Photography gives Nan Moore an excuse to get outdoors and take part in her number one passion n birding.

The Corvallis resident combined the two interests to become the July winner of the Oregon Naturally digital photo contest presented by Intel. The contest invites travelers to submit photos of natural scenes in Oregon that they encounter as they explore the state.

Moore took her winning of a female rufous hummingbird while camping with family and friends at Diamond Lake over the Fourth of July weekend. Each morning, she said she arose to a "soft little buzz" made by hummingbirds that were attracted to the penstemon flowers in bloom near her camp site.

"What a way to wake up," Moore said.

Photographs of hummingbirds can be difficult to catch, especially with an autofocus camera, she explained. To aid her quest, Moore wore a hat with a red button on it, to attract the small birds, and to show them that they didn't need to be afraid.

"They would hover there for 10 seconds right in front of my face," she said.

With the aid of tripod and a Canon Digital Rebel XTI camera, Moore captured the image during the golden hour of light in the early morning hours. It took her one hour before she got the winning shot, but she spent about four hours over the course of the day observing and photographing the hummingbirds.

Moore, a Benton County courtroom clerk, grew more enthusiastic about her hobby after getting a digital camera four years ago, and has since entered her photographs into about 20 different contests.

She was a fifth-place winner in a contest sponsored by the National Wildlife Refuge Association for a photo of a male rufous hummingbird taken at William L. Finley Wildlife Refuge. She also has had photos published online and through Birder's World magazine.

Moore said she is inspired to share the beauty that can be found in the surrounding environment and hopes her photos help others appreciate the wonders that can be found in their own back yards.

For her winning photo, Moore won a 24-month Oregon state parks day-use pass from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.