TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. — Hope spent much of her childhood in her backyard in Tarpon Springs, observing pets and critters scurrying around moist grass.
Soon, she felt the urge to capture nature’s happenings.
“From bugs to large mammals, each critter plays their part in the puzzle of mother nature and is worth protecting,” the student at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in Saint Kitts and Nevis wrote in an email.
Hope Bartlin, 25, is the first-place winner of the "waterscapes" category in the annual Florida State Parks photo contest “Capture the Real Florida.”
The contest provides an opportunity for people to “explore their favorite parks and win prizes for future adventures,” the Florida Department of Environmental Protection said in a news release.
The agency selected semifinalists and placed them into three photography divisions — professional/hobbyist, student and mobile phone. Each division included 12 photo categories highlighting specific picture features and subjects.
Bartlin’s “It Never Ceases” photo was featured in the “waterscapes” category. It captures scenes from Hillsborough River State Park.
“[It} is my most visited park in FL, it's just beautiful rain or shine,” Bartlin said.
The photo was taken on an overcast day, which Bartlin says was a perfect opportunity to capture the flow of the water.
Bartlin also champions living in the moment and appreciating everything around her — for as long as it lasts.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says if populations were to double in the next 40 years, 1.6 million acres of woodland and wetland habitats could become “more isolated and degraded.”
Bartlin was shocked her photo was chosen as the best among the dozens that participated in the competition.
“I was happy enough simply to reach the top 10,” Bartlin said. “I wouldn't have been able to be the judge, there were too many phenomenal photos.”
