First Place - Middle School

Frog in the Pond by Alissa Rhode / GI Middle School

Frog in Pond

• It’s very difficult to photograph a frog, since they leave very quickly
• Good contrast
• Good focus on frog’s eye
• Good composition
  

Second Place - Middle School

Fresh Rain Drops by Alex Korany / GI Middle School

Fresh Rain Drops

• Good impact, you can almost smell the flower
• Placing the flower slightly off center is artistically well done
• Good contrast, bright area to dark gives good interest
• The title says fresh rain drops and while the photo is more about the flower, the raindrops enhance the flower

Honorable Mention - Middle School

Spring Has Blossomed by Jacob Porcarelli / GI Middle School

Spring Has Blossomed 

• The blossoms are a main theme in this photo and the photographer has done a good job carrying the theme from the front of the photo all the way to the back
• Good color
• Interesting tree

First Place - High School

A Calm Morning on Lake Desor by Kathleen Hurley / GI High School

A Calm Morning on Lake Desor

• This photo is very serene and calm
• At first glance you notice the mid-blue in the center and this causes you to look more closely
• On closer look you see some dark rocks in the foreground amongst interesting black-blue water.  Then the bright blue transcends into a reflection of clouds and then onto the distant shore and finally the sky.
• This photo has high impact, interest and took a good photographer to see its potential

Second Place - High School

Summer No More by Haley Falkowski  / GI High School

• This photo lives up to its title
• It is a colorful, contrasting in color fall collage
• It is a good composition that captures your eye and causes you to look more closely
• It resembles an artist’s still life painting

Third Place - High School

Give Life A Chance by Brandi Baldwin-Gat / Riverside Academy West

Give Life A Chance

• This photo lives up to its title
• The flowers are sprouting among debris and they appear to be struggling to survive.
• The photographer put the focus on the trash on the right of the photo and this drives home the message this photo is attempting to deliver

Honorable Mention - High School

Summertime Sunset by Marissa Mott / GI High School

Summertime Sunset

• This is a very dramatic scene
• The colors are magnificent
• Very good contrast, i.e. range of bright areas to dark
• Good use of a low horizon to emphasize the drama in the sky

Honorable Mention - High School

Nature’s True Colors - 2 by Sheima Saleh / Riverside Academy West

Nature’s True Colors - 2

• This photo is well-envisioned and composed.
• Good use of foreground on the right which helps show the depth of the landscape.
• Detail is soft in the photo, perhaps due to a low resolution image, however the colors are strong and the image has good impact

Honorable Mention - High School

Orange Sulfur by Christopher Ugorcak  / Burger School for Students with Autism

Orange Sulfur

• Great impact
• The bright orange is just wonderful
• Good composition
• Good out-of-focus background with a complimentary color

Event guests enjoyed looking at the photos and voted for their personal favorites.  Votes were distributed over seventeen of the entries, with two photos sharing the lead position.