Entering a photo contest can be kind of daunting. Will anyone connect with it? What are the judges looking for?
Well, towards the end of last year I heard about the contest the Friends of the Columbia Gorge was running with Pro Photo Supply and just had to enter.
And I won! My photo of Dry Creek Falls, entitled "Down the Middle" won the grand prize and my photo of a fishing platform set against the Bridge of the Gods won a category award as well.
The winning image is one I had taken on a visit after the Dry Creek Falls trail was reopened after 2017's Eagle Creek fire. It was a remarkable experience to walk up to this waterfall, set in a damp amphitheater fo moss and ferns, when everything surrounding it was burned and black. What a powerful story of resilience.
The second photo is one I actually made purposefully for this contest. The theme was Human works, and as I read the description, and contemplated an upcoming trip out into the Gorge with some photographer friends, I thought it would be an interesting commentary to shoot a photo of one of the native fishing platforms - primitive, but super effective at providing a livelihood and sustenance to the native people of the area for generations- against the Bridge of the Gods, a more modern structure that connects communities out in this area on a daily basis.
Thanks for the Honors and for facilitating such a great contest Friends of the Gorge!
You can see my images with all the other winners and honrable mentions here.