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SLIDE SHOW: 2011 Winter Photo Contest Finalists
We received a great response to our first-ever winter photo contest, and after serious deliberation, have narrowed it down to five final images. Here are the judges' comments on why these five photos caught their attention.
Pine Needles in Ice by Cheryl Pedemonti
Thinking outside the box: "Rather than pull back and shoot a landscape, Cheryl chose to focus in on a specific detail of winter. She kept it simple with nice, natural light".
Wool in Snow by Tim Bronson
A perfect moment: "Tim's composition of this image, pop of red in the frame, and sheep looking at the camera all worked together to capture the moment."
Winter Fog by David Stone
The judges found themselves drawn to David's images repeatedly, and this is the first of two that made it into the finals: "David's eye for composing pleasing frames make his photos look almost painterly. This was shot in color, but the weather conditions made the shot look black and white."
Lighthouse at Pemaquid Point by Dave Cleaveland
A nod to the classic: "Dave used the movement of the windswept snow to lead your eye into the frame and up to the lighthouse."
Iced-in Canoe by David Stone
The second image by David Stone to make it into the finals: "Interesting composition with play of angles of canoe and dock. The color of light in the corner of the frame, which mirrors the color of the paddle on dock, made us look twice."
Please take the time to leave a comment to congratulate the finalists and let us know which photograph is your favorite. The winner will be announced in late March.
We would like to congratulate our finalists and thank all who entered our contest. Stay tuned for details on our next photo contest.
Slide Show Instructions:
- Hover over photo and click on arrow to advance the slide show.
- Click the "i" in the upper left corner of the photo for more information.
Reader Comments
Comment from Annette Gordon on March 7, 2011
This picture of Pemaquid Point Lighthouse is my favorite!
Comment from Wendy Lane on March 7, 2011
The lighthouse is my favorite They are all very good.
Comment from K. Madelyn King on March 7, 2011
Mr. Cleaveland has stolen my heart with his photography... I\'ve never viewed a photo of his that I haven\'t absolutely loved. Anything submitted by him would be my top choice. } )
Comment from K. Madelyn King on March 7, 2011
Hands down, Dave Cleaveland has the best photo of the five. You can feel his passion for photography; and his passion for New England. That\'s what makes him so great...
Comment from Cheryl Pedemonti on March 7, 2011
Wow! Thanks for this great honor of including my photo in the top 5 finalists!
Comment from Pam Woolsey on March 7, 2011
My vote is for the picture of Pemaquid Point Lighthouse by Dave Cleavland, it\'s an amazing photo! Dave has a wonderful talent for taking the ordinary and making it extrodinary!
Comment from Dorothy Drobney on March 7, 2011
The lighthouse is amazing - and such a different view from what we\'re used to on our summer trips to Pemaquid!
Comment from Ricky McCary on March 7, 2011
The Lighthouse at Pemaquid Point combines the elements of a perfect winter photo. One wants to get to the lighthouse for a warm up and a cup of hot buttered rum! This is my favorite!
Comment from Margaret Andrulot on March 7, 2011
My vote is for Cheryl Pedemonti\'s Pine Needles in Ice. Cheryl captures a picture that would probably be unnoticed in our hectic lives and brings it to our attention as something beautiful. Thanks Cheryl for another great photo.
Comment from Karen Michaud on March 7, 2011
I love the shot of Pemaquid Point only because I love that particular light house and I also have a wonderful shot of it in the fall. I found it to be a bit out of focus! But my first pick is Cheryl\'s Pine Needles in Ice. I great show of what the eye can see looking through a lens. Great job to all!
Comment from hope Prinzivalli on March 7, 2011
Cheryl\'s photo is so unique, it captures the very essence of the simple pristine beauty that is an everyday gift to us from nature!! Beautiful! Love it!! Also, I have to say that those sheep have my HEART TOO! Adorable!! So typically country!!! All beautiful, but those are my two favorites!! Congratulations to everyone!!!!
Comment from Kayla Gutfran on March 8, 2011
I love the photo by Cheryl Pedemonti, the small focus seizes the essence of winter and represents the many plants and trees that stay alive and green underneath the ice and snow. Her photos are a beautiful representation of nature and the seasons. I choose this one to win!
Comment from Bill Baert on March 8, 2011
I particularly like David Stone\'s \"Winter Fog\". The fog seems to absorb all of the color, with the exception of the brown reflecting off the marsh grass. Otherwise I would swear that it was black & white photography. Like the detail of the broken tidal ice in foreground, and the way the background disappears toward where the horizon should be. This is my favorite of the 5.
Comment from Deborah Johnson on March 8, 2011
Winter Fog by David Stone is far and above the competing entries in composition, color and mood.
Comment from Janice Koskey on March 8, 2011
David Stone\'s \"Iced-in Canoe\" has the unique aesthetic qualities that make it the best of the five. The angles of boat and pier, placement of paddle and buoy, complementary lighting, jagged cracking ice and even the title say winter in an unconventional way. Its varied textures and muted tones mark the composition of a true artist.
Comment from Lainie Brown on March 9, 2011
My favorite is winter fog by David Stone. He captures the light and softness of the day beautifully and you can almost feel the cold air. It amazes me that this is a color picture as at first glance I too would have sworn it was black and white. Amazing shot.
Comment from Neil Simmons on March 9, 2011
We live near the Pemaquid Lighthouse, and I have never seen it in this light...fantastic work.
Comment from Laura Cleary on March 9, 2011
All great photos but I think the Canoe by David Stone is the best
Comment from cindy redman on March 9, 2011
They all are very nice photos. My favorite is the black faced sheep.The red barn adds color. They look warm and woolly on a cold winter day. This photo would make a nice Christmas card.
Comment from sandy byrne on March 10, 2011
David Stone always catches the exact light and composition that make The Fog and Canoe so appealing. This keeps the eyes returning to his photos. It would be easy to pick his out of an array of many.
Comment from Jennifer Legler on March 15, 2011
Winter Fog by David Stone is impeccably winter- I can feel the cold, the dampness and the desolation. The others have a type of prop - the sheep, the lighthouse (always photogenic), the green of the needles, and the canoe, but to show bare cold white nature and get the tone that perfect is a gift.
Comment from Sally Campbell on March 15, 2011
Oh my goodness! The Pemaquid Point Lighthouse by Dave Cleavland is breathtaking! Outstanding and compelling with excellent composition. Wow! By far the best!
Comment from Liz Ross on March 15, 2011
My heart responds to the \"Iced in Canoe\" It makes you feel the winter.
Comment from on March 15, 2011
Winter Fog by David Stone is my favorite. I\'m not usually drawn to winter scenes but this one has changed my mind. I love it.
Comment from Deborah Damon on March 15, 2011
Iced in canoe is my choice for the best--interesting and different subject and amazing colors and texture! Simply a great picture!
Comment from Jacqui Hood on March 15, 2011
I think the lighthouse is my favorite one for its vivid colors, beacon of warmth (light) and inviting and comforting feeling.
Comment from Ryan Holderman on March 15, 2011
David Stone\'s \"Winter Fog\" captures the feeling of this snowy winter. It brings to mind the melancholia of the old hymn \"In The Bleak Midwinter\".
Comment from Pete King on March 15, 2011
There is only one choice (unfortunately for the competition): the lighthouse at Pemaquid Point by Dave Cleaveland. It is outstanding!
Comment from Catherine Ruby on March 15, 2011
Each of the photos is beautiful and helps me to stop and appreciate our surroundings in a new way. Thank you to each of the photographers. If I had to choose, I would vote for the Pemaquid lighthouse because of the movement captured in the snow as well as the beautiful colors captured in the lighting. It is a stunning photograph.
Comment from Debbi Griffin on March 15, 2011
Cold, sharp, full of crisp texture, left out in the cold...the canoe is distinct and delivers a message of a missing element in time with all it\'s character showing grizzled New England weathering. Great capture in an unusual setting.
Comment from linda Bouchard on March 15, 2011
I love the iced in canoe. The colors are amazing and the canoe comes to life like it is waiting for the spring thaw.
Comment from Dreiss, Tracey CTR NAVSEA/ASC on March 15, 2011
I love all the finalist\'s pictures but David Stone\'s Winter Fog is my favorite. Looking at the picture, I can feel the moisture and the cold in the air. I didn\'t get home this winter, this picture brought me back for sure.
Comment from on March 15, 2011
1&2 encompass winter, 3-5 are lovely and specific, all five are evocative - thanks
Comment from Lisa Mitchell on March 15, 2011
Winter fog is by far the best!
Comment from Donna Rothhaus on March 15, 2011
Definitely Pine Needles in Ice.
Comment from Tracey McCall on March 15, 2011
The iced in canoe is beautiful and unusual. The colors are spectacular. No offense to the competition, but another lighthouse picture - really? I couldn\'t take a picture like these to save my life, but Winter fog - boring, ice needles is great, but could be anywhere, love the sheep but they are as bad as lighthouses! GO CANOE!!
Comment from Diane Vaughan on March 15, 2011
Oh My, the lighthouse is the best - WOW, the markings on the snow, you don\'t get that every place. This one should be #1 in my book. I can\'t even come up with #2 as #1 is so outstanding, Dave Cleaveland has done great!
Comment from Brenda Anna on March 15, 2011
My favorite is Iced in Canoe followed closely by Winter Fog.
Comment from on March 15, 2011
All the photos are beautiful but the sheep have my vote. Any time an animal is in a photo it wins hands down (or in this case feet down). Roberta Ritchie
Comment from on March 15, 2011
Wool in Snow by Tim Bronson - perfect composition. The others? Good pictures, but nothing to get excited about. GO SHEEP!!
Comment from on March 15, 2011
I have two:
Iced in Canoe by David Stone because of the composition and lighting and subject Wool in Snow by Tim Bronson - perfectly framed, wonderful contrast...you feel like you are there!
Comment from MaryAlice S. Morton on March 15, 2011
The Lighthouse @ Pemaquid Point has my vote. I immediately think New England in winter.
Comment from AUDREY WELLNER on March 15, 2011
Congratulations to all the finalists, but I really love Tim Bronson\'s \"Wool in Snow.\" Reminds me to quickly get out, feed the animals, tuck them in the barn, stamp off my boots, rush in the house, get my knitting needles and cuddle up with my hot chocolate and stay warm from the lovely wool products they provide. The other pictures make me feel cold, isolated and lonely! THANK YOU SHEEP!!
Comment from Janet Lofquist on March 15, 2011
All of the pictures are great, and really make you feel the cold (especially when it\'s already warm here in Houston), but I especially loved \"Iced in Canoe\" - even the colors just reflecting in the water above the canoe compliment the same hint of color in the canoe and from the paddle. Well done!
Comment from Elaine Aldous on March 15, 2011
My favorite is David Stone\'s Winter Fog. You can almost feel the damp cold of the fog. Ilive near a lake and have seen a similar scene many times, it truly has the essence of winter.
Comment from Janet Foster on March 15, 2011
The Lighthouse is my favorite. It is truly a beautiful scene.
Comment from Peggy Perry on March 15, 2011
Wool in Snow is definitely my favorite! Reminds me of local scenes here in N.H.
Comment from Sherrill Rodgers on March 15, 2011
Congrats to the finalists for capturing the beauty and wonder of winter. I\'ve always been drawn to photos of lighthouses, regardless of the season\'s setting. The Lighthouse at Pemaquid Point by Dave Cleaveland is my new favorite. Capturing it at evening light was perfect!
Comment from Marcia White on March 15, 2011
Wonderful! Pemaquid is my favorite, with Wool in Snow a very close second.
Comment from Pat Kissane on March 16, 2011
Definitely the Lighthouse, with the Wool in Snow a very good challenge for first place. Great job by all entrants.
Comment from Chris Heckman on March 16, 2011
Loved all of them but the pine needles are my favorite. Thanks to all of the photographers, and to Yankee Magazine for bringing them to us.
Comment from Norman Russell on March 16, 2011
I think they are all excellent photographs. The sheep not only for the warmth they provide but looking forward to spring and new baby lambs. My favorite is between the lighthouse, a classic, the framing, composition, and lighting are incredible, and the canoe photo. It has great composition and lighting, but evokes many emotions as well. It remindes us of summers past and the thoughts of spring fishing, summer paddling and fall foliage rides to come. The canoe is just sleeping, dreaming untill the warm rays of spring reawaken it, and us.
Comment from Phyllis Ryder on March 16, 2011
I love the peacefulness of Pemaquid and now this magical picture in the snow! My first choice for sure. I also love Winter Fog - it looks like a painting.
Comment from Verbena Santo on March 17, 2011
REALLY hard to choose a favorite! I really am intrigued by artists whose creative use of light makes it an integral part of their work - so I narrowed it down to the Lighthouse and the Fog photos pretty quickly - wonderful as the other three are! After careful delilberation I am choosing the Pemaquid Lighthouse as my \"favorite\" ... the composition and use of light combine with the \'time\' to make it \'magical\' as well as beautiful. Yes.
Comment from Tamera Robinson on March 17, 2011
All the pictures are great, but my favorite is the Lighthouse at Pemaquid Point because it looks so peaceful and beautiful! Dave Cleaveland has a wonderful ability to take pictures that captivate you!
Comment from Siobhan Krane on March 17, 2011
The sheep are wonderful, one of those pictures that looks easy but is very hard to get right. I love it.
Comment from Gary Brienzo on March 18, 2011
Glad I don\'t have to choose one--all are winners! Thanks for sharing these...
Comment from Karen Vernon on March 18, 2011
They are all wonderful - would be happy to have any of them on my wall!
Comment from Lucy Canter on March 19, 2011
I Love the Light House, I paint them as well ! Lighthouses have a mystical,spooky air about them. I would love too sleep in one on the Atlantic O.My 13 yr. old son and I love too vacation near lighthouses... Lucy Canter
Comment from Peter Lewia on March 19, 2011
I love the Pemaquid photo, with the wreath, and the moon at sunrise. One of my favorite places. All the photos are absolutely wonderful, though. Glad I live in Florida now, in the winter!
Comment from Maureen Begin on March 28, 2011
Iced in Canoe by David Stone is my favorite. Congratulations to all the finalists!
Comment from Lanette Wagner on March 29, 2011
Winter Fog is far and away the best. It has depth and it has soul.
Comment from Susan Llauget on March 29, 2011
Lighthouse At Pemaquid Point really caught my eye. The white lighthouse on the bluish white snow with the deep blue of the sea and sky with the beautiful colors from the setting sun on the horizon make me want to hop in my car and driver over to Pemaquid.
Comment from Alice Sowizral on March 29, 2011
Loved Wool in Snow. However, Lighthouse at Pemaquid Point was a very close second.
Comment from Stephen Moore on March 30, 2011
I love Maine`s lighthouses, this really caught my heart, I am glad he caught the planet in the sky.. Sooo Beautiful!!!
Comment from Paula Mcallister on April 19, 2011
Wonderful pictures.. and what great photo ops.
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