We want to thank everyone again for your participation in our 2nd annual Capture the Moment contest. Your images and stories were wonderful, and we encourage all to enter our upcoming Photojournalism contest opening April 1.
Our ‘Capture the Moment’ first place winner is
Shamma Esoof with “Standing In The Rain”
I shot this precious moment on a rainy monsoon day. I stood in ankle deep rainwater and shared a silent conversation with this shivering wet owl. We stared at each other for a long while. Its deep intelligent eyes and sad demeanor changed my perception of birds forever. They are more sentient and self-aware than I ever imagined. Owls have tiny facial muscles that allow them to show their feelings on their faces, just like humans.
Abdur Rahman: “Prayer In The Road For Peace"
The Bishwa Ijtema (or Bishsho Istema, Bengali: The World or Global Congregation or Meeting) is an annual Tablighi Jamaat Islamic movement congregation held at Tongi, Bangladesh by the river Turag. It is the 2nd largest Muslim congregation in the world after the Hajj. The event focuses on prayers and supplication and does not allow political discussion. Thousands of devotees seeking forgiveness and blessings for the peace and prosperity of the Muslim Ummah during the Friday prayer of the Biswa Ijtema.
Thomas Merryman “Into The Dragons Den”
As a young girl cries from a yard nearby and neighbors stare in disbelief, sirens pierce the smoke-filled air and fire apparatus hurl into the neighborhood from all directions. Fully laden down with the weight of SCBA's and turnout gear, firefighters dismount their rigs to the sight of a home well involved with fire. Smoke and flame pour from all sides of the structure, and in that moment Firefighter Gary Haynes steps up to a ladder thrown by his brothers and ascends to the roof. Thinking not of himself but only of the oath he has taken and the job, which comes with it, Firefighter Haynes moves up onto the roof and makes a cut to relieve the heat and smoke that surrounds his fellow heroes below. To a firefighter this is nothing more than a daily occurrence within the job that he or she has worked so hard to reach, but to the common man standing on that street, this is a act of unrivaled bravery, an act that they will not soon see matched.
Rachel Valente “Imagine”
She kept walking, not looking back. Thoughts raced through her mind like hornets, buzzing and swerving and stinging inside of her head. You could almost see it, just by looking at her, the way her ideas were crammed up in her skull, bursting and imploding and sparking just waiting to escape. Outside of her mind, the world was silent and frozen, watching her pass. The noise inside her head grew louder; she gripped the umbrella in her hand tighter. She wanted to jump and sing and cry and laugh and scream all at the same time, but she resisted. She held back as she always had. Always. “You and your silly imagination!” She could almost hear her mother’s voice in the wind. “You better contain it, or it could ruin you!” She stopped walking. It could ruin you. The words rang in her mind like a bell. She smiled. A real smile, different from the fake grins that she gave to the people who passed. And she let go; let the ideas escape the prison they had been trapped in for so long. They flew from her, like a flock of birds from a cage. She was lighter, freer, like a feather. The wind picked up, but she didn’t tighten. She let it take her. She let it lift her and her umbrella off of the ground, until her feet dangled in the air. She rose into the sky, watching the world become smaller and smaller, off to somewhere only she could imagine.
Ernst Merkhofer “Forum Romanum 05-18 h”
After a long and rainy week in Tuscany, I went to Rome to make this image. I had this shot in mind for a long time and had done all the research, either on previous trips or via Google Maps. Usually I would have used a technique known as multi row panorama, but with the fast moving clouds I had to get everything in on shot. So I used my super wide-angle lens, sturdy tripod and my trusted Canon 5D MK3. This is a very famous vista, for me the challenge was, to capture the mood of the early hours with visible cloud structure and detail. Taken at 16mm with f/2.8, 3.2 sec, ISO 100.
Alecsandra Raluca Dragoi “The Little Spiderman”
The image was taken in Burano, Venice and it shows my passion for street photography. I like people and their stories. My image is about Cartier Bresson’s decisive moment, being in the right place at the right time, capturing the story. For me, street photography is an open book, which always prepares me for new challenges and new stories. The moment did not take more than two seconds, the boy got out of the house, the contrast of the colors fascinated me and when I prepared to shoot, the boy saw my intention and had the connection. He was acting in my story, but the moment stopped when his mother came of the house. My image talks about the power of colors, interaction and being at the right moment in the right place.
