Michigan Audubon Photography Awards

Steve Jessmore Captures 2024 Michigan Audubon Photography Awards

We are excited to announce that the winner of the 2024 Michigan Audubon Photography Awards is MA Member Steve Jessmore! His breathtaking image of a Tree Swallow gracefully capturing a feather at sunrise on a serene morning has captivated our hearts and imaginations. This stunning photo perfectly captures Jessmore’s unwavering dedication to showcasing the intricate behaviors of birds in their natural habitats.

This year’s competition also saw outstanding entries that earned honorable mentions from the talented Jocelyn Anderson, Marguerite Eichelberger, and Ewa Golebiowska.

You can view all of their incredible work below.

A heartfelt thank you to all Michigan Audubon members who submitted their stunning photos! Your amazing contributions continue to inspire us and bring us closer to the birds we hold dear.

The Michigan Audubon Photography Awards is an annual contest celebrating the incredible images of Michigan birds captured by photographers, both amateur and professional. Winners are announced on July 1 each year and the winning photographer’s image appears in the Michigan Audubon member magazine, the Jack Pine Warbler.

2024 Winners & Honorable Mentions

Steve Jessmore
2024 Overall Winner
Tree Swallow

“On a very still morning in August near sunrise, I walked the 241 steps to the end of the boardwalk at Reeds Lake in East Grand Rapids. I didn’t spot anything to make me pause along the way, but as I reached the end I noticed a large feather in the lake not too far away,” Jessmore shared. “I’d seen swallows snagging and carrying feathers to line their nests a number of times, but I’d never been able to capture an image that was more than a snapshot.”

“I waited 10–15 minutes and saw swallows begin to hunt along with ducks, herons, and even an eagle,” Jessmore added. Soon, one took notice of the feather, looped around, and dived toward it. “I had a nice sequence of [photos, but] loved [this] decisive moment when it began to pick it up and its near perfect reflection in the golden, still, sunrise-lit water.”

Steve Jessmore is the winner of the 2024 Michigan Audubon Photography Awards. Photo by Steve Jessmore

Michigan Audubon Member Steve Jessmore is a celebrated photojournalist with an illustrious career spanning 35 years. He has been named Michigan Photographer of the Year five times, won the prestigious Robert F. Kennedy Photojournalism Award, and served as the Chief Photographer of the Flint Journal. His work has earned him numerous accolades on both national and international stages, with a strong emphasis on community journalism and storytelling.

In 2018, Jessmore made the transition to freelance photography. When the COVID-19 pandemic presented new challenges, he found an incredible outlet in bird photography, uncovering a profound passion that has led to this remarkable achievement.

Jocelyn Anderson
2024 Honorable Mention
Northern Flickers

Jocelyn Anderson’s photograph was taken during the spring when she encountered two male Northern Flickers engaged in a territorial chase at Nichols Arboretum in Ann Arbor. Both birds were vying for the prime territory, creating a dynamic scene that Anderson skillfully captured. Her patience and keen observation paid off, resulting in a photograph that vividly depicts the competitive nature of these birds.

Jocelyn Anderson earned an honorable mention in the 2024 Michigan Audubon Photography Awards

Michigan Audubon Member Jocelyn Anderson’s work is a celebration of the beauty of the natural world. Her focus on capturing moments of wildlife, showcasing the awe-inspiring beauty of nature, is a testament to her love for the environment. Her photographs range from dramatic moments of action to serene scenes of wildlife in their natural habitats. Her ability to encapsulate the essence of these moments, highlighting the beauty of the natural world, makes her work both captivating and educational.

Marguerite Eichelberger
2024 Honorable Mention
American Kestrel

Marguerite Eichelberger’s award-winning photo was taken on a friend’s property in Berrien Springs, where she observed American Kestrels nesting in a box. Over several mornings, she set up a chair and her camera to capture these birds as they went about their daily activities. The kestrels, known for their stunning colors and expressive faces, eventually grew accustomed to her presence. Eichelberger’s patience allowed her to document their behavior intimately, including hunting, feeding, and preening. This image, which Eichelberger titled “Time for a Pedicure,” is part of a series depicting the preening process, capturing a moment she particularly cherishes.

Marguerite Eichelberger earned an honorable mention in the 2024 Michigan Audubon Photography Awards. Photo by Dennis Hafer

Michigan Audubon Member Marguerite Eichelberger embarked on her photography journey after retiring when her husband and son gifted her a new camera. Since then, she has rarely put it down, using it to explore and learn about the world around her. Her enthusiasm for photography is boundless, and she often spends early mornings on her dock or taking walks, searching for captivating moments in nature.

Ewa Golebiowska
2024 Honorable Mention
Red-tailed Hawk

Ewa Golebiowska captured this photo during one of her visits to Kensington Metropark in Milford, a favorite birding hotspot. She noticed a Red-tailed Hawk perching right above the trail. When she stopped to take the hawk’s photo from a distance, it flew toward the marsh and returned with an American red squirrel. She zoomed in on the action, capturing the intense moment as the squirrel seemed to plead with the hawk to let it go.

Ewa Golebiowska earned an honorable mention in the 2024 Michigan Audubon Photography Awards.

Michigan Audubon Member Ewa Golebiowska is an avid bird photographer who lives and birds in Southeast Michigan. As a social scientist by training, she finds joy in the challenge of working at the intersection of art and science in bird photography. She has been chasing birds with her camera for almost eight years now.

Past Winners & Honorable Mentions

Jan Lewis
2023 Overall Winner
Sharp-tailed Grouse Battle

“The Sharp-tailed Grouse battle was captured this past March on a 2-day private workshop in the Upper Peninsula near Pickford. The grouse lek is on private land which they had permission to set up a photography blind on. We were on the lek 30 minutes prior to sunrise. The birds flew in at sunrise. The males paraded around the lek, stamping their feet, puffing out their purple air sacs. They would face off, then eventually lunge at each other. The fights generally lasted only a few seconds, but occasionally a little longer. Capturing the action required a great deal of patience, total silence, high shutter speeds, and plenty of hand and foot warmers to fight the cold temperatures!” ~ Jan Lewis

Chris Hendra
2022 Overall Winner
Song Sparrow

Hendra’s winning photograph captured the perfect moment of the Song Sparrow pausing to look at its reflection from the edge of a beaver pond in the Western Upper Peninsula. The thoughtful composition draws in the viewer, inciting introspection and a connection  with this quiet moment in nature.

Hendra is a Michigan Audubon member who hails from the Copper Country of the Upper Peninsula, where he is married with one daughter. “I have always loved being outdoors and spend the bulk of my free time pursuing Upper Michigan wildlife with my camera. I especially enjoy photographing birds in their natural habitat,” he said.