Congratulations to Max Vandersteen, whose winning photograph, taken in Olympic National Park, Washington, is titled “Wilderness Portal.”
It presents a man-made bridge crossing a river and transitioning, through wilderness, to an open space within the forest. Yet, like poetry, what lies beyond the obvious is unknown until explored, which is what the bridge invites us to do. It also portends the transition of time from summer to autumn, and suggests nature’s ongoing changes to the landscape.
Well done, Max!