PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR! | Loudoun County Photo Club Photographer of the Year, Northern Virginia Family Photographer

So the other night I attended a Loudoun County Photography Club meeting and was awarded Photographer of the Year! The award is based on performance in competitions over the year, and I am amazed and honored that my photographs did so well!

I joined the Loudoun Club over a year and a half ago, not really knowing a soul, and feeling very out of place ininitially. But my love of photography, and my desire to improve as a photographer saw me through those initial awkward few meetings. And over time, through the field trips, competitions, and speaker series, I started to make friends and enjoy the social aspects of the club as well. I cannot say enough good things about photography clubs.

Well anyway, yesterday at dawn's early light, a group of club members went down to the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, a truly beautiful and impressive display of lotus blossoms. My initial thought was, as I was surrounded by so much beauty, that if everyone was required to grow lotus in their back yards we would have world peace! But then I remembered ponds attract mosquitos, etc..., so I suppose world peace would not be guaranteed.

Well anyway, here are some more of my photographs. The lotus are at their peak now, and they close up during the heat of the day, so if you want to see them yourself you will need to get down there one morning in the next week or so.







To see more, I am going to send you to my flickr stream here.



Enjoy!

MORE AWARDS!! | Goodhart Photography, Loudoun County Family and Child Photographer

"Fine Feathers"

The photo above took 3rd place in the Loudoun Photo Club Nature competition, Intermediate category. I took that photograph with a Coolpix S550, probably in program mode. And yes, there is some photoshopping going on to give it a bit of a glow.

My goal is to consistently use whatever tools are at my disposal to take memorable photographs. Whether it is a camera phone or a disposable film camera, or my pro canon gear with borrowed strobes. Whether there is fabulous or wretched ambient lighting. I want to understand photography and lighting so completely that I intuitively work with the limits or strengths of whatever I've got handy and make the best choices to achieve the photograph I am envisioning.

I saw Joe McNally at a lighting seminar last October, and that is what struck me the most about watching him work. He is a problem solver! He didn't walk into that room and nail the first model shot, but he was able to quickly assess the situation, make a few adjustments, and then create some memorable portraits. He started out as a National Geographic photographer, so he always had to be thinking on his feet and responding to different photographic demands out on the field. His books are fascinating reading because he leads you through his thought processes as he comes up with these fantastic images.

But I digress.

"Serenity"

This photograph was an honorable mention, and the photograph below was also an honorable mention.

LOUDOUN COUNTY PHOTO CLUB AWARDS | Goodhart Photography, Northern Virginia Family and Child Photographer

Heart of a Clematis

I entered these prints in the Loudoun County Photography Club's 'Close Up and Macro' print competition, Intermediate division. The print above received an honorable mention, as did the print below:

Bleeding Heart

The flowers in my garden provide me with endless inspiration! But so do other random things I find, such as my children's scooter blocking my path to the front door:

Razor Scooter in the Rain.


There is one more competition coming up this year in May - the subject is Nature. So many possibilities....

HAND OF MAN | Goodhart Photography, Loudoun County Award Winning Photographer, Northern Virginia

Tonight was a Loudoun Photo Club competition; the subject was "The Hand of Man" (meaning any subject that was created by humans.) I entered four images and I am thrilled to report I won a first place ribbon in two categories! And these are all images I took with a Nikon Coolpix 5700, a point-and-shoot camera that is at least 5 years old. So it just goes to show that while I do love having the Canon SLR and lenses I have these days, photography is so much more than the equipment.

Anyway, the photo above (of the light installation in the walkway of the National Gallery of Art) took first place in Intermediate Color, and the one below took first place in Intermediate Monochrome.

Do you recognize this photograph? Next time you are at the Dulles Towncenter mall in the food court, look up!

Below is an image which did not place.




The judge said this one was a strong graphic composition with good clarity and tone, but I had nipped the tip off of the steel sculpture and didn't give the sculpture enough breathing room (I had to mat this photo as an 8x10, so the crop was a little different from the photo below).

Well anyway. It is rather nerve wracking to submit photographs for evaluation! But it is so helpful, too, to listen to the feedback of long-time pros -- not just about your own work, but about the other photographs that other photographers submit.

If you are interested in photography, I highly recomment joining a photography club in your area. I have learned so much from the Loudoun Photo Club. And in addition to having the opportunity to go on field trips, listen to interesting guest speakers, participate in competitions, and make friends, I have also acquired photography equipment from other members at good prices. So definitely check out your local club!

HONORABLE MENTION | Goodhart Photography, Loudoun County Photographer

"Last of the Clematis" HONORABLE MENTION


"Dew on Clover"


"Fire at Dusk"

So I entered a few more prints in the Loudoun County Photo Club Photography Competition (the three above). The theme was "Complementary Colors" (red/green; blue/orange; yellow/purple), which was quite a challenge for me, as I usually think in terms of a subject, rather than a concept, when I am behind the camera.

But I had a lot of fun, thinking about photography from the perspective of a concept. Usually I stumble across the concept when I am going through my images, like this one, from a series I took at the Jersey Shore, which is one of my favorites:



It just says "Solitude" to me. But what if I took my camera one day, and went to a park with the sole purpose of photographing "Solitude"? What would I come up with? It's an interesting idea.

Here are some images I did NOT submit, but which fit the complementary color theme:

Red and Green:





Bue and Orange:





Purple and Yellow:

MORE AWARDS!! | Goodhart Photography, Northern Virginia Family Photographer

"Patty Cake"

So last night I entered 4 images in the Loudoun County Photo Club competition, beginners division, and incredibly they all got ribbons! Above is the first place winner in the colored photography category, and below is the second place winner in the same category.


"Wait For Me.."

And here are my two entries in the monochrome categories, the first photograph took third place and the last one was an honorable mention.


"I Can Do It!"


"Happy"

The images were cropped or edited so my logos didn't appear; they were all anonymous until after the judging.

The judge, when evaluating my photographs, said she liked my compositions and the way the photographs drew her into the image, that they told a story. I am also certain that my completely adorable subjects didn't hurt - Loudoun County grows some of the most precious children ever! Anyway, I loved hearing that from the judge because it is exactly what I try to do with my "paparazzi" shots -- (which I take after the more formal family portraits are completed) -- I try to capture interesting and unique views of children that reveal something true and authentic about their personalities.

2nd AND 3rd PLACE WINNERS| Goodhart Photography, Award Winning Family Photographer in Northern Virginia

This photo - or rather, a 5x7 cropped version, took second place for color photography in the Loudoun County Photography Club, Beginners Division. It was the first photographic competition I've ever entered, and many outstanding photographs were entered, so I was quite delighted!

And this one below, took 3rd place for black and white photography.  Entering competitions is an excellent way to push myself to constantly improve my photography -- both the composition and technical aspects of my work.  Plus it is really interesting to listen to the judges comment on the work.