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| Photo by Kathryn Obermaier |
| Click photo for more images. |
1st Place Winner: Kathryn Obermaier Brooklyn, NY
It took Michelangelo three years to chisel "David" from an 18-foot block of marble. Nearly two million people a year shuffle past the sculpture, absorbing its representation of the perfect human form, which has remained relatively unchanged in 500 years. It took this bodybuilder months of training and discipline to chisel muscle from his frame. A panel of judges watched him this day at the Keystone Pro Classic Contest, comparing his form to their idea of the perfect human form. Kathryn Obermaier caught him after the competition -- tanning oil and sweat running down his face -- in a moment of self reflection. "Most bodybuilders don't drink or eat before they pose. Their bodies look physically the best, but they are exhausted," she says.
The Brooklyn-based photographer should know. While a student at the International Center of Photography, she documented the sport for a six-month project. She chose black-and-white film to make the subject more approachable -- "People think of bodybuilders as freaks of nature," she says -- and "to give them a silver quality like marble sculptures." To view more images from her project, visit kathrynobermaier.com.
Runners Up |
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Frank D. Scharf
Madison, CT
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Mario del Valle
Huntington Beach, CA
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Charles Cleverly
Butte, MA
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| Photo by Don Charlton |
| Click photo for more images. |
Architecture
1st Place Winner: Don Charlton Salem, OR
Storm clouds began to invade the late afternoon sky of Salamanca, Spain, as Don Charlton and his wife, Ginny, were exploring the city last September. People ducked into doorways and cafes as the rain began to hit the ancient stone streets, but Don and his friend Robert took this as their cue to hail a cab and seek out Salamanca's hidden beauty. As they arrived in this alley, Don recalls that "it had just quit raining, and people hadn't gotten back onto the street. The sky cleared enough for the sun to come through and bounce off the wall in the background."
Don, a retired dentist from Salem, Oregon, has seriously pursued his passion for photography for 30 years. "My house and office ran out of wall space a long time ago," he says with a laugh. Six years ago, his brother gave him a digital camera, and he's used it to document his travels to such countries as Guatemala, Peru, Italy, and Austria. He even attended Popular Photography Mentor Series workshops in Egypt and Turkey. Not only did he sharpen his skills during these trips, he also met Robert, who frequently joins the Charltons on their travels and shoots with Don. Visit charltonphotography.com to view more of Don's work.
Runners Up |
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Emin Kuliyev
Bronx, NY
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Emin Kuliyev
Bronx, NY
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Nicole Prada
New York, NY
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