Contest Theme: Water
Prize: One roll of film processed and three 5x7 prints made for free
Winner: @dirty_blonded
From the Artist: "I took this photo while visiting a friend at the beach during the first covid summer. I remember feeling a sense of relief about being able to keep distance from others while still at the beach, one of my favorite places to be. In this photo, I most enjoy the way that the sky melts into the ocean, which I remember being the case in real life too. I think film photography is able to capture this natural aesthetic in its exaggerated reaction to the outside world. I'm glad that this photo resonated with other people, and I hope it reminds viewers of the strangeness of the unknown early in the pandemic."
What We Liked: Taken in the place where land and water meet, this hazy beach photograph is timeless. Part of what makes it so wonderful is how the sky and sea blend together, blanketing the beach goers in cool shades of blue. The people are rendered as semi-abstract human shapes who stick out against this background, with a special focus on the woman at the center of the frame. Zooming in we see that she is holding her child as they gaze out at this beautiful and mysterious body of water.