CENTERVILLE —
A Mystic woman enrolled at Indian Hills Community College in Centerville had only entered one photography contest in her life — Photographer's Forum magazine's annual college photo contest — and for two straight years her photos were selected as finalists in that contest.
Natalie Close in 2011 entered a photograph of a ripe ear of corn she found on her father, Wendell Tait's, farm in Appanoose County. Close said she took the photo in the fall of 2010 while out gathering stalks she was going to use as a prop for a child's photo she was going to take.
"And I had taken my camera with me and I was just walking around just taking pictures and I just happened to notice the light coming down and it was catching the corn and I liked the color there and it just caught my eye," Close said. "And so I snapped a couple shots using different depth of fields.
"It was kind of nice that this came from his farm," Close said of her father who passed away from cancer in April 2010.
This year Close entered a close-up of a dragonfly she photographed in her front yard using a macro lens. The insect was perched on a branch of an evergreen tree in the summer of 2011.
"And I kind of looked and I'm like, 'Whoa, there's a dragonfly,'" Close said. "And he wasn't moving and I thought he was dead. And then he kind of moved a little bit. And I thought, 'Well, I think he's sitting there because it's so hot outside. So I went in real quick and got my camera and changed to my macro lens and I'm thinking it was because of the heat. He was just kind of posing there. I didn't go out looking going, 'Oh, can I find a dragonfly to take a picture of.' I just saw him and there he was."
In 2011, Photographer's Forum annual magazine photo contest, open to students from around the world, received more than 13,900 entries. This year, more than 18,000 photos were submitted.
Close submitted between three and five photos for the contest in 2011 and 2012.
Photos selected as finalists can go on to earn higher honors. Finalist and higher honor photos are published yearly in a hard-bound book Photographer's Forum magazine distributes to college libraries, photography, art and design instructors and to contributors.
"In here you've got photographers from all universities, art institutes, all these different places all over the world," Close said. "So a lot of art students, photography students, they just try hard to make it to this finalist level. I think it's not only nice for me but it's nice for Centerville and Indian Hills Community College.
"But I guess for me, to make it to this finalist stage is an honor. When you consider how many entries they have," Close said.
Close said she estimated between 10-12 percent of the photos submitted are selected as finalists based on the number of photos published in Publisher's Forum hard-bound book.
"My little Iowa corn and my little dragonfly, I'm not sure how they got selected but I'm not going to argue with them," Close said. "It's a joy to look through here (the Publisher's Forum hard-bound book). They're just amazing pictures.
"I feel it's an honor just to make it to this stage, just to be a finalist, just to be published," Close said. "And I think it's a great opportunity to toot the horn for Indian Hills here in Centerville, too. And to have done it for two years in a row, you could've just knocked me over with a feather."
Close said she uses a Canon Rebel series camera with an upgraded, faster lens.
"I got the best that I could get without spending thousands of dollars," Close said.
Yet, Close is no stranger to photography as she does some high school senior, wedding and baby photos. She does make a little bit of money.
"The only money I've made is to support my hobby," Close said.
Entering her first contest has been a learning experience for Close.
"This was my first contest and I didn't know if they wanted something more natural," Close said. "Then after I saw the different finalists I thought, 'Oh my gosh, it's all over the board.'"
Close has access to Photoshop to alter her photos but decided to keep them mostly untouched.
"If you really want to be good you have to really understand and learn photography. How to use your camera," Close said. "If you want to control your photography, you really have to know it."
Close said she worked for Alliant Energy in Centerville for 17 years but after reorganization she and others lost their job. That's when she decided to go back to school.
Close entered IHCC in Centerville and took some photography classes. Close earned an Associate of Arts degree at IHCC with honors and is currently taking online classes with William Penn to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management.
Close works for MTI in Moulton as a trainer.
Close is on Facebook at nataliesreflections.
Local News
Related Photos
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The dragonfly Natalie Close photographed was with a macro lens in the summer or 2011. The insect was perched on an evergreen branch in her front yard in Mystic. Submitted photo
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Natalie Close's photo of this ear of corn was taken on her father's farm while she was out gathering corn stalks to be used as a prop for a child's photo shoot. Submitted photo
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Mystic resident Natalie Close during a visit to the Daily Iowegian Thursday, Feb. 9. Photo by Michael Schaffer/Daily Iowegian
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Mystic woman goes 2-for-2 in photo contest
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