Open Competition

Judge: Steve Parker

Bio: Steve ran his own color lab for over 40 years.  He would shoot a wedding on Saturday and have the proofs back to the bride and groom on Sunday. One year he produced over thirty thousand 8 by 10’s for one client.  Steve also worked as Syracuse University sports and event photographer for 30 years.   Professionally he has photographed over 200 NCAA events, 4 final fours in basketball, 23 years with Syracuse men’s lacrosse, 33 years straight photographing NYS wrestling championships, 5 years press photographer for NYS fair. He taught photography for 35 years.  In 1996 he was an official photographer for the Olympics in Atlanta where in 18 days he shot 250 rolls of film. He still enjoys photography but not for work.  Despite all his photography work, his most important and meaningful job is being a dad and father to his daughter.  And his treat today, two wonderful grandchildren.

Artist Statement:  How do I judge my own work?  Do I like the photograph? That’s all that matters. While judging photographs, I always tell the audience that this is only how I feel about the work. I am just a person who has been in love with photography for over 50 years. Is the image visually pleasing? Show visual impact? Would it catch my eye if I saw it hanging in a gallery? These are some of the considerations I use when judging.