They’re off the beaten path, or right on your front porch. Sometimes they’re the first thing in the morning, other times they’re in the quiet of the concluding day. And some feature young ones in the first few years of life, while others feature those in their sunset years.
The photos entered in this year’s contest were all of these and more. We asked readers in the March and April issues and on our Facebook page to gather their best photos to enter into the annual contest, which was open on alabamaliving.coop for the month of May. We received more than 200 entries in four categories: Capture the Beauty, Discover the Past, Making Memories and Rural Landscapes.
Our judge again this year was Phil Scarsbrook, a professional photographer with more than 40 years’ experience in photojournalism, fashion and product photography as well as wedding and portraiture. He did not know the identities of the entrants.
The winner of each category receives a $100 prize. Enjoy this year’s winners and keep an eye out for next year’s contest!
– Allison Law
Capture the Beauty
First place: Drew Senter of Oxford, Ala.
“I took this photo in April at Bains Gap on a rainy day. The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed me to re-explore the wild places nearby, just to find some sanity. The spring greens in the photo really made this location pop.”
Judge’s comment: “Beautiful image. Well composed and exposed. Long exposure very effective use of ‘silking the water.’”
Honorable mention: Lindsey Green, Arab EC
“I took this from my front porch. … it shows how much beauty surrounds us every day if we just take a second to look around.”
Discover the Past
First place: Richard Brown, Central Alabama EC
“This is Winter Place in Montgomery. … One of my most memorable experiences with this photograph was meeting one of the former residents and having them explain the splendor of this home.”
Judge’s comment: “Created excellent framing and depth by using the tree limb in the foreground. Very nice toning and use of black and white.”
Honorable mention: Sophia LaPalme, Baldwin EMC
“I found this old rusted silo with a ladder in the fall of 2018 in Loxley, Alabama. I found the angle and perspective as well as the colors interesting.”
Making Memories
First place: Emery Little of Birmingham, Ala.
In this photo of Ronald and Bonnie Payne, the photographer says, “I have always been fortunate to have wonderful grandparents … they’ve always lived life to the fullest, and this is a great example of how full of life they are.”
Judge’s comment: “Wonderful facial expressions evoking memories of summer days on the porch.”
Honorable mention: Sacha Green, Marshall-DeKalb EC
In this photo of Tim and Corbin Frasier, “every time Corbin comes over to Papa’s house, he constantly wants to drive the lawn mower. He loves it! Such great memories for both involved.”
Rural Landscapes
First place: Drew Senter of Oxford, Ala.
“I took this photo several summers ago on a warm evening in Oxford, Alabama. The sun’s rays were just perfect that night!”
Judge’s comment: “Nice capture. Love the ‘God rays’ streaming through the clouds.”
Honorable mention: Keri Fike, Joe Wheeler EMC
“It was such a beautiful morning with just a touch of fog and the sun rays coming through. It really made me take a moment and marvel at God’s handiwork.”
