Cupertino's Ichiro 'Mike' Asao Takes 2nd in Photo Contest

It's amazing what you can do when inspired—and when those moments come when we are going about our everyday routines.

The Los Altos-based Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District announced the winners of its Third Annual Digital Photo Contest. Some of the winners came upon the inspiration for their images while on a regular walk.

"It makes me happy to create something that others can enjoy," said Vaibhav Tripathi of Stanford, the grand prize winner.

Tripathi won for his image of wildflowers at Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve. He told the open space district he was struck by the beauty of wildflowers waving in the breeze while hiking on a windy day. He had to wait until the ideal moment when the sun hovered on the horizon, because lighting is so difficult shooting directly into the sun.

Ichiro "Mike" Asao of Cupertino took second place with an image he took while on his regular morning walk at Windy Hill Open Space Preserve. The image of light filtering through an oak tree was one that the avid photographer for more than 20 years recognized as singular. Asao has a photography book called Healing and is working on a second book. 

Bing Huey of San Francisco placed third with a close-up shot of a banana slug on a twig at Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve.

Karl Gohl, from Los Altos, was a finalist for his shot, "Clouds Above Shiny Dry Grass" at Monte Bello Open Space Park. His and other finalists' work can also be seen on the park district's website.

The winners will have their entries published in the district’s summer newsletter, and each wins a whale-watching tour and a Flip UltraHD camcorder.

If this whets your appetite, the district has another contest for teens. Its Teen Video Challenge invites local ninth- through 12th-grade students to submit videos they created on district preserves for a chance to win prizes.

A full list of the winners and finalists, along and their photographs, is at the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District's website.