Meet the 2010/2011 Judges

Larry Ditto

Larry Ditto is a full time nature photographer based in McAllen, Texas. His background includes a Wildlife Science degree from Texas A&M University and 29 years in the National Wildlife Refuge System. By bringing his wildlife and habitat conservation experience and nature photography together, Larry teaches and critiques photography from a unique perspective. His work appears regularly in Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine, Texas Highways, Bird Watcher's Digest, Birds and Blooms, Texas Wildlife and many other magazines, calendars and books. He has judged several major photography competitions, including the Valley Land Fund's "South Texas Shootout", Images for Conservation's Pro Tour Contest, and the Coastal Bend Land Trust's Wildlife Photography Contest. You can read more about Larry's photography workshops, instructional photo tours and photography by visiting his web site at www.larryditto.com.

Mike Sloat

Mike is currently an aircraft Safety Inspector for the Federal Aviation Administration. Mike is also a decorated 36-year career military pilot, he has traded in his wings now, translating his enthusiasm for flying into being an avid photographer. It was more than 45 years ago that Mike picked up his first camera, a Kodak Box Camera that used 120 black and white film. Mike has always had an interest in photographing anything that was flying, walking, crawling or swimming.

The Kodak Box Camera is sadly long-gone, replaced now with an assortment of Nikon equipment to include a Nikon D700, D300 and D7000 for his digital work, and an F100 film Camera for black and white infrared. He captures stunning landscapes with a 10.5 mm lens, and uses a 600 mm to be up close and personnel with the wildlife he enjoys photographing.

A photograph occurs in a fraction of a second when the photographer releases the shutter. With his images, Mike takes the viewer to that magical place and space in time. Through sharing these images, Mike hopes to motivate others to appreciate, preserve and protect our environment for our future generations. Mike's images are a representation of his ideals not only in regard to nurturing our environment, but also in respect for all those animals that are flying, walking, crawling or swimming. The wildlife in Mike's images are not tamed, caged, nor are they from game farms. No animals are harmed in any way and they are left to live in their environment.

Mike's work has been featured in such publications as Texas Highways, Nature Photography, Audubon, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Texas Monthly, Travel Host magazines, Corpus Christi Convention & Visitors Bureau, International Crane Foundation Bugle Magazine and Windsport Magazine. Most of the images are from Texas, but some are from Alaska, Colorado, Oklahoma, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Washington D.C. and New Mexico.

Micheal Sloat
Senior Aviation Safety Manager
Manufacturing Inspection Office, ASW180
Phone 817.222.5175, Fax 817.222.5136

Karine Aigner

Karine Aigner is a freelance photo editor and photographer with over twelve years of industry experience. As the Senior Photo Editor at National Geographic Kids and Little kids magazines for almost nine years Karine's specialty and love is wildlife and natural history imagery; she has a keen eye for "sense of place" and storytelling imagery and is always looking for new ways of showing the natural world to the world.

An affiliate member of the International League of Conservation Photographers and a member of NANPA, Karine is an accomplished photographer whose work is centered on wildlife, conservation issues, and animal portraiture. With a recent spread of her African Wild Dogs in the German publication GEOlino, Karine works with and has been published by BBC Wildlife, Africa Geographic, National Geographic Kids and Little Kids magazine, Ranger Rick, Parents Magazine, Hoerzu, National Geographic Children's books, Nationalgeographic.com, ILCP and The Nature Conservancy. Karine also works selectively with nonprofit wildlife organizations to further their message. Her photography is represented by National Geographic Image Collection and TandemStock.

Karine's passion is Africa. Working with choice talented guides, Karine leads unique and intimate photographic experiences into the African bush.

She is also a workshop teacher and organizer, teaching children and adults how to "see the world around them in a different way," at National Geographic Photo Camps. A guest speaker and lecturer, Karine speaks to the value of, and philosophy behind a "good" image, and what photo editors want to see.

Karine, when not in the wilds and home in Washington, DC, can sometimes be found at the National Zoo trying to eek out an amazing animal portrait!

www.karineaigner.com