...These words came up frequently when the judges for the 17th annual Metro Times Photo Awards got together to choose the winning images you see here in our interactive gallery.
The judges — professional photographers Judy Eliyas and Bill Sanders, and MT’s arts editor, George Tysh — agreed that the overall quality of the 403 entries, shot by talented amateur photographers from across the metro area, was particularly high.
“I was very pleased to see the caliber of the work that the photographers were producing,” says Sanders, who has exhibited his work across the country. “Not surprised, but really pleased.”
Both Sanders and Eliyas were happy to see the art of photography taken to new heights. As acclaimed fine art photographer Eliyas remarks, “It was really nice to see people challenging the medium and trying different things … It’s exciting to me to see how everyone sees so differently.”
