Outstanding Photographs From Young Photographers

PSA Journal, Sept, 2000 by Kathleen Braun

The word is spreading and so did the number of entries in this year's Outstanding Photographs from Young Photographers program. Lou and Milan Sedio, FPSAs, who were two of last year's judges, got the Minnetonka Camera Club involved. Mark Southard, who judged the year before, brought in a group of young photographers from Chicago. And Florida's Indian River Camera Club along with the Everglades Chapter and Central Florida Chapter added more new photographs to the OPYP entries for 2000.

As it was last year, any high school sponsored by a PSA chapter or camera club could enter up to five prints, one in each of the categories. And it should be noted that a chapter or club may sponsor more than one high school. The categories remain the same: Architecture, Photojournalism, Human Interest, Landscapes/Waterscapes, and Photographer's Choice.

This year's selection jury consisted of Bill Buchanan, FPSA, of Detroit; T. Y. Wu, APSA, of Ann Arbor; and Ron Genaw of Warren, Michigan. Because of limited space to display the prints at the 2000 PSA International Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the jury not only had the task of selecting the award winners and runner-ups, they also had to choose which of the prints could be on display. "Some really fine prints were eliminated in this final selection," commented Gerald Emmerich, APSA, who accompanied Kathleen Braun, Youth Director of OPYP to Detroit for the judging on Tuesday, May 23rd. The Brian Michael Goldberg Memorial Youth Photography Award, established by Dr. and Mrs. Gerald S. Goldberg, APSA, in memory of their son, was awarded to Kayla Alderman for her "Founding Father's Memorial." This print was the winner in the Architecture category and was deemed the best of show by the judges. Kayla, who lives in Burson, California and has been taking photographs since she was 5, is a graduating senior at Calaveras High School. She is sponsored by the Gold Rush Chapter. In addition to the Goldberg medal, Kayla will receive a $150 cash award and a one-year Photographic Society of America membership.

In the Photojournalism category, the winner was "Blue Boy" by Shafaq Nawaz, who attends Appleton North High School in Appleton and is sponsored by the Fox Valley Camera Club, Wisconsin.

Also sponsored by the Fox Valley Camera Club is Mary Wise, whose photo "Enjoying the Flowers" marks the second win in a row for this young lady in the Human Interest category. Mary attends Appleton East High School in Appleton.

Another Gold Rush Chapter winner was "The Swiss Adventure" by Tessa Marie Main from Grass Valley, California. She attends Bear River High School. Her shot of the Matterhorn was entered in the Landscape/Waterscape category.

"Green Haze" by Lisa Dryer of Littleton, Colorado, took first place in the Photographer's Choice category. Lisa attends Arapaho/Douglas Vocational School in Englewood, Colorado and is sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Chapter.

Each of these category winners will receive a $50 award and a one-year membership in the Photographic Society of America. All five photographers and their prints are reproduced on these four pages along with information about each.

Honorable Mention prints were chosen as runner-ups in each of the categories. In the Architecture category the runner-ups are "Reflection of Pepsi Center" by Evan Barr of Boulder High School, Boulder, Colorado, and "Courthouse" by Sandi Parker from Wellington High School, Wellington, Florida.

"Ol Reliabale" by Cory Bonds from Pickens Tech, Aurora, Colorado, and "Boxers" by Justin Kaamasec from Carson High School, Carson City, Nevada, were runner-ups in the Photojournalism category.

From Wellington High School, Wellington, Florida, came "Puppy Love" by Stacy Boxer and from Bear Creek High School, California, came "Amateur Gardener" by Crystal Gulick. Both prints were runner-ups in the Human Interest category.

Nick Strini from Rufus King High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Damon Kocherhaws from Shadle Park High School in Spokane, Washington, were the runner-up photographers in the Waterscape/Landscape category. Nick's print was "Forest" and Damon's was "Falling."

Three runner-ups were chosen in the Photographer's Choice category. They were "Eyespy" by David Ainley from Shadle Park High School in Spokane, Washington, "Puhleez??" by Monica Sosa from Bear Creek High School, California, and "Sandals" by Heather Prenevost from Minnetonka High School, Minnesota.

All photographs exhibited at the Albuquerque Conference will receive a certificate of exhibition. PSA's web page Youth Link will feature the top five photographs for four months followed by the runner-up prints for another four months. The winners and runner-ups will also be the featured display in January at PSA Headquarters in Oklahoma City.

For the extraordinary work done in working with photography teachers and students in high schools across the country, very special thanks go to Charlie Burke of Photographic Explorers Camera Club, Massachusetts; Kathy Braun of Photo Pictorialists of Milwaukee Camera Club, Wisconsin; Gerald Emmerich, APSA, of Image Makers Camera Club, Wisconsin; Alice Garland of Inland Empire Chapter, Washington; Dan Geldert of Minnetonka Camera Club, Minnesota; Daryl Hurley of Topeka Camera Club, Kansas; Richard Knisbeck of Wisconsin Chapter; Barbara Kuebler of Everglades Chapter, Florida; Jim Mahoney of Central Florida Chapter; Dr. Richard Pokorny of Spokane Camera Club, Washington; Sam Shaw of Gold Rush Chapter, California; Francis A. Shedd of Colorful Colorado Camera Club; Mark Southard of Illinois; John Streich, FPSA, of High Country Camera Club, Colorado; Jack Worthen, APSA, of Fox Valley Camera Club, Wisconsin; Dick York, Focus Camera Club, Colorado; John A. Yurchak of Rocky Mountain Chapter, Colorado; and Joseph J. Zaia of Indian River Camera Club, Florida. Included with these are the other club and chapter members who worked many hours getting involved in the PSA Outstanding Photographs from Young Photographers program.