Schaumburg man wins Brookfield Zoo photo contest

A Schaumburg man who captured a stirring image of a green heron at the Brookfield Zoo has won the grand prize in the Chicago Zoological Society’s 2013 Photo Contest.

For his win, Randolph Badiola received an American Airlines voucher for round-trip tickets for himself and a companion to any destination within the contiguous 48 states, Canada, the Caribbean, and Mexico served directly by the airline.

The Chicago Zoological Society, which manages Brookfield Zoo, received more than 400 entries for the contest, which seeks the best photos taken on the zoo grounds. A panel of professional photographers judged the submissions, from which they selected a grand prize winner and first-, second- and third-place winners in two categories: adult and child (11 and under).

Winners in the adult category were Mario Cortez of Sandwich, first place; Jim Klepac of Oak Lawn, second place; and Alice Jacobs of Olympia Fields, third place. Tom Morris of Bartlett and Katie Ramirez of Darien each received an honorable mention.

Winners in the child category were Vincent Gallichio of Elmhurst, first place; Daria Tersina of Mount Prospect, second place; and Jamie Smith of Chicago, third place.

The winning photos are on display in Brookfield Zoo’s Discovery Center lobby and also online at www.CZS.org/PhotoContest.