Romance has different meanings for different people as evidenced by
the entries in this contest. What was very apparent was that the
word is tied up in experiences and emotions that are hard to
communicate through an image. We received many entries that probably
had lots of meaning to the person sending it, but we didn't get it.
This phenomenon is called
isomorphic correspondence and can result in an image that is
perceived by one person a certain way while another person may react
to it in an entirely different way. Each person sees what they want
to see in the image based upon experiences and emotional connections
to the subject matter. Because of their attachment to the subject,
the viewer may not be able to tell if the image really is a good one
or not.
Romance, of course, is a concept heavily tied up in emotion and
culture. When judging these images we tried to chose images that
were as universal as possible, that might be interpreted by the
largest number of people as having been about this theme.
As Grand Prize winner we chose Anneke Schram's image entitled
"What's
in a Name".
Even though the story of Romeo and Juliet has its origins
in Western Europe, Shakespeare's story is widely read throughout the
world and has become synonymous with tragic romance. Schram's image
is carefully composed and beautifully lighted. The highlighted text
sets the foundation of our understanding of the image. The two
colored roses emphasize the concept even further.
"The End of Another
Beautiful Day Together,”
by
Grayce Pedulla Dillon, is our first runner-up. A beautifully done
image it is likely to conjure up a romantic evening in many people's
minds. The composition with the couple to the extreme left makes us
focus on the moment and not the couple. We, like the couple, are
witnesses to nature's beauty.
Goshka Grabowska of New York City, New York is our second runner-up
with the image "The Romance of Winter." Can romance be
found in a frozen landscape? In this image it is.
Congratulations to the Honorable Mentions in this
contest. Your images were also well appreciated.
Click on each image to see larger version.
All images
copyrighted by the individual photographers. All Rights Reserved.
These images are for your viewing pleasure only and not be downloaded
for any other purpose.
