OPEN

any subject matter and any style of photography or digital art

December 20, 2011 – January 31, 2012

online-juried exhibition

Judging Criteria: Impact, Creativity, Composition

click on image to enlarge

One hundred and six photographers and digital artists, representing the United States and 14 other countries entered the juried competition and exhibition, OPEN. After evaluating over 500 works, the juror panel has selected the following top three finalist and five honorable mentions.

Best In Competition ”Red” created by Sibel Sancar, Ankara, Turkey cash award of $200 (US) plus additional prizes

”I need to consume rapidly every new inspiration and imagery coming from different sources around and thought and vision in my mind. Computer speed and shape and color possibilities of programs easily solve this problem. Most of the time abstraction of a theme is inevitable by instinct. People, their emotions and abstract themes are my favorite. I start to work without planning the final picture. But towards the final step and while jumping from one software to another, a concept is created and some classical composition rules are added to it.”

2nd Place ”Alone” created by Hilary Hann, Southwest, Austrailia cash award of $100 (US) plus additional prizes

“My art is an extension of the spiritual response I have towards African wildlife, its struggle to maintain relevance in a diminishing wilderness and its importance to the lives and history of people the world over. On a more practical note, my camera is just the starting point to achieve my final goal. The digital darkroom, a necessary step along the way to optimise the original image so that it can realise my vision. I use texture layers, often indiscernible to the viewer, which alter the way the light falls on the subject. Some textures are more obvious as they become an integral part of the image emphasising character and bringing an aged feel to the artwork. Most images have a base structure which remains unchanged during the optimising process, however, some have added components to stress a point or to re-enact an observed scene. All these elements are required to turn a factual, documented scene into one which has spirit and life of its own. In the end, a camera is a piece of hard wear, a machine made to record a scene at hand. The emotions, spirit and feelings of the scene require more than pixels to show their true self.”

3rd Place ”Caught By A Breeze” created by Keith Parks, La Mesa, California cash award of $75 (US)

“I have been taking and making pictures since the days when it made your fingers smell (aaahhh… fixer). I am most inspired by the phenomenon of nature that we call “light”, by its human offspring, vision and perception, and by the amazing things that happen when the three come together. I also love a nice picture of a cute kitten now and then.”

Honorable Mentions:

Cancer Illustrated heart created by Kell Baldwin, Fort Collins, CO; John Williams created Javier Martinez, Santiago, Chile; Water-Reeds created by Yoram Gelman, Tarrytown, NY; Planet and Moon created by Michael Wilson, Lake Villa, IL; Tulip Wing created by Rick Chapman, Greensboro, NC