New England – March 2026 – Portrait

Judges Comments

First place featured a unique subject with excellent lighting. The image draws the viewer to the human element first, then reveals the bear, which creates a strong and engaging connection. Second place made great use of light, with a clean background, strong expression, and a subject who appeared comfortable with the photographer. Third place also had good light, but the background could have been cleaned up more. The line running through the subject’s head was a bit distracting.

Judges: Jessica Gallagher/The Banner, Kaitlin Newman/The Banner