathtaking coastal landscapes, serene woods, and working farms, we believe in protecting our state’s natural treasures for wildlife and for all people–a vision shared in 1896 by our founders, two extraordinary Boston women. Today, Mass Audubon is a nationally recognized environmental education leader, offering thousands of camp, school, and adult programs that get over 225,000 kids and adults outdoors every year. With more than 125,000 members and supporters, we advocate on Beacon Hill and beyond, and conduct conservation research to preserve the natural heritage of our beautiful state for today’s and future generations. We welcome you to explore a nearby sanctuary, find inspiration, and get involved. Learn how at massaudubon.org.