Winning images of our weekly photo contest

Wears Valley Ranch, Wears Valley, TN. It was taken in the Great Smoky Mountains 3 years ago John Prickett of Hampshire

This is a picture of an autumn joy sedum plant covered with painted lady butterflies. This was taken in Custer State Park in South Dakota about two weeks ago. The butterflies were migrating through the area and were stopping off to refuel. For about five days the butterflies were everywhere. Milton Hoskins of Hampshire

This image was taken to create a possible visual experience of a bird during its flight.The effect was created placing the camera on a tripod and using a relatively long exposure time of 1/10 sec. During this time the telephoto lens ring was rotated to zoom out to create this visual effect of speed, by rotating away from the bird house. The flying bird was later merged in this photo from a separate image, by using the technique of selection, cut and paste using Photoshop. Dushyant (Pat) Patel of Glen Ellyn

Woke up to this beautiful sunrise on the Turtle Flambeau Flowage. Colette Parzygnat of Lombard

As I stopped to stretch a bit on my return bike ride along the DuPage prairie path, I spied this stately heron also taking a rest. What really attracted me, is the complete reflection of the heron as well as the background.A moment of true awe! Mary Ellen McAleese of Wheaton

I was walking in the neighborhood very early one morning just when the fog was lifting and saw this huge beautiful spider web attachedto a tree. The web was so full of morning dew (you can see it better if the picture is cropped a little) that it looked like it was decorated with silver beads. Of course, with caution I looked for its' maker, but didn't see it. Maybe that was a good thing..... Cheryl Mauzer of Huntley

A sunset over a bay in Alaska last July.This is the final submission from Butch Law who passed away on September 16, 2017."I am submitting a photograph on behalf of my friend, Butch Law, from Des Plaines. Butch was an amazing amateur photographer who made numerous submissions to your contest throughout the years and even won on a few occasions. He was very proud to have his photography featured in your paper," wrote his friend Eddy Williams. Butch Law of Des Plaines

A bug's view of an amaryllis in a Des Plaines garden last August. The setting sun illuminated the flower. Ken Juranek of Des Plaines

Chicago Cubs fans are silhouetted at a June game at Wrigley Field in Chicago Lynne Solway of Buffalo Grove

Ryan Newman of Round Lake Beach feeds a pig swimming in the ocean in the Bahamas on August 31. Roy Newman of Round Lake Beach

A daytime moon hangs in the sky as a plane takes off from O'Hare International Airport in Chicago on May 7. Jim Huskey of Libertyville

Beautiful fall colors spread across the Stoneman Bridge over the Merced River in Yosemite National Park during October 2016. Mike Stone of Round Lake Beach