THE Hawkesbury Gazette is delighted to announce Sonia Topic and Jack O’Leary have won the senior and junior categories respectively of our We Are Hawkesbury: 25 Places Landscape Photography Competition.
Sonia Topic of Oakville’s stunning photo of a sunrise over the Richmond Lowlands, pictured, captivated the attention of our judges.
Topic said her earliest memories were of flicking through photo albums, and said she was surprised to have won given how many great entries we received.
“Photography makes me feel alive as photographs mean everything to me. A photograph will outlive you and be cherished forever by your loved ones,” she said.
Topic said she had attained a Diploma of Photography and ran a small business working with hair and make-up artists to create ‘contemporary style portraits’. She said she took landscape photos in her spare time.
The junior winner, Jack O’Leary of Pitt Town, was thrilled to find out his photo of a sun setting on a hazy afternoon at Pitt Town Bottoms had won the junior category.
O’Leary, 17, said he started taking photos on his phone, and eventually bought himself a DSLR and taught himself by experimenting with his camera and watching youtube videos.
“I like taking photos because it gives you the opportunity to explore new places and take amazing photos of the places, and try stand out from everyone,” he said.
“They also hold so much value and some of the most amazing memories.”
Hawkesbury Gazette photographer and competition judge Geoff Jones said he was impressed by the quality of the winning photos.
“Overall the standard of entries was pleasing. It is always good to see the area through another photographer’s lens,” he said.
Fellow judge and Hawkesbury Mayor Mary Lyons-Buckett said she thought the region was presented beautifully by the photographs.
“Many photos focused on water scenes and mist and this is much of what we regularly see in the Hawkesbury landscape,” she said.
“It really reaffirmed just how many beautiful and diverse landscapes we have here to enjoy.”
The Hawkesbury Gazette would like to thank Hawkesbury City Council for sponsoring this competition, and all of our readers who entered their photos.
