Megan Murphy takes home grand prize in the inaugural competition

It's official: the results of The Golden Lens Photography Competition are in!

Taking home the $750 grand prize selected by a panel of jurors was Megan Murphy with the entry Hotel Alley. Kevey Johnson was voted the People's Choice winner for the entry Super Mario Downtown.

The awards were announced earlier this month at Central ARTSTATION in downtown Shreveport. Jennifer Robison, BPCC Photography Instructor, was the visionary behind Golden Lens and said the inaugural event was a major success.

“I've worked as an official Prizefest photographer for several years and asked many times if there would ever be a photo prize…they were just waiting for the right time,” Robison explained.

The Golden Lens went from a simple idea to a real event last fall. The competition was open for anyone that wanted to enter as long as the images were made during the two weeks of Prizefest and created in Caddo or Bossier Parish. All submissions went directly to a panel, which checked eligibility, and 23 pieces were selected to be included in the exhibition.

“Golden Lens is an opportunity for all types of photographers to meet each other and push creative boundaries,” Robison said. “Winning isn’t receiving the trophy or a check, but the feeling of belonging to a group of supportive creatives.”

The Golden Lens exhibition was made possible through a partnership with the BPCC Foundation and the Prize Foundation to highlight photographers in the Shreveport-Bossier and surrounding region. Chef Julie Dupont, BPCC’s Culinary Arts Director, and BPCC culinary arts students catered the event.

A panel of professional photographers specializing in commercial and fine art selected a collection of images to be shown in the public exhibition, which is on display through the end of March. Exhibiting artists were Jacob Mitchell, Ikron Alexander, Hannah Fulton, Joshua Mokry, Kendall Clay, Kevey Johnson, Megan Murphy, Megan Scogin, Paul Belcher, Naomi Hannis, Sydney Michel, Deborah Lillie, P. Michael LeBlanc, Carol Record, Kermit C Burns, Daphne Blount, Mason Cullen, and Emmanuel Tice.

Robison said the competition was wildly successful and they’ve already started planning next year’s event.

“Prize Fest is about positivity and inclusive collective success,” she said. “Even though there is a competitive nature to Prize, the community is overall supportive and happy for each other. My hope is the photographers who participated in this first competition feel that.” 

Gregory Kallenberg, Executive Director and Founder of the Prize Foundation, matched Robison’s enthusiasm for the inaugural event.

“The spirit and the energy of this event and the people who attended showed me that the Golden Lens is a perfect match for all we are trying to build at the Prize Foundation. Our goal is to create a world-class group of creative entrepreneurs who can create together in our community. We’re proud to have photographers join the Prize Family of filmmakers, musicians, fashion designers, and our other bright spirits. Viva Golden Lens!”