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April 2026 NEWFOUNDLAKELIFE.COM Page 11 Community
Through the Lens: Alexandria’s Conservation Photo Challenge
By doNNa rhodes
After a one-year hiatus, the seventh annual photo contest sponsored by the Alexandria Con- servation Commission was back this year, and on February 25th, entrants were invited to a recep- tion at the Town Offices, where all the entries were displayed and this year’s winners were announced.
Starting the presentation was commission chairwoman Jennifer Tuthill, who first explained that after submitting photos the com- mission had gathered over the past year to their judge Tom Guilmette, she found four others that had been overlooked. In all 42 photos of the nature of the Lakes Re- gion, all taken by non-professional photographers, were submitted, but when the last four were sent to him, he had to rethink his de- cisions, and that finally ended in a two-way tie for first place.
“There were some great pho- tos, and it was really difficult to go through them all,” he admitted.
Among the entries were shots taken of songbirds, ducks, eagles, butterflies, insects, flowers, wild animals, and much more; all were beautiful representations of nature found in central New Hampshire
But finally, catching Guilmette’s professional eye were four in par- ticular, captured in a great manner by the cameras.
Tuthill announced that Third Place this year went to Harry Moulton. Moulton said he often spends time along the Pemigewas- sett River, where one day he spot- ted an egret looking for a meal. Just upriver was a flock of merganser ducks who were also fishing, and the hungry egret had wisely moved downstream to let the ducks push bait fish down to him.
With his camera at the ready, Moulton managed to capture a beautiful photo of the large bird, with cardinal flowers on each side, as it waited to grab a bite to eat.
Guilmette said he loved the reflection of the white egret in the water and the fact that it was framed by the brilliant red flowers and aquatic greenery.
“It’s really hard to get a shot like that,” he praised.
Coming in Second Place was Ron MacLean’s lovely photo of a Spangled Flattary (or Great Span- gled) Butterfly feasting on nectar
Stephen Potter, Ron MacLean, and Harry Moulton were pleased to display their winning photographs in the Photo Contest conducted by the Alexandria Conservation Commission. Photo by Donna Rhodes
Besides praise, Guilmette, a professional videographer and photographer, also offered a few tips for recreational photographers looking to photograph wildlife and other subjects.
Later this spring or summer the Conservation Commission said they will be inviting him back to conduct a class on cell phone pho- tography. The public is encouraged to keep an eye on the town’s web- site for details about the class so they can join Guilmette. The tips he will offer just may make some- one a winner in next year’s com- petition, which will be focused on “Landscapes, Barnyards, and Ev- erything in Between.”
In the meantime the four 2025 winning photos will remain on dis- play in the Alexandria Town Of- fice Meeting Room for all to enjoy throughout the year. Anyone inter- ested in purchasing a calendar of those photos and others submitted can be made available by contact- ing the Conservation Commission with their request.
from a purple beebalm plant. Ron is also an artisan who carves beau- tiful wooden spoons to sell at local marketplaces, and said that when he isn’t carving spoons, he grabs his camera and goes for a walk.
Guilmette was pleased with the photo he entered in the contest.
“I liked this one a lot,” he said. “I loved the sunlight coming through the wings- I love things that are backlit like this!”
Lastly, the two other photos he really appreciated were awarded First Place.
Stephen Potter’s photo of a female hummingbird quickly cap- tured Guilmette’s eye. Potter said he was living in Laconia at the time of the shot and had planted hon- eysuckle in his garden to draw in hummingbirds. Over time he was
able to capture hundreds of photos of them as they dipped their beaks in the conical flowers. But, what made this one shot in particular really stand out, the judge said, were the distinct details shown of its feathers as the bird hovered with its beak inserted in a blossom.
“You usually see photos of them at the artificial red plastic feeders so it was really cool to see this one at a honeysuckle. This was very well done,” said Guilmette.
Tying the hummingbird for First Place was another Harry Moulton photo of a mother deer and her fawn. Moulton humbly gave credit to his wife for spotting the pair on their way home from Meredith one day.
“They were in a swampy area when she saw them, and she told
me I should turn back, so I did,” he said.
As he snuck up on them and waited for the right moment to click his camera, that turn around she suggested ended up in a beau- tiful photo of the two deer.
“I just love the reflection of them in the water,” praised the judge.
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