Best of Show Winner — "Delicate Arch" by Mark Roberts
KINGSPORT, TN - The 13th Annual Kingsport Spring Spectacular Photography Contest as been completed and the exhibition is open through June 24. The exhibit is located in the Kingsport Art Guild Gallery and the Atrium Gallery inside the Kingsport Renaissance Center.
"This year has proven to be challenging," says Ann Fortney, creator and organizer of the event, "Each year the competition gets better, the photography gets harder to judge and the photographers get better the more they are challenged." Forty says she never envies the judges; that they never have it easy when it comes to judging the photographs. The judges are kept anonymous until the day of the judging so that the integrity of the contest stays in place, but the judging is open to the public. In fact, the public and participating photographers are encouraged to come see the judging. This year's judges were Kim Miller, Chuck Clisso, Jim Rigsby, Jeff Sturgill, Carla Olson and Randy Ratliff. All the judges are photographers with an extensive background in photography. Ann says that with the judges she hand picks each year, you know you are being judged by the best. Each year the judges look at all the aspects that make a good photograph: subject, clarity, composition, color, if it tells a story, etc.
On Sunday, May 31, an awards reception was held and the winners were awarded their monetary prizes. "When the exhibit is hung and the doors open for viewing; the ribbons are already hanging. The awards reception is for everyone to come see their photographs on the wall, and if they won they see their ribbons with their photographs. It's a chance for them to brag a little, to be proud, and to be recognized for their works." Forty also stated that she prides herself on making sure every photograph is hung. She says if someone enters one photograph or 20 photographs every one of them will be seen on the wall as long as she has space, and she says she has plenty of space to grow.
This year there were 73 people who entered 362 photographs in the competition; that is up from last year's 61 people entering 315 photographs. She is hoping to see the Kingsport Spring Spectacular Photography Contest and Exhibition continue to grow each year. She says that the Youth Division is still lacking only having four Youth enter six photographs.
The 2015 Kingsport Spring Spectacular Photography Contest winners are:
> Youth Division: First Place- "Our Family Hangs Together" by Recca Taylor, second place-"Sneaky Bird" by Landen Walker, third place-Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" by Lorelai Taylor.
> Amateur Pictorial Color Division: First place- "Delicate Arch" by Mark Roberts, second place- "View of Tetons" by Mark Roberts, third place- "Winged Reflection" by Eric Johnston.
> Amateur Nature Color Division: First place-Denali Range, Denali National Park" by Mark Roberts, second place- "Window to a New Day, Mesa Arch Canyonlands National Park" by Mark Roberts, third place- "Labrodor Pond" by Mark Roberts.
> Amateur Pictorial Monochrome (B&W) Division: First place- "Ice Oddity" by Bob Soyars, second place- "Winds of Change" by Angela Gabriel, third place- "A Friend Reaches for a Hand and Touches Your Heart" by Keri Jones.
> Amateur Nature Monochrome (B&W) Division: First place- "Spaces, Big Cypress National Park" by Mark Roberts, second place- "Dried Leaf" by Bob Soyars, third place- "Western Skies" by Angela Gabriel.
> Proficient Nature Color Division: First place- " Into the Vortex" by Brad McCroskey, second place- "Loosing Light" by Brad McCroskey, third place- "Winter Dreams" by Rebecca Edwards.
> Proficient Pictorial Color Division: First place- "Edison" by Matt Barr, second place- "The Gambler" by Matt Barr, third place- "Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely" by Matt Barr.
> Proficient Pictorial Monochrome (B&W) Division: First place- "Family Tree" by Matt Barr, second place- "Train at Old Bristol Station" by April Booher, third place- "Akiera's Beauty" by Christie Dulaney.
> Proficient Nature Monochrome (B&W) Division: First place- "Appalachian Slot Canyon" by Terri Campbell, second place- "A Frozen Roan" by Belinda Bridwell.
> Carrie Penley Special Theme "Nursery Rhymes" Division: First place- " All the King's Horses and All the King's Men" by Erin Reid, second place- "4 Little Lorikeets...One Got Out of Tune" by Helen Johnston, third place- "And When the Pie Was Opened" by Terri Campbell.
> Best of Show: "Delicate Arch" by Mark Roberts.
> The Jerry Penley "I Love the Blue Ridge/Appalachian Region" Award: "Snowfall in February" by Richard Hood.
> There were also 116 honorable mention ribbons awarded. $2,075 were given in monetary prizes this year.
