Comment by Valentino Martinez on January 11, 2012 at 2:48am

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Photo Contest - Grand-Prize Winner and Nature W...

Photo and caption by Shikhei Goh

Arrows of rain seem to pelt a dragonfly in Indonesia's Riau Islands in Shikhei Goh's winning image, "Splashing."

A sudden rainstorm left Goh with a tough decision: Get his camera wet, or take advantage of the "superb lighting," he wrote with his submission to the 2011 National Geographic Photography Contest.

He took the picture, resulting in a "very striking macrophotography image that rose to the top of the nature category for me because of its originality, beautiful light, rare action in a close-up image, as well as its technical perfection," said Tim Laman, one of three National Geographic magazine photographers who judged the contest.

"You can almost feel the dragonfly's experience of bracing itself against the weather," said judge Amy Toensing. "When I look at it, I want to say, Hold on tight little buddy!"

The insect's plight also appealed to judge Peter Essick, who said the photograph gives the dragonfly a "character us humans can relate to."

"It's rare indeed to see a photograph that causes the viewer to feel a bond with a member of the animal world seemingly," Essick said, "but maybe not, so unlike our own."

Comment by Valentino Martinez on January 11, 2012 at 6:02pm

@Denise,

I too was struck by the beauty and meaningfulness of this photo as well. 

 

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