Category: Appointment & Special Recognitions

Life & Work with Phoenix SpiritDiva... Latest Interview

9/4/2026

Honored that friends recommended me and Voyage MIA Magazine said "yes" to interviewing me. Check out the article.

Pictured with Pen Women sisters (artists and collectors) at "The Spirit of This Place" solo exhibit at Pompano Beach Cultural Center. L-R: Helen Witters, Janet Gold, Cheryl Eggleston, Sharron Demarest and Pat Ellison.

June 12th, 2026

6/12/2026

Thank you to the @southfloridawildlifecenter for using my photograph of Great-Horned Owl Mother and Child as their cover photo for their Mother's Day post on social media.

See this image and more owls in the Winged Life Collection.

"Will to Survive" Took Best Bird Photograph

5/6/2026

South Florida Wildlife Center announcement:
WINNER of the ‘Best Bird’ Category in our 2026 Photo Contest is ‘Will to Survive’ by Phoenix SpiritDiva.

This raw and unforgettable moment displays a Great Blue Heron wrangling a water snake- holding it firmly in its bill as the snake coils tightly around the bird.
It’s a striking illustration of survival on both sides. Predator and prey locked in a split second of instinct, resilience, and the unfiltered reality of the natural world. These interactions can be difficult to witness, but they are essential. Each species playing its role in maintaining balance within the ecosystem.

This powerful image reminds us that nature is not always gentle, but it is always purposeful.

Congratulations to our winner for capturing the intensity and complexity of life in the wild.
This year’s contest was judged by Kym Clark, @kym_clark

First Place Winner in All Photography Exhibit

12/1/2025

Must admit it was quite a thrill to learn that my newest #astrophotography, #nightscape and #waterscape photograph, Milky Way Over the Keys, won 1st Place in the Scapes Caregory in the extraordinary Funding Arts Broward "Living Lens Photographer's Showcase". Many thanks to Funding Arts Broward and the selection committee and jurors. Let me know if you'd like one for yourself or to give as a gift, [email protected]

Five Pieces in Sunrise's New City Hall Collection

8/1/2024

Quite honored to share that the City of Sunrise recently acquired five works from my Everglades Collection for their permanent collection for their new City Hall. They custom sized them for placement in specific locations. Printed on canvas and placed in shadow frames, sizes vary from 24x36" to 40x40" to 5 feet wide.

I recently had a chance to see the installation. The works are, top to bottom: "Pride," "Early Morning Fog," "Mother and Child," "Athena" and "Everglades Sunset".

If you do business with the City of Sunrise, hope you'll check them out.

Click link to see the Everglades Collection.

Read All About It... New Interview in VoyageMIA Magazine

8/1/2024

Thank you VoyageMIA Magazine for inviting me to share my story to help inspire others. Excited to share the online interview article. http://tinyurl.com/PhoenixSpiritDivaInterview

Overall Winner and Best Bird Photography

5/10/2024

"Drumroll for the Overall Winner for our 2024 Wildlife Photography Contest!
Overall Winner
Phoenix SpiritDiva, "Great Blue Heron and Banded Watersnake"
Congratulations to Phoenix SpiritDiva, the winner of our Bird Category and Overall Winner with this submission of Great Blue Heron and Banded Watersnake!"

Quite honored for this recognition, especially since this contest was judged by renowned National Geographic photographer and founder of the Photo Ark, Joel Sartore.

Thanks South Florida Wildlife Center and #joelsatore!

See more WingedLife

International Award Winner - Single Wildlife Image

2/14/2024

22nd Julia Margaret Cameron Award is a prestigious contest open only to women photographers worldwide. I am honored to announce that I was one of the few to win an honorable mention for the Wildlife Single Image Section. They only select Best in each category and honorable mentions. My winning works are above, left to right: Double Vision, Red Fox and Mother and Child. All are available. See them larger and related images in the following collections: Everglades, Alaska and Wildlife .

International Award Winner - Nature Series

2/14/2024

22nd Julia Margaret Cameron Award is a prestigious contest open only to women photographers worldwide. I am honored to announce that I was one of the few to win an honorable mention for the Landscape and Seascape Series Section. They only select Best in each category and honorable mentions. My works are on the right hand page, in order top row to bottom, left to right: Early Morning Fog, Summer Solstice, Blue Night Over Ballybunion, First Flight, Alaska Sunrise and Blazing Sunset Over Bosque. All are available. See them larger and related images in the following collections: Landscape/Waterscape, Everglades, Ireland, Bosque del Apache NWR and Alaska.

Best Series in International Women Photographers Contest

12/2/2022

Thanks to urgings from street photog Sharron Demarest I entered the 19th edition of the Julia Margaret Cameron Award. On Sunday while out photographing eagles in southwest Florida Sharron called not once but twice. First she called to share that I won an honorable mention for my nature series. Then she called back again. She just discovered that I won the bigger prize, the Best in Category for Landscape and Seascapes. This series of images are posted above. This is a huge international contest for women photographers. Honored to be selected by jurist Barbara Davidson, three-time Pulitzer Prize and Emmy award-winning photographer/ director as well as past recipient of this award.

Pictured Top to Bottom, L to R:
Early Morning Fog
First Light
Harvest Moon
Milky Way Over Casperson Beach
Moon Over the Marsh
Summer Solstice

Click to See more Landscapes and Waterscapes