Reader’s Lens | Whale of a photo

Photographer: Tanya Karwaki, Seattle Photo taken: June 25, near Ketchikan, Alaska Photographer’s description: “While I was on the beach the whale entered the bay. It was showing its fluke and I tried to take a photo with no luck. Suddenly it jumped out of the water. I aimed my point-and-shoot Olympus Tough TG-4 and came away with this playful photo!” Katie’s critique: “Wow! A very majestic photo that captures the perfect moment. The lighting is beautiful and I really like the texture throughout. The wide shot accentuates the scale of the whale. I almost want to crop out some of the clouds from the top to focus in a little bit more on the whale. Fabulous shot!” Share your recent photo from around the Northwest. Submit online at seattletimes.com/submit-photos. We judge the year’s best and award a $250 gift card and other prizes every December. Below is a gallery of previous Reader’s Lens picks.  

Audubon/Seattle Times bird photo contest offers big prizes

Send us your best bird photo and maybe win a Baja cruise. Sept. 1 through Nov. 20, Seattle Audubon and The Seattle Times are seeking Washingtonians’ best bird photos. To celebrate Seattle Audubon Society’s 100th anniversary, we’ll showcase winning photos on seattletimes.com. • Grand prize: Uncruise Adventures Baja package for 2 (Value of $7,990) • First prize: Evergreen Escapes San Juan Islands tour for 2 (Value of $1500) • Second prize: Year of unlimited Seattle Audubon classes (Value of $500) • Youth prize (15 and younger): Nikon DSLR Camera (Value of $500) Contest judges will include photographers Art Wolfe, Gerrit Vyn and Paul Bannick, along with a Seattle Times photojournalist. Enter online, and learn more, at seattletimes.com/submit-photos.