Twenty-five local photographers will receive recognition for their work in the recent “Essence of Bellingham” Photo Competition, which drew nearly 200 entries from Whatcom County residents of all ages, during the July 24 City Council meeting.
Entries honored for Best of Show awards are: “Downtown” by Rich Williams (1st place) "Ocean Hunter" by Sandi Heinrich (2nd place) and "When We Were Pedestrians" by Jim Hale (3rd place).
The winning entries, as well as all photos submitted for the competition, are posted on the City of Bellingham website. The photographers who submitted the winning shots will be recognized at the July 24 Bellingham City Council meeting. Entries also will be shown on BTV10 and added to the Whatcom Museum’s photographic collection. All 197 entries submitted for the competition were on display during the July 7 Downtown Gallery Walk.
“We are delighted so many people shared their vision of the “essence” of Bellingham,” said Bellingham Mayor Mark Asmundson. “With their photographs they are sharing what they love about Bellingham - its rich history, spectacular surroundings and vibrant neighborhoods – and preserving it for future generations as well."
Asmundson said the photo competition is expected to be an annual event, and he invites local shutterbugs to begin snapping photos now to enter in next year’s competition.
The submissions were juried by representatives from the Whatcom Museum, the professional art community, a member of the Bellingham Arts Commission, and a City of Bellingham staff member. Winning entries in each classification (age group, amateur or professional) were selected based on photographic quality, subject matter, and how well the “essence of Bellingham” was captured.
