This month’s Readers Photo Challenge was to take pictures of our fine feathered (and furred) friends.
Animals were the subject and some readers looked to their domestic counterparts to photograph. Their task was to capture some of the personalities of their pets. Others looked to wildlife for their subjects to catch wild animals in their natural habitats.
Sixteen readers sent in 82 photos. Here are the top picks.
First place goes to Joseph Torres of South Pasadena. He took a photo of his cat Lulu, and got two for the price of one.
With his Apple iPhone 123 Pro, Torres caught Lulu sitting on a ledge looking out of a window in his home office. Morning light poured in through the window illuminating the feline. Combined with the shadows outside, the window became mirror-like and reflected a perfect image of Lulu effectively making it look like there were twin cats in Torres’ image.
Moris Senegor of Stockton gets second place for his shot of a northern harrier in flight. The photo was taken while Senegor was visiting the Lower Klamath Wildlife Refuge in far Northern California, near the Oregon border.
Senegor was armed with a Nikon Z9 digital mirrorless camera equipped with a Nikon 800mm telephoto lens. Still, the birds were difficult to photograph as they fly low, fast and erratically. He got a close up shot of one of the birds as it soared by. Its outstretched wings diagonally bisects the frame helping to bring the viewers’ eyes to the bird’s face. Its steely eyes search for some tasty prey.
Senegal’s image is sharp as a tack, revealing wonderful detail in the bird’s plumage.
Third-place recipient Carolyn Silva of Jackson saw a doe and its two offspring passing through a field behind her home.
From the deck at the back of her house she used a Nikon D7500 DSLR camera with a 70-300mm lens, Silva waited for the trio of deer to reach an old tree. Perhaps alerted to Silva’s prescience they deer stopped at the tree in a statuesque pose. The gnarled branches to the tree frame the deer from above. The light green of the grassy field gives the scene color and contrasts against the neutral color of the tree and deer.
Cats often play or even nap in small and unusual places such as bags or boxes. Cynthia Barker of Stockton used an Apple iPhone 14 to photograph her daughter’s cat Jingle Belle as it peeked out from under an opened umbrella at her daughter’s home.
While doing some work in her garden, Joan Erreca of Stockton got a little “help” from her corgi Riley. While doing the yardwork, Riley rested under a nearby bush to “supervise” Erreca. She used an Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max to capture her dog’s “don’t-you-judge-me” look.
For first place Torres receives an 16×20 print from UlmerPhoto and a $25 dining gift card. Senegor gets a 11×14 print for second and third place goes to Silva with an 8×10 print.
All the entries can be seen in an online gallery at recordnet.com. A new challenge will be issued on March 17, 2026.
This article originally appeared on The Record: Readers’ photo challenge highlights pets and wildlife
Reporting by Clifford Oto, The Stockton Record / The Record
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
