Shaw Wins North American Butterfly Photo Contest
(Mission, TX) – Selected from among hundreds of beautiful images, Juniper Hairstreak on Milkweed, by Julie Shaw of Austin, was named the ‘Rio Grande Prix’ winner of the North American Butterfly Photo Contest, at the 21st Annual Texas Butterfly Festival, which takes place at the National Butterfly Center in Mission, Texas, each year.
This picture netted $500 for Mrs. Shaw, who says she will buy another lens for herself, or perhaps a camera for her husband with her winnings. “He is not really into butterflies,” explains Shaw. “He prefers hiking, but I like to poke around in the bushes and this slows him down. Maybe now I can convince him to join me!”
Shaw’s path to wildlife photography has been a winding one. About six years ago, Shaw started volunteering at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, where she worked in the insectary. Her job involved finding, collecting and tending to caterpillars raised for public viewing, so visitors may witness various stages in the butterfly lifecycle. Although she’d worked in garden centers and enjoyed gardening before, she says her experience at the Wildflower Center really opened her eyes. It was here that she began photographing butterflies with her iPhone so she could identify them in her field guide at home.
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