Local photographer advances in prestigious photo contest

A picture is worth a thousand words, but for one local photographer, it could soon be worth a lot more than that, as Tyler Smiley has had two photos selected to advance to the final round of the prestigious Bird Photographer of the Year competition.

“I saw an email come through from them requesting high-resolution files for one or more images I entered in the contest, and it didn’t register what that meant at first, to be honest,” Smiley said, adding that he had to re-read the email a few times before realizing he had advanced to the final round of judging.

Smiley entered a variety of bird images into the competition, including an osprey, pelican and screech owl. The two selected for the final round, however, were both of a smaller species – sanderlings. One of the images was captured at Fowler Beach in Milford, and the other at Cape Henlopen State Park, Lewes.

Since it is a global competition, Smiley said even if he doesn’t place or advance further, he can take pride in the fact he made it this far. “It is no small feat to reach this round of the competition, that’s for sure. When I entered, I don’t think I could have ever expected it, but I am extremely proud that it happened,” he said.

The Bird Photographer of the Year is an annual competition that was conceived to celebrate the amazing array of bird species found around the world. It features several categories, including black-and-white, best bird portrait, bird behavior and more.

For more information on the competition, go to birdpoty.com. To view more of Smiley’s work or purchase his prints, go to tylersmileyphotography.com.