I entered these photos in the Best of Photojournalism international contest sponsored by the National Press Photographers Association. All photos copyright Kent Miller, 2010.

Cute Cub: A grizzly bear cub pauses while foraging for berries at Denali National Park and Preserve.

Mt.McKinley Ascent: Climbers begin their long journey up Mt. McKinley in Denali National Park and Preserve near base camp a Kahiltna Galcier at 4,200 feet. Climbers must fly to base camp to begin their journey. The climb takes an average of 17 days. In 2010, 670 climbers attempted the climb. There were 2 fatalities and 38 rescue missions by the National Park Service.  Weather conditions near the top of the 20,000 plus foot peak prevent about half of the climbers from making it to the summit.

Threading the Ice: A visitor to Kenai Fjords National Park admires the fallout from the calving of Bear Glacier.

Glacier Grandeur: Sea kayakers enjoy an up close view of Aialik Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska. The glacier is accessible by boat and is about 40 miles from Seward, Alaska.

Stretch: Dall sheep rams rest stretch atop a mountain in Denali National Park and Preserve. The Alaska Mountain Range looms in the background.

Beachline Beast: A strange animal face appears on the coastline of Lake Clark in Lake Clark National Park in Alaska. The park is one of the most remote in the country because it is only accessible by small plane.

Serenity: Upper Twin Lake in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve is scenic and undisturbed. The park is only accessible via float plane. Most visitors fly from Anchorage which is over 100 miles away.

Minnow Delight: A magpie pauses with a minnow while feeding along Brooks River in Katmai National Park.

Her Main Squeeze: Pamela Westbrook performs with her python outside Webster Hall in New York City entertaining the waiting crowd before the Andrew WK show titled, “The Most Interesting Show in the World.”

Alice in Manhattan: The White Rabbit, right and the Mad Hatter spontaneously pose on the subway in Manhattan, New York on the eve of Halloween.

Reflection: K. Shubeck arrives on land at Upper Twin Lake in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. K. spends has spent the last 11 summers at Spike’s cabin as a volunteer national park ranger for the national park service. K. and her husband, Monroe, take care of three remote cabins on the lake and welcome visitors. The highlight of the area is Dick Proenneke’s cabin which was made famous by his books and films. Proenneke spent 30 years by himself before he became ill in 1999. Upper Twin Lake is so remote that the only way to reach it is by float plane.

Scanning for Schools: A fisherman looks for schools of fish as he directs his partner before dropping their net in Charlotte Amalie Harbor in St. Thomas U.S. Virgin Islands.

Peering at the Package: A nude twelve-foot-tall statue attracts the attention of two visitors to the Time Warner Center Mall in Manhattan, New York.  Fernando Botero’s “Adam” has provided a titillating temptation to passers-by. There is so much fondling going on that Adam’s package has turned golden, making it stand out against the darker brown of the rest of the statue.

Joyful Jump: Betsy Miller, 10, jumps from a deck chair aboard Celebrities Equinox during a trip to the Caribbean. At right is her brother Jamie, 7.

Remote Reunion: K. Shubeck embraces her daughter at Upper Twin Lake in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. K. spends has spent the last 11 summers at Spike’s cabin as a volunteer for the national park service. K. had not seen her daughter in two months. K. and her husband, Monroe, take care of three remote cabins on the lake and welcome visitors. The highlight of the area is Dick Proenneke’s cabin which was made famous by his books and films. Proenneke spent 30 years by himself before he became ill in 1999. Upper Twin Lake is so remote that the only way to reach it is by float plane.

Violinist in Red: Irene Fong of New York City, plays the violin in the stairway of Webster Hall in New York City. Fong, a struggling musician, worked the Andrew WK gig titled, “The Most Interesting Show in the World.”

The Ice Sisters: Hannah and Elsa, “The Ice Sisters,”  awe the crowd with their aerial contortionism at Webster Hall in New York City during the Andrew WK show titled, “The Most Interesting Show in the World.” The free event alternatively featured circus acts and rock songs performed by Andrew WK.

In August of 2009 I was awared the Grand Prize for the Pure Michigan Professional Photo Contest. 50 photographers competed nationwide for each of ten spots. Each of the ten photographers photographed in their respective designated locations in the state for four months. I submitted a portfolio of 30 images from the Flint and Genesee County area. The judges included a National Geographic photographer, the editor of Outdoor Photographer and the photo editor of Arizona.

Below are the 30 photographs I submitted that won the contest and a $5,000 prize. Twelve photos are in the first pages of the book. To order the book click here.

Central Michigan University students had a great year at the Michigan Press Photographers Association annual Pictures of the Year contest. Sarah Miller won College Photographer of the Year. This is the first time in several years that CMU has won this honor. Alex Stawinski won 3rd place CPOY and Dan Stewart won HM CPOY. CMU students also won four awards compteting with professional photojournalists from thoughout the state. Of special note is 1st place illustration by Libby March, who is just beginning the photojournalism program and is currently taking Basic Media Photography, the first class in the photojournalism sequence. See the slideshow above for more.

I met Sue Morrow back in 1986 when I was taking an intermediate photojournalism class at Indiana Univeristy. She was the president of the local student chapter of NPPA. I remember going to a portfolio critique that she had helped plan. It was photojournalist Pat McDonough from the Louisville Courier Journal critiquing student portfolios. I was the last student he saw that night. He ripped my portfolio apart. He hated it. It was a real awakening for me. I walked out with tears in my eyes. Sue called me the next day to see if I was OK. She helped me through a tough time. That’s when you realize you are not as good as you think. That just because you made a photograph, it has merit. Pat McDonough helped me begin a career in photojournalism.

Sue is now the Deputy Director of Photography at the Sacromento Bee. I just re-connected with her on Facebook after 22 years.  She just looked over my work and helped me decide on the above entries. Thanks Sue!