More people than ever are capturing images of the world around them that may have never come to light if not for advances in smartphone cameras and other technology, which now provide photographers more opportunities to create quality images right from their pockets.

For the second consecutive year, the Palo Alto Weekly and Palo Alto Art Center have teamed up to bring exposure to a greater variety of works from more participants through the revamped Peninsula Photo Contest. This year’s competition includes entries from anyone who works, lives or attends school in or near the 650 area code, from Daly City to Sunnyvale. The categories include: Abstract, Portraits, Moments, the Natural World and Travel, as well as the new Nocturnal category, which includes images taken between dusk and dawn that reflect a night theme. The judges reviewed more than 850 images submitted by 187 adult and youth photographers. Each of this year’s 12 winning images captures life and everyday objects from a unique perspective — from the shadow of a fork stretched across a napkin with a film-noir quality to a rain frog perched on leaf in the Andes at night to the documentary-style image of two girls role-playing at a birthday party. This year’s contest included an unexpectedly high number of images taken on smartphones that were selected as finalists and honorable mentions, according to the judging panel, which was unaware throughout the process of which photos had been taken on professional, high-quality cameras versus the mobile devices. One of the biggest surprises, according to the judges, came at the end, when they learned that the contest’s Best in Show winner was shot on an iPhone.

Read on to learn more about the photographers and the ideas and feelings they hoped to convey through their work.

Adult winner: “Hitchcock’s Fork” | by Laurie Naiman

Youth winner: “Light” | by Clara Montero Scheidt

What the judges said:

Abstract photography has a way of making us see the world a little differently. It was a delight to see Laurie Naiman’s approach of photographing a fork and napkin on a counter top interpreted into a noir-like image. From the sharp angles of light hitting the counter to the slightly sinister shadow cast by the fork, the image conveys a sense of mystery and suspense.

Scheidt’s image was also a unique capture of a regular object. At first glance, one does not quite know what they are looking at: Is it a mural of a perfectly sunlit sky filled with clouds or a window of some sort? Only after staring at it for some time, did I realize it was a light fixture perfectly framed from beneath looking above. I love how this image surprised me and how it invites us to pay more attention to everyday objects.

— Veronica Weber   

Adult winner: “Waiting” | by Deborah Lord

Youth winner: “In Passing” | by Katie Chan Firtch

What the judges said:

“Waiting” is a delightful moment; it captures, with great irony, the subtle game of two girls role-playing. I love the posture of the girl in high heels, made even more dramatic by her wings. Even if we don’t see her face, we can imagine her expression. It’s the kind of image that makes us love photography for helping us make an emotional connection and preserve a fleeting, timeless moment for life.

“In Passing” is a very different and interesting image, defined by movement and color. It has a very gritty, urban feel to it and I love the way the colors match and alternate: the yellow jacket and the moving blond hair, the greens of the skateboard the coat, the red/browns of the car and the building behind. All connected through movements and lines.

— Federica Armstrong  

Adult winner: “Pristimantis Rain Frog On Leaf” | by Geoffrey Brooks

Youth winner: “Oh So Shiny and Bright” | by William Sawrey

What the judges said:

Geoffrey Brooks’ “Pristimantis Rain Frog At Night” image is a beautifully lit capture of a rain frog sitting still against a pitch-black nighttime backdrop. The soft diffused light of flash envelopes the creature, highlighting its vibrant colors of rust orange, light green and earth brown and its delicate leopard-like pattern on its arms and belly. I especially loved the composition of this image which was taken at a slightly lower level so that the animal sits poised above the photographer, leaving the viewer to truly appreciate the creature’s distinct features.

William Sawrey’s “Oh So Shiny And Bright,” photograph is another stunning image. A long exposure of the glittering Milky Way rises in the background above the gnarled trees and bushes in the foreground. I believe Sawrey must have shined a light along the vegetation in the foreground, which frames the trees against the stars perfectly and is a brilliant capture of the beauty of the wild places away from city lights.

— Veronica Weber  

Adult winner: “Nick&Nancy” | by Terrance McLarnan

Youth winner: “Hidden Portrait” | by Jacqueline Irvin

What the judges said:

There are so many elements that go into making an unforgettable portrait: layers of meaning and mystery. Terrence McLarnan has sandwiched two separate images to conjure mystery. The tragic emotion on the face of the child is compelling and moving by itself. However, that emotion is reinforced by an undefined figure turning his/her back on this child. The added element strengthens the impact. McLarnan’s message is strong, inescapable.

Jacqueline Irvin calls out to us through a double exposure. She has combined a portrait of a friend with a separate image of cobblestones. The mystery is evoked and the mood elevated in the mixture of elements through double exposure. Sometimes each image on its own is uninteresting and poorly composed: The combination has potential to create an extra special impact. There is much undefined in this image — a mysterious element — that adds another layer of power.

— Margo Davis

Adult winner: “Waiting Patiently” | by Dan Fenstermacher

Youth winner: “Amer Fort” | by Sahana Singh

What the judges said:

What Dan Fenstermacher shows us in “Waiting Patiently” is his masterful skill in perfecting a perfect compelling, dynamic composition. He has put form above content. His images have his strong voice: One that displays the dynamism of the relationship between forms and figures, a balance of elements and a wonderful interplay of color. A touch of blue in the shirt of the central figure echoes the blue sky and little of bit of blue sea in the right corner. At the same time, there is a sense of place that is revealed subtly, in the air, in the sea and in the atmosphere of the photograph.

Sahana Singh’s colorful image uses the relationships of figures to reinforce her message of three strong Indian women. The juxtaposition of the women, two making eye contact and one hidden behind her hand and head scarf, use form to reinforce their women power. How wonderful that they are even more striking because of the simple textured walls and arch that frame them. Form, again, becomes a forceful conveyor of message.

— Margo Davis  

Best in Show: “Seagull Side-Eye” | by Debbie Cooper  

Youth winner: “Prenning Puffin” | by Sebastian Velasquez  

What the judges said:

Timing and perspective are two of the major components to creating a compelling image and Debbie Cooper captured both in her photograph “Seagull Side-Eye.” It gave new meaning to the phrase, “a bird’s eye view” and stood out from the rest of the entries with its moody film-noir feel.

“Preening Puffin” stood out not only with its striking contrast between light and dark but also with its wonderful glimpse into the simple moments of nature.

— John Todd  

Peninsula Photo Contest 2019 Winners

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