Students sweep top prizes in LAC photography contest

By Paul Forman

Photography aficionados gathered for an awards reception at Leamington Arts Centre (LAC) on January 20 to recognize the winners of the 8x10 Amateur Photography Contest.

Sponsored by Speedprint and Framing by Anna, the exhibit had 92 photos entered in one of three categories: People & Focus, Places & Spaces, and Abstract & Enhanced. The submissions displayed in LAC’s Southpoint Sun gallery were each judged for visual impact, creativity, technical quality and relevance to theme.

In an interesting twist for this all-ages competition, students from the same grade 11/12 photography class at Sandwich Secondary School in LaSalle captured the top spot in all three categories.

Ms. Srdanov, a teacher at Sandwich Secondary, expressed pride in her students’ achievements and actually gears part of her curriculum to this specific contest.

Judges for this competition were Calum Noade, Rosemary Chaput and Shayenna Nolan.

Beauty”. Third place was awarded to Regina Meyes for “Undenying Love.” “Despair” by Christina Kambourakis took the honourable mention.

In the Abstract and Enhanced Category, first place was awarded to Batoul Dib for “White Space”. Second place went to Emersyn Arcand for “Pantomime”. Third place was awarded to Linda Hurst for “Empty Vase”. Honourable mention in this category went to Jake Oliver for his work “Ancestral Area”.

Pictured are award winners, from left, Regina Meyes, Batoul Dib, Emersyn Arcand, Jake Oliver, Logan Allen, Tim Wilkinson representing Leamington Council and Speedprint, and Chad Riley, Leamington Arts Centre Director/Curator. SUN photo by Paul Forman