Bow hunter takes first place in photo competition

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Collin Schmidt
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  Kirk Clark, 341st Medical Operations Squadron exercise physiologist, was recently named the winner of the 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs Quarterly Amateur Photo Contest themed "Outdoor Adventures."

His photo was selected from 20 competition entrees and was taken while on a camping trip with friends in the deep woodlands of Montana.

Clark, who has been an amateur photographer for years, was very excited and humbled to win the competition.

"I am very glad to have won the competition," he said. "A lot went into capturing this photograph, but there was one picture that I saw, and said to myself, 'this is the winner.'"

As humble as Clark is, he said the technical aspects of capturing a photograph like this can be hard to achieve. A slow shutter speed was used to portray the richness of the night sky and the glow of tent in the trees above was captured by using a flashlight to literally paint the picture with light.

Nature is one of the things he loves most, and his experience as a bow hunter has given him a vision as an outdoors photographer.

"I've always spend a tremendous amount of time outdoors," Clark said. "Every year I spend many months outside. [Photography] just evolved in a way that I invested in a camera body, and lenses and just learned how to take a photograph.

"The picture really does capture 'Outdoor Adventures,' he said. "I thought it turned out to be a really cool photo. I am grateful my photograph was selected to be the winner in this competition, but I have to say there are some very talented photographers around here that are amazing at what they do, and they have the pictures to prove it."

Along with a certificate and coin for a first place entry, Clark's winning photograph will remain on display on the official Malmstrom Air Force Base Facebook website.