Photographers Win Huntington Camera Club Awards

Junior Isabella Cruz Ponce won first place and Best in Show to lead Huntington High School photographers to a near sweep of the open category awards in the Huntington Camera Club’s annual high school contest.

Ms. Cruz was joined by fellow Huntington High School award winters Shannon Koepele (second place) and Kiley Barch (third place) and Stephen Spina and Kellee Benitez, who both claimed honorable mention recognition. Faith Robertson also won an honorable mention award in the minimalism category.

All six award recipients are studying with Huntington art teacher Pamela Piffard, who leads the photography program.

The Huntington Camera Club’s annual contest is considered by many to be Long Island’s most prestigious. This year’s competition drew 605 entries from 270 students representing 11 Nassau and Suffolk high schools and 14 photography teachers.

To help put Ms. Cruz’s first place and Best in Show awards and her classmates’ performance in better perspective, the open category was the largest of all categories with nearly 350 entries in the contest.

The Huntington Camera Club awarded $1,400 in cash and prizes, including a $500 gift card to Berger Brothers Camera Store in Syosset for the Best in Show Award.

“This was a fantastic showing for Huntington,” an HCC official said. “The judging is blind so no one knows what school the students are from until the winning images are debated and chosen.”

The Huntington Camera Club has hosted the competition since 1991. Since more than $45,000 in prizes have been presented. “The club is proud to shine a spotlight on the talents of these young photographers and their teachers,” according to the organization’s website. “A competition of this nature is only possible because of the generosity of the local business community and club membership.”

A panel of judges reviewed every image with an eye on their technical aspects and creativity as well as their ability to fit the category in which they were entered.