First-place
International Grand Prize:
Keith Szfranski, Livingston, MT
INTERNATIONAL GRAND
PRIZE WINNER
Wild, wild west
COSTCO MEMBER Keith Szafranski, 51,
of Livingston, Montana, captured this
rough-ridin’ action shot through some
fast shootin’. He spent six days on the
Ponderosa Ranch in Seneca, Oregon (also
Costco members), a working ranch that
also accommodates guests, during which
time he shot more than 5,000 images on
his Canon digital camera to get this shot.
“I do my best to capture scenes from
a unique point of view,” says Szafranski,
who snapped the photo while standing
on a nearby hill. “The angle just seemed
right to capture the three wranglers who
were moving saddle horses on the ranch.”
Szafranski has been studying all angles
of photography since he left his job as a
factory worker in a suburb of Milwaukee,
Wisconsin, in 1983 to become a full-time
freelance wildlife photographer.
“Back then, the only way I knew to
make a living at photography was through
working for magazines,” he explains. “I was
in my 20s and had three children, but we
packed up and moved out west, where
we’ve been ever since. Almost by mistake, I
discovered that photography shows were a
much more lucrative way to sell my work.”
He attributes the quality of this
image, as well as all his work, some of
which is available on his Web site
www.mostlywildlifephotos.com, to the time
he invests in his craft. “To some extent you
make your own luck,” he says. His diligence earned him the International Grand
Prize, a $1,500 Costco Cash Card.
—Will Fifield
36 The Costco Connection JANUARY 2006
winners from
around the world
A
B
C
D
A. United Kingdom:
Stephanie McKeon
B. Canada: Bojic Danka
C. Japan: Akinobu
Yoshihara
D. Taiwan: Shu-Hui Rao
10years of the
photo contest
In this month's Online Edition,
we take a look at our favorite
winners from the first 10 years
of the photo contest.
To see these photos, go to
costco.com, then click on
“Costco Connection.”