An unknown author said: “Life is like a camera. Just focus on what’s important and capture the good times, develop from the negatives, and if things don’t work out, just take another shot.”

Maybe he meant to say this: “(Archery) is like a camera. Focus on your target, capture the excitement of bullseyes, develop from missed shots, and if things don’t work out, draw another arrow.”

Although the repetition of practice commits archery techniques to muscle memory, we can thank World Archery for committing the following archery photos to our visual memories.

The winner of the World Archery photo contest – Geoff Weeks – was announced at the opening gala of the 2015 Vegas Shoot, held Feb. 6-8 in Las Vegas.

The combination of archery and photography produced an exposure fit for the walls of The Met. The protective framing? World Archery.

World Archery’s 10 Photo Finalists

First Place: Archery Droplet, by Geoff Weeks

“I like it because of the way the target reflects in the water droplet,” said photographer Geoff Weeks.

Second Place: Sten’s Arrow, by Andy MacDonald

Archer Sten Nigol and photographer Andy MacDonald both scored 10s with this shot. “This is one of my favorite images because it took me years to capture what I wanted,” MacDonald said. “It also happened to be the first arrow of the competition on a new target face.” The arrow was shot from 50 meters at the 2009 Australian Open at Diamond Valley Archers in Victoria, Australia.

Third Place: Come to the Dark Side, by Martin Grunefield

“I like the complete look of the image, especially the lighting,” Grunefield said. “Also, it reminds me of the fun we had while shooting this.”

Finalist: Curiosity of a Butterfly, by Alice

The photographer described her photo as “curious, singular, unique, special.”

Finalist: Field Archery on a Holiday, by Tim Buitenhuis

“I like this image because of the contrast,” Buitenhuis said. “An archer with a white and black shirt surrounded by bright green plants. And it shows the real feeling of field archery.”

Finalist: Passion, by Maria Rosaria Ebner

Ebner describes this photo as “the passion that colors everything and archery.”

Finalist: Outdoor Nationals Morning, by Brianna Pastro

Photographer Brianna Pastro took a beautiful sunrise photo before hitting the shooting lanes. “I thought the fog over the field at Outdoor Nationals was just beautiful when I got there very early before shooting,” she said.

Finalist: Jeff Fabry, Texas Shootout, 2014, by Teresa Johnson

“Jeff allowed me to come close to take this shot in Texas this past September,” Johnson said. “I wanted the viewer to get up close and personal with this Paralympic gold medalist and understand exactly what it takes for him to draw his bow and shoot world-class scores.”

Finalist: Too Close to Call, by Tri Huynh

“This image illustrates the ‘struggle’ to score when young archers performed really well,” Huynh said. “In this image, Mckenzie Weatherspoon, 10, was amazed but wasn’t sure how to call out for scoring.”

Finalist: Only Friends, by Peter van Deutekom

“This proves archery is for everyone,” van Deutekom said. “Only Friends is a sport club for children and young adults with a handicap.”