Cantigny picks best photos of year

Visitors to Wheaton's Cantigny Park have selected three grand prize winners in the museum's 2009 Cantigny in Focus amateur photo contest.

The winners are:

First Place Mary Lemak of Batavia for her artfully composed detail of the Robert R. McCormick Museum, peeking through a blooming magnolia.

Second Place Lauren Fox of Glen Ellyn for capturing a feeding ruby-throated hummingbird.

Third Place Allan Delosreyes of Romeoville for his image of the McCormick Museum and south reflecting pool.

The winning shots were among 20 finalists chosen by Cantigny judges and displayed at the park throughout 2010. Visitors were invited to vote for their favorites.

The top three photographers receive a Cantigny gift card of $100, $75 or $50. All finalists were awarded a Cantigny annual parking pass.

“Our visitors love taking pictures, and they do an impressive job of capturing the beauty and diversity of Cantigny,” said Matt LaFond, Cantigny Park executive director. “The contest is our way of sharing their fine work with a wider audience.”

Cantigny in Focus is an annual event for amateur photographers that began in 2006. Submitted images must be from the grounds of Cantigny in Wheaton, the 500-acre former estate of Robert R. McCormick and part of the McCormick Foundation.

The 2009 contest attracted 125 entries and nearly 1,000 images.

On Feb. 4, 2011, the top 20 images from the 2010 edition of Cantigny in Focus will go on display at the park. The three prize winners again will be determined by the public, with voting conducted throughout 2011.