11/08/2019
Many people love contests. Pitting yourself against your peers, challenging yourself to become the best that you can be – to see how you measure up against everyone else. In that kind of competition, there are inevitably winners and losers. That works for many, and yet it doesn’t work for others.
Some creative people will tell you that there shouldn’t be a winner and a loser. There is only the act of creating and being happy within yourself, being happy with your own work. One of the most difficult parts of being creative is that when you do finish a piece you’ve been working on – whether it’s a photo, a painting, a quilt, a desk – you may be thrilled with it, and yet if someone throws a discouraging word your way, it can deflate the most thick-skinned artist.
This photo contest is meant to encourage photographers to be creative, to pick only their best work to present. To be the best that they can be. Yes, because of the nature of a contest, there are “winners,” and others who do not win. But there are absolutely no losers in this competition. Every single person who entered this contest put themself out there, to be judged and evaluated, and I commend each and every one of you for that.
Please continue to do what you love. Do it for yourself, for your loved ones, for your friends – the people in your life that really matter. And through that, you will bring joy and happiness into the world.
— Mark Stash, Editor
Color Category
First Place
“Naptime in the Swamp” by Tom Kosmicki, Rochester
Second Place
“Montezuma Fisherman” by Linda Dugan, Alden
Third Place
“Fairport Rower” by Tom Kredo, Rochester
Honorable Mention
“Spring Sunset at Keuka Lake” by Gary P. Brown, Hammondsport
Honorable Mention
“Winter Blues” by Chris Lynch, Skaneateles
Black and White Category
First Place
“Taking a Break” by Nikhil Nagane, Rochester
Second Place
“Waiting” by Karl Dueland, Canandaigua
Third Place
“A Quiet Moment” by Joy Underhill, Farmington
Honorable Mention
“Flurry of Feathery Snow Geese- Cayuga Lake” by Gina Kreutter, Webster
Honorable Mention
“Shadow in the Sky” by Paul Wallach, Webster
Digitally Altered Category
First Place
“Smokin’” by Joann K. Long, Bloomfield
Second Place
“Bristol Lane” by Michael G Linse, Canandaigua
Third Place
“Stitched Photo of White Buck Running” by Dennis Money, Canandaigua
Honorable Mention
“Shining Thru” by Izzy Palumbo, Columbia, New Jersey
Honorable Mention
“Shiloh’s Joy Ride” by LeeAnn Hughes-Mastin, Nunda
