Palm Coast Observer
News

The winners for the Palm Coast Find Your Florida 2018 Photography Contest have been announced, and among the highlights are a golden view of Palm Coast City Hall at sunset, wildlife found in the city's many parks, colorful skies, moments with friends and family and more.

According to a new release from the city of Palm Coast, winners are being awarded gift certificates to local businesses: $200 for first place, $100 for second and Instagram winner, $50 for third, $50 for youth and “Palm Coasters” categories and $10 for honorable mention.

Winning photographers will be recognized at the Sept. 4 Palm Coast City Council meeting, and their photographs will be displayed that evening.

The 2018 winners are:

First Place – “Town Center Celebration” by Vicki Payne

Second Place – “Sleep Time” by Raymond Garavito

Third Place – “Another Day in Paradise” by Priscilla Sutcliffe

Palm Coasters category – “Dreaming Big” by Priscilla Sutcliffe

Best Youth – “Bird in Winter” by Emily Skripko

Instagram winner – “European Village at Sunset” by Joyce E. Connolly

Overall Honorable Mentions:

“Lily Bud Lady Bug” by Elena Cunningham

“Rowers” by Lori Vetter

“Palm Harbor Parkway Bridge” by Alex Demin

“Landing Gear” by Lori Vetter

“Wise Old Owl Picks Palm Coast as Home” by John Pascucci

“Sunrise at Town Center” by Cynde Baumann

Palm Coasters Honorable Mentions:

“Town Center Fishing” by Natalie Aeschliman

“Children Learning Sportsmanship and Soccer in Palm Coast” by John Pascucci

Best Youth Honorable Mention:

“Burnt Reflection” by Madelyn Moore

Instagram Honorable Mention:

“Flower with Dew” by Rachel Atkins

Winners were selected by the city of Palm Coast Brand Plus Team (branding and social media) in blind judging. There were 331 submissions that met the qualifications of the contest, from 77 photographers.

The city held a separate photo contest for employees and their immediate families, as they were not eligible to participate in the public contest. There were 191 submissions from 18 employee photographers. There were two ways to enter this year: regular camera photos and smartphone photos.

The winners of the regular camera contest were:

First Place – “Strawberry Taste” by Lucy Nabico

Second Place – “Butterfly on Flower” by Heather Priestap

Third Place – “Catching a Ride” by Barbie Bembry

Regular Camera Honorable Mentions:

“Baby with a Bear” by Heather Priestap

“Fireworks” by Lucy Nabico

The winners of the smartphone contest were:

First Place – “Long Day on the Water” by Kathalene Picano

Second Place – “Indian Trails Sports Complex” by Dean Houghton

Third Place – “Butterfly in Hand” by Heather Priestap

Smartphone Honorable Mentions:

“Sunset at the Airport” by John Stafford

“Through the Trees” by Mary Kronenberg

“Open for Business” by Denise Bevan

“Osprey with Fish” by Donald Breton

“Man’s Best Friend” by Kathalene Picano

“Fishing for Dreams” by Marvin Calderon

“We want to thank the 95 participating photographers for sharing their talents and amazing images with us in the 2018 Find Your Florida Photo Contest,” said Cindi Lane, Palm Coast Communications and Marketing Manager, in the news release. “We look forward to using these photos on the city website, in brochures, on social media and in other ways to promote our community.”

“Our annual photo contest has become a fun family tradition, and this year we received more than 500 excellent photos that showcase what makes Palm Coast special — the people, the natural environment and community spirit,” Lane said in the release. “It was very difficult to pick just a few winners. Thank you to everyone who entered!”

For more information, contact Cindi Lane at 986-3708 or [email protected].