Photo Contest Winners

First Place

By Kim Taylor

I think this photo is just stunning, and I could not take my eyes off of the image. It has a beautiful balance of elements. It also has that late afternoon feel along the River Walk. I don't think I even need to mention the clouds! I could not have produced this photo, and that was one of the attractions for me. Congratulations, Kim!

Following are the three runners-up, in no particular order.

Runner-up

By Robbie Mattson

I thought the subject matter was unusual, and the photo also felt desolate, quiet, and maybe cold, which is one of the moods I love about Astoria.

Runner-up

By Sara Absher

This photo of flowers in front of the Liberty Theatre at Sunday Market shows beautiful color in the flowers and the liveliness that people add to a picture. It carries a great spark of life in contrast to the first-posted runner-up photo. Both are such strong features of our area that I wanted to include the contrast among the winners. Also, for those who know Astoria, any image of the Liberty in recent years probably reminds us of what can be accomplished when people work together to restore one of our pieces of heritage - which is again about bringing life to something that could easily have crumbled away. And it's such an outstanding building.

Runner-up

Debbie Loyd

I find this also a stunning picture of something we see every day, but not always "in this light" or from this angle. So many times I've been across the Young's Bay Bridge to Warrenton at this time of day and have seen outstanding colors in the sky and on the water. Most times I've been driving and couldn't get the photo. I love the way the water reflects the gorgous colors in the sky. I also love the peaceful balance in this image.

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These are some of the reasons I selected the photos I did, but there were many that I wanted to add to the Winners' Circle. I'm a sucker for a nice sunset picture, especially around here, and I could have chosen a full roster of sunsets. There were others that I loved immediately, or that grew on me as the contest progressed. I want to thank you all for your participation and your comments throughout October and early November.

To see all of the posts of contest entries, click here and keep scrolling.

How to claim your prizes  :)

First Prize is (approximately) $30.00 worth of toys and gifts from Tapir and Friends Animal Store, and the Runner-up prizes are approximately $10.00 each in toys and gifts from Tapir and Friends. I say "approximately," because if your choice is $29.00 or $11.00, that's probably close enough. These are animal-themed items, and hopefully either you or someone you know likes animals. There's a variety to choose from, from stuffed animals to realistic plastic replicas, to model dinosaur skeletons to beautiful hand-painted or handmade jewelry. Pick out what you like and send me an e-mail. I will pay for mailing to you or to someone else if it's a gift. If you want to pick it up in Astoria, just let me know, although I don't keep store hours and there is no longer a storefront. Let me know what you want and we'll arrange a pick-up or delivery time. If what you want is listed as out of stock, let me know, because it may be coming in very soon. If you want to wait until closer to Christmas or Hanukkah, that's fine, too. Contratulations, all of you. This has been fun!

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.