When we started our annual Nantucket Photo Contest more than 25 years ago, all the entries arrived via the US Postal Service except for two or three dozen hand-delivered by excited participants. This year, after two decades of widespread Internet access, only one participant mailed in prints to be entered in the contest — all the rest were emailed to our contest address: ackphotocontest@gmail.com.
More than 950 people emailed more than 1,000 images to be considered. Entries came from several foreign countries and 26 states, from Washington State to Washington DC; from New Hampshire to New Mexico. Photos of Nantucket in all seasons were submitted. There were quite a few photos featuring foggy days, some of sunsets and sunrises, surfers and sailors, glamour shots, fishermen with their catches, photos of kids enjoying Nantucket and of dogs frolicking in the sun and surf. We received more roses than hydrangeas and more hydrangeas than daffodils.
Jerry Daub, who launched the very first of our Nantucket Photo Contests and who cast the tie-breaking vote nearly every year, left us this April. All our judges missed his insightful and incisive input, his ability to see beyond the basic shapes and colors to the details and composition of each shot, and his decisiveness.
With Jerry’s spirit in our hearts, we announce this year’s first place winner is William Valaitis of Norway and Nantucket for his photo of the violinist who entertained hundreds through the season every evening on Main Street. We couldn’t break the tie for second place, so we decided to award two second place prizes, both to Nantucket residents: Kate Olson for her shot of the fisherman and Elizabeth Kelly for her photo of the Boat Basin at sunrise.
You can see these winning photos in this publication and at nantucket.net/photos/gallery.php along with many others that deserve honorable mention. To the many amateur photographers who did not receive a prize or honorable mention: don’t give up, there’s always another chance to win – we’re already accepting entries for the 2019 Nantucket photo contest at ackphotocontest@gmail.com.
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