May 21, 2009
The University Week photo contest has its first winner, two more to come
The first week of our first ever photo contest is over and we have a winner! Drum roll please: The prize goes to Sophia Agtarap, administrative counselor in the Graduate School, for her photo, Higher, Daddy. Agtarap wins a $50 gift certificate donated by the University Book Store for her photo, which was chosen from among more than 50 entries by University Photographer Mary Levin.
The photographer says: It was peak season for the cherry blossoms, and my coworker, Andrew Gorohoff, asked me if I would take some photos of him and his family playing in the Quad. So I was following him around when he lifted up his 5-year-old daughter Siena so that she could touch the blossoms. I used a digital SLR camera and originally this was a color image, but I turned it into black and white. I saw a lot of other entries in the contest were nice landscapes, but I didn’t see much with faces and emotions, so I decided to enter this one.
I don’t have any formal training in photography but it’s a hobby for me, and it’s gotten to the point where people ask me to take pictures. I always carry my camera.
The expert says: I was extremely impressed by the scope and talent displayed in many of the photos that were entered in this first photo contest of University Week. It was a tough choice but after viewing them many times certain ones began to stand out more and more.
The winning photo I have chosen is in black and white and is joyful and graphically strong. The simplicity of the graphic image allowed the essence and feeling of the moment to be revealed. The choice of the cropping produced a tension that heightened the emotion.
Black and white often allows the content of a photo to speak and not be drowned in a sea of color that too often becomes the central issue. I should say that I do love color photos and some of the entries were stunning. Congratulations Sophia.
Our contest continues for two more weeks, but entries from previous weeks will not be considered unless they are resubmitted. The two remaining judging periods are:
- May 16-22 (Winner announced May 28)
- May 23-29 (Winner announced June 4)
Other prizes generously donated by our advertisers are:
- Dinner and beverages for two at Saffron Grill in Northgate
- One night in the Japanese Hydrotherapy Tub Room at Hotel Nexus, which includes a king sized bed, a Japanese hydrotherapy soaking tub, aromatherapy diffuser, walk-in shower with rain showerhead and premium spa amenities.
As always, photos must be of one of the three UW campuses or of activities sponsored by the University. Limit of five entries per contest period. To submit yours, simply click on the Community Photos tab from our homepage, uweek.org then click on “submit your photo.” You will be asked to register; then you can upload your photos. Winners will be featured in University Week.
