Islander’s hungry seagull photo wins Seattle Times contest

Island photographer Jim Diers won the Seattle Times’ 2023 Reader’s Lens photo of the year last month for his photo of a voracious gull sending an entire sea star down its hatch.

The Times called the photo National Geographic-esque — an apt description for the work of a photographer who has, for many years, captured the lives of island wildlife, especially those with wings and beaks.

Diers has also generously contributed countless photos to The Beachcomber and other island organizations, and has served as a sort of visual chronicler of the island and its residents — human or otherwise.

Aside from Diers’ sheer skill with the camera, much of his success as a photographer can be chalked up to the simple fact that he loves taking photos. Diers caught his winning photo of the gluttonous gull at Vashon’s north end ferry, while most other travelers sat in their cars waiting for the boat to arrive. And he is a near-ubiquitous sight at the island’s festivals, celebrations, grand openings and other events.

Diers is so dedicated that, in The Beachcomber newsroom, it’s often said that “if we can’t make it, at least Jim will be there.”

Diers, who returned last week from a trip to Uganda, said he couldn’t believe the news that he’d won The Times’ contest.

“When I received an email there saying that my photo had been selected, I thought it was a hoax,” Diers said. “Still hard to believe that it’s true.”

Local student recognized

A local Vashon-Maury student was recently honored for academic achievements in higher education. Bennet Hu was named to the 2023 fall semester Dean’s List at Rochester Institute of Technology, which requires maintaining a 3.4 or higher grade point average.