Arkansas 4-H photographers capture landscapes, animals in photo contest
By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture
May 4, 2023
Fast Facts:
- 4-H members snap scenes of Arkansas nature, animals, everyday life
- Evelynn Wallace, 9, of Sebastian County wins Best in Show
- Contest named in honor of late Jane Ross, photographer and philanthropist
(480 words)
(Newsrooms: With album of winning photos)
(Newsrooms: 'Kenzly,' 'Braylei,' and 'Chloie' are c.q.)
LITTLE ROCK — Ready for her close-up, a handsome brown cow and the intricate textures of her tawny hair are the focus of nine-year-old Evelynn Wallace’s photo, which won Best in Show at the 2023 Ross Photography Contest.
Sponsored by Arkansas 4-H, the Ross Photography Contest asks 4-H members to submit black and white or color photos of Arkansas subjects. The 2023 contest drew 465 student participants, with 50 of the state’s 75 counties represented. Of the entrants, 209 were new participants.
Other category winners captured shots of fog rising along a quiet country road, nature’s reclaiming of an animal skeleton and the joys of wishing on a dandelion. For the contest, “living subjects” were limited to people and animals.
One judge said that Wallace, a member of the Sebastian County 4-H Club, has a “really good eye for photography,” and that her winning shot of the brown cow was “udderly the best photo in the contest.”
Kerry Rodtnick, extension photographer and videographer for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, coordinates the annual competition and said the quality of this year’s entries had improved, making the judges’ jobs tougher.
“The judges had a hard time narrowing their choices down to just a few winners,” Rodtnick said. “The photographers seemed to be using sound photography composition, more so than in the past. The variety and creativity used for these photos were at a higher level. The judges look at technical skill within the photographs, but they also look at creativity and the effort put forth in capturing the image. They want to know that a photographer spent time and thought as they were taking it — not just grabbing a camera and snapping a photo of a friend.
“Hopefully our competition encourages these kids to dig into photography practices so they can compete better each year,” he continued. “Maybe it will inspire future professional photographers. Or perhaps they will simply take better photos of their families as they grow. Both results make our contest a success.”
At the state level, prizes were awarded in four categories to the first-, second- and third-place winners. The Best in Show winner was selected among the category winners. All winning photographs can be viewed in the Division of Agriculture Flickr album.
The 2023 Ross Photography Contest winners are:
Color Living
1st — Evelynn Wallace, Sebastian County
2nd — Kenzly Weaver, Independence County
3rd — Emma Eubanks, Hot Spring County
Black and White Living
1st — Braylei Griffin, Washington County
2nd — Rebecca Frealy, Fulton County
3rd — Serenity Mora, Logan County
Black and White Non-Living
1st — Asa Eddington, Craighead County
2nd — Chloie Thomas, Washington County
3rd — Cailyn Smith, Montgomery County
Color Non-Living
1st — David Culver, Franklin County
2nd — Isabella Hays, Pope County
3rd — Ethan Doss, Stone County
Best in Show
Evelynn Wallace, Sebastian County
The Arkansas 4-H youth development program is operated by the Cooperative Extension Service, part of the Division of Agriculture.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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Media Contact:
Rebekah Hall
rkhall@uada.edu
@RKHall_
501-671-2061