By Anne Garsea
After writing to the Richardson Civic Art Society and lobbying for a photography portion to be added to the annual fall high school contest, Photography Magnet students nagged three of the four top awards for their use of editing and creativity in their submitted work.
The contest was open to sophomore, junior and senior photography classes who wanted to enter a piece. There weren’t many guidelines; the photo just had to be appropriate to display in a library. All high schools in the district entered the contest, with Richardson having the biggest group, with 19 students entering.
“We asked to join last year, but the contest did not have a photography category,” Photography Magnet teacher Marcus Irvin said. “In my letter I explained that we like to think of our best photographs as art.”
Senior Edward Duda placed first overall for his black and white photo of C Hall, taken in early September. He received a blue ribbon and a check for $100.
“I did not expect to win at all,” Duda said. “I was surprised when I found that I won.”
Junior Katie Bone placed second with her up close photograph of a plant. Using a large zoom lens, Katie’s photo is not clearly in focus, but she edited the colours to make the green pop. She received an $80 check along with a ribbon.
“I mean, obviously it would be awesome to have won first, but it doesn’t really matter,” Bone said. “It’s like ‘oh cool, okay I made second.'”
Senior Erin Gilliatt received a honorable mention award. Her picture featured a side profile of a girl with blurred effects. Gilliatt said the photo was mysterious and obscure, since people don’t know what she’s thinking about or feeling in the picture.
“From this contest, I learned about what some judges look for in art, and it was a good overall experience, since it will help me in future contests,” Gilliatt said.