On behalf of the entire Wayne Lifestyle family, we are thankful to all parents, teachers, staff and most importantly, students that helped make Picture This 2023, our first student photo contest, a success.
We received nearly 200 qualifying student submissions and, as you would expect, the level of photography the students submitted was exceptionally high and nearly all entries were worthy of the title “winner”. That left us with the daunting task of judging these photos to find the three winners in each of the two predetermined categories: straight photography and digitally manipulated photography.
The Wayne Lifestyle Picture This 2023 winners in the straight photography category are: “Millions” by Kristina Vepryk, “Love Me Tender” by Elisabeth Lara, and “The Battle Of Wayne” by Sofia Peterson. The winners in the digitally manipulated photography category are: “Through The Snow Flakes” by Olivia Galambos, “Life Comes In Waves” by Kayla DiToro, and “Icey Leaf” by Ibrahim Makhoul.
Congratulations to all six of you! Your winning photos are featured here for all our communities to see. One photographer, Kristina Vepryk, has attained the honor of representing this month’s cover!
On Wednesday, August 9, from 6-8 pm we are hosting the Picture This 2023 celebration at the Wayne YMCA (1 Pike Drive, Wayne). This is for all students who entered the contest as well as their teachers, family, friends and classmates. All entries will be on digital display for the event and the winning photos on physical display for another month. Take pride in what you have all accomplished.
On top of that, we are excited to tell every one of the wonderful photographers who entered the contest, as well as our 69,000 + monthly readership that the joy of this contest is not over.
Starting in our September issue and running through the August 2024 issue, we will be including 1-2 additional student photos on each of 2 specialty pages, courtesy of contest sponsors Everclear Pools & Spas and Jonathan Zuniga, Mass Mutual NJ-NYC. Both are strong believers in inspiring children and are proud to support this contest.
Make sure you ALL check back every month to see which student photos will be highlighted in each issue.
Congratulations again to all!
Steve Wagner, owner of Wagner Photo-Grafx and one of our Wayne Lifestyle photographers shared his words of wisdom directed to our youth:
"Photography is an incredible medium that holds great importance for a young audience. It enables you to capture the world around you, freezing moments in time that might otherwise be forgotten. Photography empowers you to express your creativity, share unique perspectives, and tell compelling stories. It allows you to document experiences, explore different cultures, and understand diverse perspectives. As a seasoned professional corporate photographer, I have seen how photography enhances observation skills, fosters self-expression, and even opens doors to exciting career opportunities. Embrace the art of photography, and you'll discover a remarkable tool that will enrich your life and inspire others."
Well said, Steve.
We can’t wait to see what beauty the students capture through the camera’s lens in the future.
Embrace the art of photography, and you'll discover a remarkable tool that will enrich your life and inspire others.
