2003 Mighty River Power Photographic Competition winners announced
A unique perspective of the Waikato-Taupo region is the common theme among winners in the 2003 Mighty River Power
Photographic Competition.
Diverse images from a weather-beaten shed to a portrait on a sofa are among the major winners in this year's event.
More than 170 people entered the competition, which was open to secondary and tertiary students and non-professional
photographers across four themes: landscape, documentary, portraiture and contemporary.
The winning entries were announced last night at the competition awards evening in Hamilton. Taumarunui High School's
Apolline Hutchings was the overall winner of the Secondary section with a picture of a refrigerator door cluttered with
personal mementos.
The prize capped a successful night for Taumarunui High School, which won five out of nine prizes presented in the
Secondary section.
Henry Jen's shot of a ghostly figure in front of a weather-beaten shed won the overall prize for the Tertiary section,
while Ngaruawahia's Johnny Bell won the Non-professional section with a picture including the combination of his father,
a sofa and an old portrait.
Mighty River Power General Manager External Affairs Neil Williams says the competition asked entrants to submit
photographs that explored aspects of the Waikato-Taupo region or its people.
"We're delighted with the competition, as it succeeded in capturing the regions Mighty River Power is closely associated
with," Mr Williams says.
Photographers Natalie Robertson and Patrick Reynolds, Waikato Museum Fine Arts Curator John Hurrell and Lake Taupo
Museum and Art Gallery Director Karen Williams judged this year's entries.
The panel says the competition entrants have again set benchmarks in terms of standards and images.
"The first year of competition saw a high standard of entries, and then this has been further improved on as entrants
sought to set new benchmarks in amateur photography," the panel says.
Winning entries will be exhibited at venues around the region early next year, including the Lake Taupo Museum and Art
Gallery in Taupo from 11 March 2004 to 24 March 2004, and Arts Post in Hamilton from 27 March 2004 to 16 April 2004.
A full list of winners is below:
PORTRAITURE
DOCUMENTARY
CONTEMPORARY
LANDSCAPE
SECONDARY
Overall Winner:
Apolline Hutchings Taumarunui High School
(For Documentary Entry)
Winner
Libby O'Brien Tauhara College, Taupo
Runner-up
Holly Stevenson Taumarunui High School
Winner
Apolline Hutchings Taumarunui High School
Runner-up
Michael Jones Home schooled, Hamilton
Winner
Holly Stevenson Taumarunui High School
Runner-up
Gina Smith Cambridge High School
Winner
Gavin Lodge Melville High School
Runner-up
Sarah Ryan Taumarunui High School
TERTIARY
Overall Winner:
Henry Jen UNITEC
(For Contemporary Entry)
Winner
Jeremy Senior WINTEC
Runner-up
Liana Gardner WINTEC
Winner
Henry Jen UNITEC
Runner-up
Simon Madill WINTEC
Winner
Henry Jen UNITEC
Runner-up
Pam Tapp WINTEC
Winner
Claire Thatcher Massey University
Runner-up
Rebecca Bruning Massey University
NON-PROFESSIONAL
Overall Winner:
Johnny Bell Ngaruawahia
(For Portraiture Entry)
Winner
Johnny Bell Ngaruawahia
Runner-up
Aaron Bold Taupo
Winner
Carein Chan Hamilton
Runner-up
Dennis O'Neil Matamata
Winner
Tania King Te Awamutu
Runner-up
Anne Kalnins Hamilton
Winner
Des Brough Wellington
Runner-up
Neil Finlay Auckland
WAIKATO TIMES AWARD
Overall Winner:
Neil Finlay
(For Landscape Entry)