Bryan Putnam of Art Sublimina Photography recently announced his photography has been recognized with national and international awards.

Putnam's photograph Dandelion Head has been included in The 2023 Audubon Photography Awards: Top 100, according to a news release. The photo of a juvenile green heron ranked No. 38 on the list. In addition, he has been named 2023 Cape Fear Living Magazine’s Photographer of the Year. To round out these achievements, three of his photographs have been selected as finalists in the Bird Photographer of the Year 2023 competition.

Putnam (pictured at right), a North Carolina native, lives in Wilmington.

"Growing up, he was always fascinated with art, wildlife, and composition. His eye was always taking in lines and color and seeing arrangements and connections," the release stated. "He is utterly fascinated with the interconnectedness of all things and how he, we, fit into it."
 
The 2023 Audubon Photography Awards received almost 9,000 photographs from more than 2,200 individuals from the United States and Canada, according to the release. Audubon recognizes photographers in categories such as amateur, professional, youth, plants for birds, female birds, video, the Fisher Prize to the photograph with the highest score in originality and artistic merit, and a grand prize.

“One of my favorite experiences in my time as a photographer was spending time with two fledgling green herons on Greenfield Lake last summer," Putnam said in the release. "This moment was magical for me, and ultimately, I was witness to this beauty flying away from the nest for the first time to a nearby tree. The experience is what these photos are all about.”

According to the release, Cape Fear Living holds an annual photography contest that looks for the best photographs and photographers that capture the Coastal Cape Fear Region. The juror and editor-in-chief chose photographs based on beauty and composition and selections came down to the photographer's unique perspective and diversity in approach, the release stated.