0 CommentsWe are pleased to present the winners of The Buzz Magazines’ Seventh Annual Photo Contest, which celebrates art and creativity in our community. With more than 1,000 entries, judging was, not surprisingly, difficult. The challenge of judging photographs – or any type of art – is that the process is subjective. However, there are basic principles of photography that must be met, such as lighting, focus and exposure. And there are personal elements to consider as well – such as subject, emotion and storytelling.
The contest is open to any amateur photographer. We do this every summer, so keep the contest in mind as you are shooting throughout the upcoming year.
Congratulations to each of this year’s winners, especially our Grand Prize winner, Ying Chun Pan, who will receive a Canon PowerShot digital camera, compliments of The Buzz Magazines.
We want to thank our judges, professional photographers Michael Hart, Carol Andrews and Scott Kohn, for their considerable time and effort.
We enjoyed seeing the photographs from everyone who entered and made our contest another success.
Be sure to look for next year’s call for entries in our March 2013 issue.
Michael Hart is a photographer who utilizes state-of-the-art digital techniques in his work for corporations, design firms and ad agencies.
His recent work on a public-service campaign for The Friends of BARC earned Gold and Silver awards from the Art Directors Club of Houston Show, AAF-Houston ADDY Awards and the 10th District ADDY Awards.
Michael’s work is represented again in this year’s international Black and White Spider Awards, and his work appears in its book The World’s Greatest Black and White Photography. He has three of the 100 accepted images in APA Los Angeles’ curated show, “Off The Clock,” being exhibited this year in Los Angeles and Denver.
His book, Biggio: The Final Game, is in the library of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and a print of the cover image is in the permanent collection of The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
Michael Hart, Michael Hart Photography
www.hartphoto.com, (mhart@hartphoto.com) mhart (at) hartphoto (dot) com
Master Craftsman photographer Carol Andrews loves to create the magic of a photograph. Over the last 20 years, her award-winning photographs have included exhibitions at Photokina in Cologne, Germany; Disney’s Epcot theme park and the International Masters Loan Collection of the Professional Photographers of America.
Her work has been acquired by the Sherman Hines Museum in Nova Scotia, Canada. She was inducted into Cameracraftsmen of America, an international photographic society with only 40 members; she was only the fourth woman in the society’s 95-year history to be admitted. She teaches and judges photography and art internationally.
“I enjoy expressing beauty and my love for life through a camera and sharing the images and stories with others. I show people what love looks like,” Carol says.
Carol Andrews, Carol Andrews Fine Art
www.carolandrewsfineart.com, (carol@carolandrewsfineart.com) carol (at) carolandrewsfineart (dot) com
Scott Kohn is a Houston-based photographer for corporate, editorial, institutional and trade-advertising communications. He specializes in dynamic people images in real-world environments in locations around the country.
His images have appeared in numerous national publications, corporate reports and websites. Many of these unique images were created on modified 1950s-era Kodak Brownie cameras and a late-1940s Graflex Speed Graphic press camera. Scott is currently expanding the scope of his image making to include motion and sound via DSLR technology.
Scott’s work has been included in multiple FotoFest exhibits and the Art Directors Club of Houston shows.
Scott served two terms as treasurer of the Art Directors Club of Houston and is a current member of Editorial Photographers and The American Society of Media Photographers. He currently serves on the ASMP Houston chapter board as treasurer.
Scott Kohn, Scott F. Kohn Photography
www.scottkohn.com, (scott@scottkohn.com) scott (at) scottkohn (dot) com
Grand Prize Winner
Ying Chun Pan, 71, Violinist
This photo has great composition, lighting and moodiness that goes with the theme of music. The inclusion of the two people in the bottom left gives the viewer a strong reference point in relation to the performer.
Category: Animals
First Place – Melissa Gordon, 43, Ouch That Darn Porcupine!
We love the texture and lines of his fur and that he has a porcupine quill in his nose.
Second Place – Jeff Paull, 27, Katangay’s Eyes
This photo is a study in color, with the pink nose against the yellow and blue eyes against the white fur.
Third Place – James Woody, 63, Creepy Crawler
It has great texture. What makes this so strong is that it is up close and personal.
Fourth Place – Emily White, 16, Birdie
We like the sharp, strong color and the finely delineated plumage.
Category: Landscapes
First Place – Ying Chun Pan, 71, Dead Vlei
This is almost from another planet. It is an extremely stark landscape and is eerily beautiful.
Second Place – Corey Hryc, 25, My City
This has strong composition and a strong sense of movement. Because it is a black and white image, our eye travels more quickly to the designs.
Third Place – Kate Snelling, 14, Wimberley
A slow shutter speed allows the falling water to take on a creaminess that works well with the muted colors.
Fourth Place – Bob Jump, 75, Dead Horse Point
This shows a classic American location where the natural colors have been punctuated by digital post processing.
Category: Nature
First Place – Robert Flatt, 64, Monarch Milkweed Heaven
This image has a nice balance of color, movement and composition. The back lighting behind the butterfly wings punctuates the details of the wings and adds almost a stained-glass look.
Second Place – Davis Bourque, 58, Low Flight
Because the bird is so close to the water, the image imparts a sense of anticipation of the landing.
Third Place – Don Dorsey, 58, Wildflowers
This image has a very simple subject taken from a whimsical angle. The motion of the flowers and their different directions capture the wind.
Fourth Place – Robert Flatt, 64, Black Crowned Heron Bad Hair
This is the Don King of birds – between the bad toupee, the direct gaze and the cock-eyed angle. It is funny.
Category: People
First Place – Jennifer Welch, 27, With His Back To Me
The crisp, clean black and white represents his character – you feel like you know this guy. His personality comes through without seeing his face.
Second Place – Jourdan Webb, 16, Daydreamer
The soft, natural light reflects the soft, contemplative mood of the child. The mood matches the title of the image.
Third Place – Jean-Baptiste Farge, 29, New York Sax Player
This is an impressionistic take on a city scene where blurred motion represents passage of time and the warm tone adds strength.
Fourth Place – Carl Henry, 57, Watchful Eye
This image is a character study that tells us about this man’s passion in life.
Category: Sports and Action
First Place – Sydney Franz, 17, Grace in Strength
This is a great action shot. It has very stark, clean tones, and the dancer’s form is tremendous.
Second Place – Randy Owens, 54, Goal!
This photo is full of spontaneity, enthusiasm and exhilaration.
Third Place – Jean-Baptiste Farge, 29, Drifting and Going!
The digital enhancement in this image draws your eye to the rider, and the simple background leads your eye back to the subject.
Fourth Place – Carl Henry, 57, Cleared for Takeoff
The look of determination in his face is complemented by the strong diagonal line of the pole.
Category: Judges’ Choice
Michael Hart’s Choice – Angie Dornier, 34, After the Rain
I love the imaginative composition and the overall pastel feel, with the pink of the dress playing off the blue of the sky in the reflection in the water.
Carol Andrews’ Choice – Seth Miller, 34, 104 Years Young and 6 Weeks
This image signifies the importance of photographic history and multiple generations preserved in a moment.
Scott Kohn’s Choice – Sami Li, 26, Elephant Tears
This image has really nice texture and framing, and it is a good detail shot on a large subject.
