Freeze Frame Local Students Place Well In Statewide Contest

The Washington State High School Photography Competition moved back to the west side this year, but Spokane shutterbugs were still a big presence at the annual contest.

For the last two years, the competition was hosted by Saint George’s School in north Spokane. This year, the students headed to Mercer Island High School in May; they didn’t leave disappointed.

Saint George’s improved to second place overall, after finishing third last year. The school earned two first place nods, a second place, a third place and several honorable mentions.

Shadle Park took a first, second and third, as well about a dozen honorable mentions. University High School participated as well.

Thirty-six schools from across the state entered nearly 1,300 pictures for judging. Rainer Photographic Supply of Seattle has designed the competition to showcase the best young photographers in the state. The winning entries are on display in the Seattle Art Museum and will be exhibited throughout the state over the summer and throughout the next school year.

Photo students spend much of the year thinking about and preparing for the state competition. Hundreds of pictures are taken; only a few make the cut to state. Shadle teacher Nina Stoddard had to whittle 1,800 entries from her school to the 196 pictures they eventually entered. Ty Garland, a Saint George’s junior who won a second place award in architecture photography, had to chop 40 of his favorites to 10 entries.

The competition is stiff. That’s why even an honorable mention is coveted.

Devon Christensen, a Saint George’s junior, won four honorable mentions. His favorite is one of his mother holding a child she baby-sits.

“It’s a very loving picture, and it will bring back a lot of memories for me,” he said. “Hopefully it will bring the same feelings of warmth and compassion to other people when they look at it.”

In the end, kids come away feeling good about their work and the efforts they made, said Saint George’s teacher Mike Kelly.

“I think competition is good for kids,” said Kelly. “They like to compete in sports, I don’t know why art should be any different.”