Maine Photography Show

The Maine Photography Show

(Presented by Boothbay Region Art Foundation)

MPS has been the annual premier juried gallery show of photography in Maine
in the 15^th year now.

For the 2020 Show we solicited photos in the categories
Black and White, Color, Student, and Special Category (Documentary).

The juror for the 2020 Show was Greg Rec, the Chief Photographer of Portland Press Herald.

Click/tap for the virtual MPS 2020 Award Announcement

All selected work is posted at the online Gallery

You can also view all submitted and selected photos on our map at Entry 2020

2021 Contest Announcement!

While everyone can still enjoy the virtual show of this year's contest,
we want to give you an opportunity to get ready for your MPS entry in 2021!

We are glad to announce that the Portland native and resident
Bruce Brown will be the juror for next year's show.
Bruce is well known as a photographer, collector, and curator
for many art and photography exhibitions in Maine.

And to get your mind set for your entry to the next contest,
we identified the Special Category as Community Celebrations.
We thought that this may be an exciting but very challenging subject,
considering the life changing period we are in right now.
See more details here

Winners of MPS 2020

Info

Winter Fox - by Mike Cullivan

Best of Show

Note from Greg Rec: For me, a Best in Show image is the photo in a contest that you keep returning to because you want to see it again and again, even when you might be in the middle of judging another category. Winter Fox is that image for me - I kept calling it up in the web browser to stare at it for awhile. It completely captivated me - the blurred snow, the eyes locked on the photographer and camera, the texture in the fur. This image is absolutely stunning.
Overcome - by Nancy Greindl

First Place (Documentary)

Note from Greg Rec: Wow, just wow. Great moment and so well composed. Fabulous work by the photographer.
Sparky Wheaton - by Jonathan Wheaton

Second Place (Documentary)

Note from Greg Rec: If I get a chance to make a long exposure image while having people frozen in the photo, I'm in my glory. This photo succeeds on that front SO well. The light on their faces contrasted against the trail of the embers is absolutely fantastic.
Bar Bouncer - Janitor - Jesuit Priest - POPE - by Steve Demeranville

Third Place (Documentary)

Note from Greg Rec: One of the hardest things I had to learn as a young photojournalist was to look for emotion and to capture moments between people. This image knocks those two criteria out of the park. What an incredible range of faces and emotions! The drawing of the main subject on the right side of the frame helped propel this into third place.
Our Moon's Shadow on Wyoming countryside - by John Stetson

Honorable Mention (Documentary)

Note from Greg Rec: Wait, seriously??? You can actually put a camera on a weather balloon?? I mentioned in an earlier comment that when I judge contests, I look for images that surprise me. This one totally stopped me in my tracks - it's unlike any other eclipse photo I've seen. Not only is the image arresting but the sheer amount of front-end work to get approval to mount a camera to a weather balloon and then work out the logistics of capturing this image are mind-boggling. Major kudos to the photographer.
Family Meal - by Leon Vanella

Honorable Mention (Documentary)

Note from Greg Rec: I'm not a wildlife photographer, so I have a great deal of respect for photographers who have the patience to wait for moments like this that are so incredible. It can take days of research and hours of looking through the camera to capture a moment like this. Well done.
The Dog Walker - by Caroline Samson

First Place (Black and White)

Note from Greg Rec: This image is so timeless - it could be a tintype from the late 1800s. I love the composition and overall, it is extremely well executed. Bravo!
Fore River - Portland - Maine - by Jon Tobiasz

Second Place (Black and White)

Note from Greg Rec: The range of tones in this photo is absolutely exquisite; it feels like a magical land. The egret is the icing on the cake!
Tulip Stairs - by Joseph Wax

Third Place (Black and White)

Note from Greg Rec: When I judge contests, I look mostly for two things: images that surprise me or images that I've seen before but they are so well executed, I feel like I'm seeing them for the first time. This image falls into the latter category - spiral stairs are nothing new but the composition and lighting of this image are SO excellent; It's one of the best photo of spiral stairs I've ever seen. The railings really set it apart and propelled it into third place.
Grit - by Karen Olson

Honorable Mention (Black and White)

Note from Greg Rec: I spent a fair amount of time anguishing over whether to award this photo third place or first honorable mention. The overlay of this image adds an antique quality to it but the hand reaching out fascinated me and brought me back to the current day - is she reaching out for help or trying to keep something away? This photo works incredibly well on so many levels.
Peaks Island Winter Sojourn - by Mark Shain

Honorable Mention (Black and White)

Note from Greg Rec: I kept coming back to this image to shake off the first impression I had that the subject in this photo was a statue. Even if it was a heavy snow fall, the person in this photo had to sit around for awhile for that snow to accumulate. So, in addition to creating an excellent photo, the photographer gets kudos for convincing someone to sit around in the cold for so long!
Dead Vlei - by Stephen Fabricius

First Place (Color)

Note from Greg Rec: The Color category had many excellent images but this photo caught my eye early on in the judging. The composition and light in this image are so flawless and the diminishing repeating pattern of the dead trees adds to the perfection of this photo.
The Jewel of Hatchet Cove - by Isaac Crabtree

Second Place (Color)

Note from Greg Rec: I think drones have been around long enough for the fascination of low-altitude aerial photography to wear off so now any aerial image has to rise above (pardon the pun) common drone photos. This image does just that - the colors are stunning and, as aerial photography can sometimes do, it renders the subject a little ambiguous.
Love Birds - by Rob Smith

Third Place (Color)

Note from Greg Rec: This image is stunning - I appreciate the work the photographer put into this. The muted tones of the background contrasted against the brighter, fine details of the birds makes them stand out.
Melting History - by Spencer Mendell

Honorable Mention (Color)

Note from Greg Rec: The tonality of the ice on the shore and the slow shutter speed make this image interesting but, for me, just as fascinating is the question this photo raises about the future of THIS ice on THIS shore.
Maine Lightning - by Benjamin Williamson

Honorable Mention (Color)

Note from Greg Rec: Lightning photos require patience and an acceptance of unpredictability. We've all seen many of them so a sucessful lightning image has to be superlative and this one is just that.
In the Moment - by Sarah Delaware

First Place (Student)

Note from Greg Rec: The shallow depth of field brings me right in and makes me question what the subject is looking at and wondering about, which provides a strong connection between viewer and subject. That is not an easy connection for a photographer to make. Excellent image.
Mermaid With Legs - by Grace McNally

Second Place (Student)

Note from Greg Rec: This underwater photo succeeds where many others fail. The composition is great, the bubbles add to that dynamic and the sharp focus on the face is superb. Nicely done!
Human Nature - by Laura Chavoustie

Third Place (Student)

Note from Greg Rec: As a photojournalist, my images rarely stand on their own. I often have to write extensive captions to inform readers about the background behind the photographs. In this contest, I've been grateful for the bit of information that the image file names provide. The file name of this image gave me insight as to what the photographer was working at and I think that concept was extremely well executed.
Outlook to Adventure - by Colby Lacasse

Honorable Mention (Student)

Note from Greg Rec: One of the hallmarks of a successful photo is answering this question: "Would you like to be right where this image was made?" This image makes me wish just that; I don't know where this image was created but it's so interesting, I want to be in that frame, looking out over that expanse that the subject is gazing upon.
Summer Daze - by Rose Lynch

Honorable Mention (Student)

Note from Greg Rec: When a photo conveys an emotion unequivocally, it's effective. For me, this photo cries EXUBERANCE and draws me right in; I want to be there (on the Eastern Prom in Portland, I'm assuming?) There is sheer joy happening in this image and, after all, isn't that what life is all about?
Garlic - by Jane Davis

Committee Choice Award

Committee Comment: Each year the Maine Photography Show publishes a show catalog of all the images in the show. The cover is chosen by the committee from accepted images that did not receive another award. This year many images would have made a great cover shot. After pre-selecting about 8 contestants we decided on Garlic by Jane Davis for its simplicity and very pleasing design. It pops off the cover!