Daily Herald photo contest winners for January 2025
January was a wild month for the Daily Herald’s amateur photo contest.
Robert Donges of Wauconda soars to the top spot this month with this striking photo of a rock formation taken while on a fall trip to Arizona. He writes, “Why do I like it? If you look hard enough you will see a profile of Jesus. His hair and beard are beautifully carved out of the Navajo sandstone. This sandstone is known for its vibrant red and orange colors, which are intensified by the sunlight filtering through the narrow opening above.”
Coming in second is Randy Chapman’s photo of one of the critically endangered Bornean orangutans at the Tampa Zoo. The South Elgin resident writes, “I love the wisdom in his eyes and how relaxed and content he seems.”
In the third spot is this photo by Michael W. Noonan of Arlington Heights of an adult bald eagle that captures both its piercing stare and the soft details of its feathers.
While on a river tour in Costa Rica last winter, Don Haraf of Elmhurst spotted this crocodile lying on the beach and soaking up the hot sun. This photo, taking the fourth spot, shows the hard, brown armor of the reptile’s body with spots of green. He writes, “It made me grateful I was not in the water.”
Contest rules
The Daily Herald invites readers to submit their own photos to our “Your Images” amateur photo contest.
Once a month, we showcase entries, which feature one first-place winner and three runners-up. The contest is open to everyone in the Daily Herald readership area.
• To submit a photo of your own for consideration, email it in .jpg format at highest quality possible to yourimages@dailyherald.com.
• Include your name, mailing address and phone number, plus a detailed description of your photo. Remember to include what you like about it.
• One photo a week per photographer, but enter as many weeks as you’d like.
• First-place winners will receive prizes alternating between The Great Frame Up in Schaumburg and PJ’s Camera in Glen Ellyn.