Five Park City photographers recently received numerous awards in a competition that drew thousands of entries.
Founded in 1856, the Utah State Fair in Salt Lake City hosts photography and various other types of visual and creative arts competitions.
Several of this year’s honorees are part of the Park City Photography Club. David Breslauer and Bill Silliman won first place awards, and Tracy Frankel, Amy Eskind and David Winegar also took home ribbons. According to Winegar, there were between 1,500 and 2,000 submissions that month.
Winegar won three awards for second place. A photograph of two wild albino mustangs submitted in the black and white category was also recognized for excellent print quality.
As Winegar says, it took some luck to photograph the scenes and moments that won awards. But to receive this special award, he had to spend hours outside in snowy 10-degree weather.
“Mustangs are hard to find in winter because they escape the weather and wind up in ravines. And it was so cold out there and they were standing side by side – it looked like they were almost frozen to death with their eyes closed, like it took too much energy to even open their eyes to stay warm. So I took this picture.”
Another award winner for Winegar in the wildlife category was the product of focusing on owls for a summer. He says a baby owl flew onto a nearby rooftop, spread its wings and looked straight at him, all during a moment of perfect lighting in the Silver Springs neighborhood.
Winegar, owner of Park City Photography, LLC, won his awards in the professional field. Meanwhile, some like Eskind entered the advanced amateur category and won two second-place awards.
Eskind says one of her shots, showing a mother bison comforting her baby after it nearly drowned while crossing a river, is an example of how a real moment in an image can be interpreted in different ways.
“We put our own emotions into it and think it was a kiss, but it was probably a nudge,” she says. “I captured that moment and I was very happy.”
Winners say they won some money with their second-place prizes, but barely enough to cover costs like equipment and competition submissions.
According to Winegar, the photography club is open to anyone interested in attending the monthly meetings at Park City Library. Visit the Park City Photography Club Facebook group page for information.
Winegar’s photos from the show are currently on display at Elevated Interiors at 6451 North Landmark Drive in Park City.
