Photo contest finalists
A squirrel lets me get really close to it when feasting on the tree's fruit
Sarah Elsner of Itasca
We took this photo this past July while on a Safari in the Maasai Mara, Kenya. We watchedthe two lions that chased this leopard up the tree lie below. As the sun began to set we needed to leave. We just started to snap several photos as we left and were amazed to see how this one turned out.
Lynn Dunton of St. Charles
At the Bristol Renaissance Fair in Wisconsin, costumed dresses hang from a clothes line.
Abby Nierman of Mundelein.
The Ferris wheel at Navy Pier is set off by the beautiful blue sky on a sunny day.
Ashley Hamm of Arlington Heights
Sunrise on the Manitowish River in Vilas County Wisconsin on August 8th, 2009.
Mike Duda of Arlington Heights
Two Polar Bears at the Brookfield Zoo have a tender moment.
Sarah Elsner of Itasca
The American White Pelican is a rare sighting in Illinois. This flock came in to rest on a pond in Western Illinois about a mile from the Mississippi.
Bob Esbensen of Palatine
Five cousins leap into Pelican Lake in Orr, MN at sunset during a summer vacation in August. They included Nikki Dlesk, left, Taylor Dlesk, D.J. Dlesk, Clare Dlesk, and Austin Dlesk.
Anna Dlesk of Grayslake
This picture was taken in Door County, Wisconsin. This photo shows my dog Bailey relaxing on the golden Lake Michigan beach.
Brendan McGee of Batavia
This photo was taken the Metea Valley High School Sophomore team home opener.
Larry Pearlman of Naperville
A sea otter thrives following 10 years of recovery in Prince William Sound, Alaska.
Arthur Ott of Vernon Hills