Menu © Xavier Springer - Grand Prize Winner 2017 U.S. Armed Services Photo Contest 2017 U.S. Armed Services Photo Contest Congratulations to Xavier Springer of Great Falls, MT for being named the Grand Prize Winner in our first-ever 2017 U.S. Armed Services Photo Contest! And we'd like to extend a gigantic thank you to every photographer who entered their image(s) into this contest, our incredibly talented judges, and our generous sponsors. When all of the dust settled, we learned that 127 individuals made a total of 210 submissions for a very healthy total of 833 images. All in all, the quality of the photos that came in was off the charts. And the range of subject matter was impressive to say the least! We hope that you enjoyed taking part in this contest and will consider getting involved again next year. To make sure you get notified about the 2018 dates, please verify that you are signed up to receive our emails and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. Thank you for entering our contest, and thank you for your service. Category Winners 1st Place: People Xavier Springer, MT – Air Force Words from Kenny Holston – While there were a good handful of images which made my cut to be in the running for number one, this image by Xavier Springer jumped out at me right away. I held a four-round selection series and Xavier's image made it through the brutal selection process with no problem. Every time I reviewed this photograph it made me pause and want to continue looking at it. The image is vibrant with interesting color thus making the frame exciting to look at for more than just a moment or two. There's vast depth to the photograph, critical focus, attention to detail and most of all there's a story suggested by just this single frame. This image immediately made me do a double take and want to know more about the situation. Furthermore, the photographer had to do a little work to capture this image just right. According to the metadata embedded in this image the photographer captured this frame at 1/25 of a second in order to show the motion blur as the train passed by. While doing this he managed to keep his subjects in sharp focus (not easy to do) and strategically capture the subject matter in the frame right where he wanted. After extensive review is was clear to me that this image had garnered the first-place prize. Well done. 1st Place: Action Mark Naumann, MN – Air Force (Ret.) Words from Tom Burton – This photo of a wing walker in performance has the elements of any great photo - good lighting, interesting composition and a rich tonal/color range. The timing of the photo with the aircraft in a bank makes for an eye-catching moment and the slight silhouette effect of the lighting adds to the graphic quality of the image. 1st Place: Nature K.D. Leperi, NM - Navy Words from Kevin Black – The photographer whose image I selected as the first-place finisher actually had a couple of incredible images in the running. In the end, I selected this stunning image of a green tree frog. The colors, the framing, the focus all work together to capture the viewer's eye. The contrast between the dark background and the vivid colors of the subject keeps your focus on the subject of the image. 2nd Place: People Kimberley Rosalez, MT – Air Force (Ret.) Words from Kenny Holston – Making a selection for second place nearly put me into an early grave. I was very torn between this photograph by Kimberley Rosalez and others that contained some compelling and dynamic elements. However, Kimberley's image rose to the top of the stack and garnered the second-place prize due to the unique subject matter, location, colors in the image, body language of the subject, scene setting, critical focus and attention to detail. The photograph pulls the viewer in and provokes an array of questions. Where is the boy from? Is he in a place where rain water is collected for hydration? If so, how will he collect the water? Or perhaps the child hasn't seen rain in quite some time and is just simply amazed by it? All of those questions stop the viewer and make him or her want to take a closer look. I enjoy this image quite a bit and I feel it earned a second-place prize amongst a set of impeccable images. 2nd Place: Action Donald E. Brown, NC – Air Force (Ret.) Words from Tom Burton – In the photo of the paraplegic track athlete, the captured action is also a captured moment. The athlete's effort is evident by his expression and by his body posture. The elevated position the photographer shot from allowed for a clean background of just the track with the lane lines, giving an added composition element. 2nd Place: Nature James Korringa, MI – Air Force (Ret.) Words from Kevin Black – The second-place image has all the components of an exceptional landscape shot. The fall colors, the waterfall, the building with the water wheel all evoke a feeling of peacefulness. The framing is perfect. The main subject of the image, the building and water wheel, are surrounded on all sides by fall colors. The foreground has the waterfall which naturally leads the viewer's eye to the main subject of the image. 3rd Place: People Doug Conrad, IA Words from Kenny Holston – Like the other selections, choosing the third-place image was intense. While making the decision was daunting I eventually knew this frame captured by Douglas Conrad was the right choice. The first comment I'll make about this photograph is "Eyes and age." Eyes are the window to our souls and age suggest many things, one being wisdom. This image took those to elements and spliced them together to make an interesting photograph that made me want to stop and look. Though I have several questions about the image, like why is the subject doing what he's doing? Where is his location? I'm still pulled in by the frame. The image makes me want to examine and look deeper. Any image that can make a viewer pause and want to take a deeper look is a strong image. This photograph earned a respected third place. 3rd Place: Action Xavier Springer, MT – Air Force Words from Tom Burton – A pan shot of a family on a motorcycle shows how action isn't limited to athletics. The pan shot with the slow shutter speed was well executed and the color palette is layered in gold and red hues and is especially engaging. 3rd Place: Nature Laura Hedien, IL - Navy Words from Kevin Black – This third-place image of the eagle grasping a fish evokes a majestic feeling. The eagle seems to carry its prey with little effort and the focus on the image is perfect: The main subject is in sharp detail while the background is out of focus enough not to take away from the overall image. Are you heading to the University of Montana after you graduate from high school? By completing our Summer Intensive course, you can now earn six college credits (in just six weeks!) BEFORE you even begin college. Click here to learn more! Contest Rules Judges Sponsors Prizes Categories Required File Specs Contest Rules The RMSP U.S. Armed Services Photo Contest begins at 12:00 pm (noon) MST on April 3, 2017 and ends at midnight on May 31, 2017. No submissions will be accepted before or after these dates and times. All submissions must be made through the rmsp.com website. Submissions will not be accepted via email, social media, link sharing, file transfer service, or other similar methods. It is not permissible to upload images for anyone else (e.g., friend or colleague) while logged into your RMSP account. Each submitter must create and submit from his or her own account. RMSP cannot accept any images that were created using a government-issued camera (or other recording device) or taken while on government time. RMSP is not affiliated in any way with any branch of the U.S. Armed Services. If any rules or regulations imposed upon you by virtue of being (or having been) enlisted in the U.S. Armed Services prohibits you from submitting to this contest, your submission will be nullified. All submissions must be digital and submitted through this webpage. No other submission format or method is acceptable. Each submitter may submit up to five (5) images to each of the three categories. One person may therefore submit up to 15 images total to the contest. By submitting images to this contest, submitter consents to the contest Terms and Conditions. Prizes are subject to change without notice. Judges are subject to change without notice. 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