11th Bob Johnston Photo Competition Winners Announced
The Cooperative Gallery 213 and the Two Rivers Photography Club announce the winners of
the 11th Bob Johnston Photography Show and Competition at the opening on First Friday
January 6, 2023. The Show continues through Saturday, January 28, at 3 pm when the People’s
Choice prize will be awarded. Kirk and Leslie Van Zandbergen, fine art photographers, judged
nearly 90 photos, choosing a Best of Show, two each of Judge’s Choice in Color and Black and
White and eight Honorable Mentions. “Now in its eleventh year, this Photo Competition attracts
the best photography in the Southern Tier in both black and white and color,” according to Geof
Gould of the Cooperative Gallery. Judges evaluate the entries without knowing the identities of
the photographers.
The reception for the photographers, friends, and the public will take place January 6th at the
First Friday Art Walk from 6-9, with gallery hours starting at 5 pm that day. The Exhibit will be
open Fridays 5-8 pm, Saturdays 11 am -3 pm and by appointment until January 28th. Prizes and
cash awards for the winners will be announced at First Friday Art Walk, January 6th at 6:30 pm
at the reception. There will also be a People’s Choice Award with voting throughout the show
and announced on Jan. 28th at 3 pm.
The winners of the Competition will be announced at the Opening reception on First Friday
and are as follows:
Best in Show
Michael Neil: “Eagle Touching Water”
Judges’ Choice in Color
Jessica Fridrich: “Partly Cloudy”Bill Baburchak: “Here’s Looking at You”
Judges’ Choice in Black & White
Gregory Milunich: “Stone Cathedral”
Joshua Lasky: “Alisha and Oliver”
Honorable Mentions:
Scott Anderson: “An Adirondack Dock in Fall” Bill Baburchak: “Blue Morning”
Bill Baburchak: “Untitled”
Jessica Fridrich: “Shepherd”
Dan Harendza: “Fading Autumn Colors”
Sandra Kirker: “Solidarity”
Joshua Lasky: “The Beautiful Sequence of Life and Death” Phil Nelson: “Food Fight”
Michael Noil: “Screaming Eagle”
Andrew Pavlik:”Blue Moon”
Deb Rockefeller: “Is It Haunted?”
Deb Rockefeller: “Morning Mist”
MaryAnn Shapinas: “The Unusual Trio”
Bryan Wark: “I Will be OK”
The Competition is named for Bob Johnston, a lifelong photographer and a gallery member who
died in 2010. “Bob Johnston was an ‘Ansel Adams’ kind of photographer who worked mostly in
black and white film and favored both urban and natural landscapes,” said Bill Gorman, also a
photographer and gallery member. Bob Johnston defined a good photo this way:
“For me, the successful photograph is one in which both the abstract elements and the
subject matter of the image reinforce each other to provide an emotional experience for
the viewer.”
The Two Rivers Photography Club (www.2rpc.com) has monthly meetings, skill building
sessions, and competitions throughout the year. The Cooperative Gallery is located at 213 State
St in Binghamton and is a popular stop on the First Friday Art Walk, now sponsored by the
Broome Co Arts Council. More information on its Facebook page Cooperative Gallery 213 and
sign up for a weekly e-news at www.cooperativegallery.com
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Photos of winners on request for publication.