Laguna Woods Camera Club selects 2021 photo of the year – Orange County Register

By Joel Goldstein

Especially with Globe

Several times a year, Laguna Woods Camera Club members enjoy the benefit of having their photos evaluated and commented on by professional judges.

But the Year-end Competition is a special event. It usually goes like a dinner with awards hand-delivered, but how things go, the 2021 awards announcement is made virtually on January 12.

Club members entered 145 images for the contest in three categories.

Photojournalism can cover any subject or technique if the result is an image that can exist in reality. There were 64 entries in the Photojournalism category.

Monochrome images can be black and white or any of the tones used throughout the image. Members have submitted 40 photos in this category.

Special Objects is the third category. Special Topics must be one of the year’s photo-rated themes, such as curves, photojournalism, altered reality, abstraction, architecture or nature (animals/ wild animals). In this category, 41 images were imported.

Each entry is judged by three independent judges.

A successful photo distinguishes itself not only by what the photographer chooses to capture, but by how well the photographer handles editing and handling the captured image. A lot of factors go into creating a winning image besides composition; these include cropping, lightening or darkening, setting the focus of the image, sharpening, adding borders, etc.

The jury scores the photographs on a scale of 6 to 9 points in half-point steps. Therefore, the perfect score for an image would be 9 from each judge, or 27 points. Just like in the Olympics, where gold medalists often win within a fraction of a second of their competition, there is a clustering of the top scorers in the End of the Year Competition, leading to a relationships in categories.

In the Photojournalism category, there was a clear first place winner, George Harper with 26.5 points. Second place was shared by four contestants with 26 points each: Ken Furuta, Larry Goodman, Russ Lazar and Pat Wilkinson. Six participants tied for third with 25.5 points each: Lawrie Bau, Mike Bray, Susan Brown Matsumoto, Arnold Silverman, Rick Silverman and Louise Stuart.

Rick Silverman topped the Monochrome category with 27 points, while Goodman and Bau were in second place with 26.5 points. Matsumoto took third place with 25.5 points.

In the Special Subject category, Harper earned another perfect score, 27, for her photo. Patricia Patti is second with 26 points, and Lazar is third with 25.5 points.

In addition to the three categories, there is another award. Rick Silverman won the jury’s approval as Best in Show with his monochrome photo titled “Astoria Bridge”.

All entries and winning designations can be viewed at lhcameraclub.com.

The Camera Club has around 280 members and is one of the oldest clubs in the Village, founded in 1966. Membership includes experienced photographers as well as novices. , who love to respond and learn from participating in club events. The members use both cameras and cell phones to take pictures.

Regular monthly events (available on Zoom) include digital photography exhibitions and reviews. Classes taught by experts and members are held year-round.