 "Photo: The Olympian/ Ethan Warner")
The Hazelwood Library hosted the opening night of the 2010 Olympic College Photography Student Exhibition last Wednesday, showcasing new award-winning photos and the photographers that took them.
An awards ceremony replete with hors d'oeuvres took place immediately afterward in the North-South Conference Room of the Bremer Student Center.
The Photography Student Exhibition will be displayed on the second floor of the Hazelwood Library until April 13.
“There’s certainly a lot of art and craft to the digital print,” said Laurie Usher, photography professor and organizer of the competition.
“It takes a lot of time and effort for students to become good at it, but we’ve had several that have really dedicated themselves to it, and become good editors of photography.”
Several students won prizes in more than one category. Garth Barnum, a 41 year-old Navy veteran taking photography for personal enrichment, won Best of Show as well as first place in the Nature category with his photo “Orchid.”
He also took second place in the General category for his photo “Espresso.”
“I’ve been taking pictures for so long, and I’m self-taught, so I felt like I needed to take a class,” Barnum said. “I needed the discipline to learn.”
Taylor Nelander, a first quarter student with aspirations to be a forensic photographer, won second place in the People category for her photo “Morning Adventure,” as well as a Professor’s Choice award for her photo “Love letter.”
“It’s kind of like a modern spin on an antique thing,” said Nelander.
According to a press release by Usher, “judges for the exhibition were Rex-zane Rudee, owner and head photographer for Hudson Photographic Artistry; Laurie George, OC professor of videography and visual effects; and Ed Book, owner and photographer of EdBookPhoto.com.”
Judges for the competition were suggested by students, based on field trips photography classes have taken and photography experts they know of.
“We try to have judges outside of the program,” Usher said. “People that don’t know the students, and are involved in professional photography.”
The exhibition was sponsored by ASOC, which contributed nearly $250, and the law firm Sanchez, Paulson, Mitchell and Schock, which contributed close to $500. The firm has donated money to purchase the Best in Show photo and have it mounted in Hazelwood Library every year since 2003.
Eileen Schock, a principle, or partner, in the firm has regularly given time and knowledge to OC photography students. This year when Usher called for help, Schock helped competition entrants learn how to mat their photos.
“We came over for three nights and cut mat boards and taught the students how to do their matting and got the show all ready to go,” said Schock. “It’s fun; I like doing it.”
When Usher came to OC as a photography professor eight years ago, she restarted the tradition of OC’s annual photography competition, which had been dead for twelve years.
Usher said that OC’s photography program used to be film only, but went “all digital” in 2007. None of the photos entered in the exhibition were film photos.
Usher said that with community involvement, the show will continue to be successful.
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