Daily Herald photo contest winners for September 2025

Rick Remington of Arlington Heights takes the top spot with a photo that he titled, “Graceful Catch in Flight.” The Arlington Heights resident writes, “Just happened to catch the moment the egret caught the fish. If I blinked, I would have missed this photo opportunity.”

In second place, a well-composed photo by Sherry Lajiness of Tower Lakes captures the fine details of the hawk’s sharp maneuvers flying close over a pair of crows, perched on a curved tree branch.

While on a recent trip to the Mendenhall Glacier near Juneau, Alaska, Christine Ernat came upon a porcupine perched in a tree, grabbing a bit of lunch. The Lombard resident writes, “Fortunately, it was not bothered by all of us on the boardwalk watching and it did finally manage to grasp the desired branch after several attempts.”

Coming in fourth place is a photo by Elgin’s Marianne Perez of a butterfly enjoying a zinnia in her niece’s flower garden.

Honorable mention goes to Ellie Potts of Wheaton for her close-up photo showing the fine details on an ant, perched on a rock amid the small green shoots.

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 that 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. Please remove any date stamps on the photo.

• Include your name, mailing address and phone number, plus a detailed description of your photo. Remember to include a sentence or two on what you like about it and your hometown.

• 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.