South – November 2025 – Portrait

Judges Comments

First Place: “Holley Treul” immediately stood out to us. It jumps off the screen with the nice bright colors in a close-up shot. Second Place: The photographer used nice light in “My Cleats,” but the photo could have been shot a little more creatively. Third Place: “Veteran” is shot at a nice angle, and we like the feeling of openness as he stands alone in the road. We felt like it could have been lit better and the hand should have been left in the frame. Alternate: “SEEDMAN” is a nicely lit portrait, but we wish it was shot a little looser to see more room around him, as well as his other hand.

Judges: Rachel Govola/The Villages Daily Sun, Bill Mitchell/The Villages Daily Sun