Photography Honors

Last year, my company of over 50,000 employees sponsored an international photography contest. They asked people to submit up to three photographs in a variety of categories. I thought about entering, but felt too cheap to order 16"x20" prints for something that I wasn't too likely to win. But my family and co-workers encouraged me to enter. Although I enjoy photography immensely, I am strictly an amateur capturing memories for friends, family and this silly blog.


Adam in the Sky

Imagine my surprise and excitement when I got a letter saying that I received Honorable Mention in the People category for this photograph of Adam.  Lying in the wood chips taking crazy shots against the sky is actually good for something!  One day I'll fly out to the company headquarters in the Midwest to see the photograph hung in the halls.

After the corporate contest, my division of about 150 people sponsored a local photography contest.  Since many of us had our photos returned from the corporate contest, it didn't even cost money for printing this time.  I put my favorite photograph of Newport, Rhode Island into the ring.


Golden Sun over Easton Beach

The thing about this photograph is that on any given day, Easton beach doesn't look anything like this. Most of the time, it looks like this:


(OK, this is particularly overcast, misty day from 2005.  Either that or my photography used to really stink.)

We've been back to Newport a couple times since, and I always look back in amazement at how the planets aligned for the photograph.  The sun magically came through the low layers of clouds to spill golden light on just the houses and waves. We happened to be walking back up Memorial Drive at the right time.  I had brought my telephoto lens on this walk (normally way too heavy as a walk-around lens). And most importantly, I kept my wits about me while taking the shot.  Never before and never since have I seen Easton Beach look so beautiful.



And surprise again!  I won first place for this photograph.  It now hangs in the main hallway at work.



With a plaque with the title and my name. How official looking!  Still, I'm not about to quit my day job.