Our Northwest Exposure Photo Contest is still accepting entries through October 17! The contest features five categories with prizes awarded for the top 3 photos in each category, plus a grand prize will also be awarded for the best overall photo.⁠ ⁠ To help inspire you as you pick out your favorite to enter, we wanted to highlight some honorable mentions from last year’s contest, alongside commentary from our judges on why they liked them.⁠ ⁠ 📸Tatoosh Range, photo by Ethan Lington⁠ ⁠ This photograph of Mount Adams and the Tatoosh Range from the Paradise meadows captures a peaceful scene with interesting elements and textures and pleasing light and colors. It makes me want to be present in the scene and brings peace and calm to my day. It passes the basic technical challenges. It is tack sharp from the foreground to the distant peaks. It doesn’t contain distracting elements. The “golden hour” morning light illuminating the middle of the photograph is lovely, and the indirect light on the foreground decreases contrast and helps bring out the detail in that part of the photo. — Doug Diekema, photo judge⁠ ⁠ 📸Tipsoo Lake, photo by Trang Phan⁠ ⁠ I love the light in the photo and the playful mood. I also love how it tells a story. The kid is enjoying his time hiking and the borrowed sunglasses imply he is having fun with his adults. — Archana Bhat, photo judge ⁠ ⁠ 📸Caterpillar, photo by Rahul Kashikar⁠ ⁠ This portrait of a yellow caterpillar is a fine honorable mention from the Northwest Exposure 2021 photo contest. I’m immediately drawn in by the sharp focus and very narrow depth of field, characteristic of macro photography. We can see the head of this caterpillar closer — much closer — than we usually do with the unaided eye, while the rest of the photo is pleasantly out of focus. The excellent side lighting and superb exposure make the colors pop. The composition follows the rule of thirds, giving it a nice balance. It all adds up to a striking and beautiful photograph. — Buff Black, photo judge⁠ ⁠ Head to wta.org/photocontest (link in bio) to enter our 2022 contest!