First Place: Rachel Goble Carey, Rachel Carey Photography, Bay Area, California, USA

Title: Learning

What LaNola had to say: I just kept coming back to this photograph.  This image is a simple window into the complexities of childhood.  I love the soft pallet, the layering, expression, focus, and composition.  I don’t need to know the story of this photograph to know that there is one.  There is truly nothing predictable or kitsch about this shot and that is what makes it great; it’s just an authentic moment captured.

Second Place (#1): Todd Birdsong, Paducah, Kentucky, USA

Title: May in Grass

What LaNola had to say: I love how the photographer described this capture as an “in-between moment.”  Life is made of these types of moments and I think that is why a whisper from these moments always catches our attention as viewers, they are just so familiar, yet often over looked.  I love the pure blacks and the glowing whites that both frame and compose this child.

Second Place (#2): Stuart Rome, StuartRome.com, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Title: Sarah and Gabbie

What LaNola had to say: I know that the photographer is close because of the wide-angle nature of the lens.  I appreciate a photographer that can get this close and still find an image that does not distract from the fluidity of the moment between the girls (no pun intended).  Adolescence can be a difficult subject matter but it provides a rewarding last glimpse of childhood before it disappears.  Another thing I love is the vibrance of the colors and the separation of the children from the background (which appears to be a masterful use of fill flash).  Well done!

Third Place: Alexandra Grebenyuk, Sherborn, Massachusetts, USA

Title: Who Needs Toys?

LaNola’s Honorable Mention: Manahi Taber-Kewene, New York, New York

Title: Grandpa Magic

LaNola’s Honorable Mention: Barbara Corvino, Italy

Title: Vertical

View all entries