Photo contest finalists
This image of a desert plant was taken at the Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago.
Nick Nichols of Wheaton
Vibrant yellow color covers the Mojave Desert in California as fog blankets the surrounding mountains.
Peter Hill of Long Grove
A bonfire casts a shdow on a playground set and the children playing near it at a home in Hawthorne Woods.
Abby Nierman of Mundelein
This photo was shot using a 4x5 view camera on Kodak Portra 160NC film. I scanned the negative on a Epson V700 scanner.
Sylvia Krzysztofek of Carpentersville
While I was walking along a creek near our house I saw a ripple in the water. After a brief moment, this mink came walking out of the grass along the other side of the water. He took one look at me then kept on heading down stream looking for breakfast.
Bob Williams of Huntley
An alligator floats in a pond as seen from a bike path boardwalk on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina.
Sue Casper of Arlington Heights
This photo is titled "Big Tease."
Cathy Godfrey of Wheaton
This is a Great Blue Heron with its fresh catch that I captured on October 10th at the Naperville Riverwalk.
Stosh Walsh of Wheaton
Two runners in the 2009 Chicago Marathon Marathon run the race as characters from the Flintstones as they pass the 7.5 mile mark near the intersection of Addison & Broadway.
Vickie Lombardo of Palatine
Eyeglasses lay on the kitchen counter as early morning sunlight comes through the window striking them and creating a long shadow.
Keith Edmonson of Mt. Prospect
This photo was taken in backyard during a powerful storm. As the bolts of lightning scattered across the night sky, the loud roar of thunder echoed throughout the area.
Brendan McGee of Batavia