Honorable Mentions-Jennifer Maiotti “Fairy Tale” Rich Vogel “Winter Arrives” Diane Cockerill “Layers of Zen” Will Nourse “Terra Incognita VII” Michael S. Cohen “Moment of Clarity”
L.A. Photo Curator: Global Photography Awards - 'Where Photography & Philanthropy Meet' Honorable Mentions-Jennifer Maiotti “Fairy Tale”  Rich Vogel “Winter Arrives”  Diane Cockerill “Layers of Zen”  Will Nourse “Terra Incognita VII” Michael S. Cohen “Moment of Clarity”  (Click on image for larger view)
FAIRY TALE by Jennifer Maiotti
HONORABLE MENTION
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Jennifer Maiotti has over a decade of experience writing and producing documentaries for National Geographic Channel, The History Channel, and The Discovery Channel. She has a B.S. in International Studies and Communications from Northwestern University and resides in Chicago. She only recently started sharing her photography which combines documentary form with fine art. Current work can be seen at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts and the Oak Park Arts League in Illinois. 

www.jennifermaiotti.com
L.A. Photo Curator: Global Photography Awards - 'Where Photography & Philanthropy Meet' Honorable Mentions-Jennifer Maiotti “Fairy Tale”  Rich Vogel “Winter Arrives”  Diane Cockerill “Layers of Zen”  Will Nourse “Terra Incognita VII” Michael S. Cohen “Moment of Clarity”  West Parish Pond, Andover, Massachusetts
WINTER ARRIVES by Rich Vogel
HONORABLE MENTION
West Parish Pond, Andover, Massachusetts
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Rich Vogel says, "To find inner peace, I look outward. 

Making photographs of nature and landscapes takes me out of myself and helps me focus on things that are bigger than me.  I can stare at the landscape and not worry about whether it will object or what it thinks of me.  I stop being conscious of myself and become conscious of the world around me.  I try to capture things like the stillness of the first ice and snow of winter, how water can appear black and reflect the light, and the way a very large array of giant dishes on an even larger plain below a magnificent big sky suggests the unimaginable expanses in time and space through which they listen.  For me, such images suggest a sense of time beyond my life, and I find peace in that.

I use mostly black and white film in medium and large format to take my time and capture detail and to concentrate on variations and balance of tone, contrast and composition.  I develop and print the negatives using traditional darkroom processes, partly to concentrate more on the images and tones, but mostly because I’m tired of sitting in front of a computer and enjoy the process, working with my hands.

Travel for work and the iPhone revived my interest in photography.  After a brief fling with digital photography, I fell in love with film and darkroom processes.  After retiring from a career in software, I TA at the New England School of Photography, struggle in the darkroom, wander the woods north of Boston and travel under the big skies out West every summer."

www.flickr.com/people/rmlvogel/
L.A. Photo Curator: Global Photography Awards - 'Where Photography & Philanthropy Meet' Honorable Mentions-Jennifer Maiotti “Fairy Tale”  Rich Vogel “Winter Arrives”  Diane Cockerill “Layers of Zen”  Will Nourse “Terra Incognita VII” Michael S. Cohen “Moment of Clarity”  (Click on image for larger view)
LAYERS OF ZEN by Diane Cockerill
HONORABLE MENTION
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Diane Cockerill says,"I live in the sprawling megalopolis that is Los Angeles. I am surrounded with industry, trucks, construction, trains and graffiti.

I love it. But there are times I need to refresh, renew and reconnect to the magic of quiet. Hikes in the Santa Monica mountains and walks on the beach afford this luxury and I feel whole again."

A third-generation Angeleno, Diane Cockerill studied Fine Art at UCLA. When photographing the sprawling neighborhoods of Los Angeles, there is very little that doesn’t pique her imagination. Street scenes, street art and street curbs, all photographed with a keen eye and unique perspective. Diane worked for over 30 years in the advertising industry but is now fully immersed in photographing her native Los Angeles.

Career Highlights:

I studied Fine Art at UCLA and have shown photographs at several local galleries as well as in Boston, South Korea and Hungary. Women in Photography International awarded my “Rainbow” image first place in their PhotoLA exhibition, and I am a member of CollectorWorks through Duncan Miller Gallery in Santa Monica. My images have been chosen to appear on YourDailyPhotograph.com over twenty times.

https://www.facebook.com/dianecockerill
https://www.facebook.com/Curbiture-199556316808426/


Image- Layers of Zen - (Hiking in the early morning hours in the Santa Monica Mountains)

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L.A. Photo Curator: Global Photography Awards - 'Where Photography & Philanthropy Meet' Honorable Mentions-Jennifer Maiotti “Fairy Tale”  Rich Vogel “Winter Arrives”  Diane Cockerill “Layers of Zen”  Will Nourse “Terra Incognita VII” Michael S. Cohen “Moment of Clarity”  (Click on image for larger view)
TERRA INCOGNITA VII by Will Nourse
HONORABLE MENTION
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Will Nourse says, "The opportunity to spend time in wild places is increasingly precious in our modern society.

Seeing fog form in Yosemite Valley, witnessing the power of a storm at the beach, meditating on a sunset in the Rocky Mountains or feeling insignificant beneath the brilliance of the Milky Way on a clear night are activities that fewer and fewer people in the world take the time to, and are able to, experience.  

While there are an ever-increasing number of photographers, there are far fewer landscape artists who express themselves through photography. As Galen Rowell wrote 'Well-executed photos of familiar scenes predictably fill up months of Sierra Club and Audubon calendar and put bread on the table of the chosen photographer, but the question a dedicated nature photographer should be asking is, “Do I want to be a content provider or a visual artist?”  

Traveling to the wild and returning with images that capture the essence of a place and the emotion that it evokes is what I do as a visual artist. This may be a grand landscape in the mountains, a storm-wracked shore or a peaceful sunset over a lake, but in each image distilling that essence and communicating it to the viewer is my objective. I am often drawn as well, to strong, graphic elements in natural images, capturing line, color or texture in natural scenes – this may be in the fractal nature of mountain shapes, newly formed ice on a puddle or contrasting light and shadow on a dune. 

The dunes of the Gobi desert provided a perfect landscape to play with line, value and texture and to experiment with different kinds of images. There are an endless variety of compositions, ranging from the abstract to the dramatic and I was lucky to spend some time there in November 2017. Although I only had a few days to explore, I was amazed by the variety of images that I could create.  Similarly, three trips to Iceland between July 2017 and September 2018 gave me an opportunity to get to know the landscape well, going beyond the iconic shots and seeking out different perspectives of otherwise familiar places.

Part of the challenge and reward of photography is capturing that ephemeral moment and sharing the experience with the viewer. In landscape and nature photography, that might be first light on a mountainside, the patterns of foam on water or the layering of clouds over a landscape, but the intent is the same as that of a portrait or even a travel snapshot: ‘this is what I saw and how I felt – experience it with me."

Will Nourse is a landscape photographer known for his use of color and texture to bring his outdoor experiences to life.

He has been an avid photographer for almost twenty years, and his work reflects a lifetime of hiking, backpacking, climbing, skiing and sailing, all of which have given him a deep appreciation for the wonders of the natural world. 

He was recently a featured artist in the exhibition ‘Expeditions: From Iceland to the Gobi’ at the Paula Estey Gallery, Newburyport, MA.

He has exhibited in juried shows at the Cambridge Art Association, the Newburyport Art Association (NAA), 1650 Gallery in Los Angeles, CA and various online galleries.  Recently, he exhibited in the Cambridge Art Association’s National Prize Show (2017), his image ‘Seljalandsfoss #2’ was selected as Best in Show for Photography in the NAA’s 20th Annual Regional Juried Show (2017) and his photo ‘Vestrahorn #1’ won the Newburyport Development Award for Work in Photography in the NAA’s 2016 Fall Member’s Juried Show Part II.

He currently resides in Amesbury, MA with his wife, daughter, two Wheaten Terriers and two cats.
His work can be found online at www.willnourse.photography and at Instagram.com/wnourse.photo

Career Highlights:

Started showing work in January 2014.  Work has appeared in more than 30 juried shows and competitions since then.

First solo exhibition in July 2017 - 'Moods and Motion: Exploring the Icelandic Landscape'

Featured artist in the exhibition 'Expeditions: From Iceland to the Gobi' - Paula Estey Gallery, Newburyport, MA (February 2018).

www.willnourse.photography

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SERENITY HOME PAGE:
https://www.laphotocurator.com/serenity-curator-wendi-schneider

FIRST PLACE
https://www.laphotocurator.com/serenity-curator-wendi-schneider/first-place-joni-friedman-peace----/1

SECOND PLACE
https://www.laphotocurator.com/serenity-curator-wendi-schneider/second-place-carol-horigan-structure-of-grace----/1

BEST SERIES
https://www.laphotocurator.com/serenity-curator-wendi-schneider/best-series-ellen-jantzen/1


HONORABLE MENTIONS
https://www.laphotocurator.com/serenity-curator-wendi-schneider/honorable-mentions-jennifer-maiotti-fairy-tale-rich-vogel-winter-arrives-diane-cockerill-layers-of-zen-will-nourse-terra-incognita-vii-michael-s-cohen-moment-of-clarity---/1

EXHIBITION #1
https://www.laphotocurator.com/serenity-curator-wendi-schneider/exhibition-1/1

EXHIBITION #2
https://www.laphotocurator.com/serenity-curator-wendi-schneider/exhibition-2/1

EXHIBITION #3
https://www.laphotocurator.com/serenity-curator-wendi-schneider/exhibition-3/1
L.A. Photo Curator: Global Photography Awards - 'Where Photography & Philanthropy Meet' Honorable Mentions-Jennifer Maiotti “Fairy Tale”  Rich Vogel “Winter Arrives”  Diane Cockerill “Layers of Zen”  Will Nourse “Terra Incognita VII” Michael S. Cohen “Moment of Clarity”  (Click on image for larger view)
MOMENT OF CLARITY by Michael S. Cohen
HONORABLE MENTION
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Michael S Cohen says, "I have always been drawn to moments of serenity. 

I find that a place and moment of serenity can instantly transport me away from any and all of the stressors of daily living and, while it seems trite to say it, I safeguard those moments for myself and those I love.  Still photography is the perfect medium for those moments of, well, stillness.  Even the act of appreciating a moment and the methodical process of setting up the tripod and framing the image is contributory to the serenity I have encountered and seek to capture.  And, while serenity is not always quiet, it quiets the mind as nothing else can."

Michael was born and raised in the Boston area and still lives there…some of the time.  His camera has taken him to some of the most photogenic spots on the globe and he is as likely to be found in an airport lounge as his living room.  Michael’s first real photographic experience was through the lens of a Minolta SRT-101 where he learned photography as a journalist and a darkroom rat.  That early work of capturing a moment influences his style today.  His images have won numerous awards, are shown in galleries and hang in homes across the country. 

In the advertising world for 35 years, his work is now making images and doting on grandchildren.  Michael enjoys imparting what he’s learned to others.  He conducts workshops and seminars in photographic technique and has been told he can make the exposure triangle actually
understandable.  He enjoys photographing with others as the creative energies are strengthened through shared experiences.

He says, “The bottom line is, I love to shoot.  Whether it’s around the corner or around the world there are photographs to be made everywhere.  The camera is a great introduction to the people I meet and it breaks down any language barrier almost instantly.  Beautiful scenes of nature can be captured; precious moments frozen in time.  We all move through our space in the world so fast that we miss some of the most miraculous moment around us.  The camera slows me down.  It encourages observation.  And when I’m lucky, I get to be in the right place at the right time to capture that sliver of a moment through the lens.  For me, photography is the never ending search for those slivers.

A highlight of my career happens every time one of my images resonates with a viewer.  I seek nothing more than that connection."

www.MSCPix.com

Image: 'Moment of Clarity'-
Late in the day after cruising up the Damariscotta River in Maine, with the anchor firmly set and afternoon light ebbing, the fog began to emerge obscuring the horizon forming an infinity view of the water and matched only by the quiet that only the approaching fog can create.