In the Moment: 7th Annual Photo Contest Winners
The winners of this year's photo contest, selected from 45,000 photographs from 105 countries, were ready just at the right time
- By Jesse Rhodes
- Smithsonian magazine, June 2010, Subscribe
On a rainy June morning, Debra Vanderlaan and a group of her friends gathered at Newfound Gap, a pass through a stretch of the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina, and prepared to embark on a hike. “As we were readying our packs to start up the trail,” Vanderlaan recalls, “the rain subsided for just a moment. Out of a touring vehicle popped these eight young Mennonite women who went right over to the edge of the overlook. They started to climb up on the wall, one by one, and that’s when I noticed them standing there all in a row.” Vanderlaan instinctively pulled out a point-and-shoot digital camera and was able to snap two shots before the women began to disperse. Thanks to the ubiquity of Vanderlaan’s camera, one of those two images won this year’s Americana category. “I always carry my little camera in my pocket,” she says.
As digital cameras have become more popular, more people have been capturing those unexpected moments—such as a frog popping its head out from a plant, a newsdealer seemingly overwhelmed by his wares or a sheep standing almost defiantly on a hillside. The cameras also allow photographers to capture familiar sights closer to home, as was the case with Kyaw Kyaw Winn, whose image of young Buddhist monks is this year’s grand prize winner. “I am Burmese,” he says, “and I like our traditional culture and want to share it with other people around the world.”
This year in our five categories—Altered Images, Americana, the Natural World, People and Travel—we received more than 45,000 photographs from 105 countries. A gallery of all the finalist photographs is available at our Web site, Smithsonian.com. The winning photographs and some finalists are on view in the exhibition “Editors’ Picks: The Best of Smithsonian Magazine’s 7th Annual Photo Contest” at the Smithsonian Castle July 1, 2010-February 28, 2011.
Subscribe now for more of Smithsonian's coverage on history, science and nature.
Comments (3)
I am also very impressed with the photos! Does anyone know if copies can be purchased?
Posted by Chris on July 25,2010 | 08:49 AM
I'm thrilled to see that a couple that I voted for made it to the top. Especially the sheep! It was one of the last in this large group, and I was afraid that it might be hidden at the bottom of the heap, so to speak. There were so many marvelous photographs, it was hard to choose. Bravo to all who entered the contest, and thanks for sharing your visions.
Posted by Sarah on June 7,2010 | 04:53 AM
These photos are beautiful and the variety is great. I have forwarded this link to my daughter who is a budding, talented,photographer she will really appreciate all the beauty of each photo and the artistic content.AKG
Posted by Ann Gillespie on June 1,2010 | 12:28 PM