Jay Shoemaker

Path
11" x 14"
Award: Third Place 
 
Juror's Note: As soon as I saw this tiny image, I wondered how the photographer determined the print size? It presented a different visual story from various viewing distances. At first glance, from a distance, I saw a shaft of light coming in from the left hitting a path or stream, splashing warm light on a spot of fall-colored grass. This was almost dream-like. When I picked up the tiny image, I was surprised. The path was in fact covered with leaves and created an elbow through the image. Overall, the photograph provided a contrast of textures with the grass, leaves and strong vertical lines of the trees wiggling vertically from the top. All this set in a color pallet of Rembrandt-like warm tones. Compositionally, the path lead my eye into the image, stopped at the sunlit texture, then continued exploring the landscape. But the path continually guided me.