#KingTideNH2017 Photo Contest Winners Announced

PORTSMOUTH, NH — After reviewing 128 incredible submissions, the New Hampshire Coastal Adaptation Workgroup (CAW) is excited to announce the winners of the #KingTideNH2017 Photo Contest. Now an annual event, the photo contest aims to raise awareness of New Hampshire’s rising tides. The #KingTideNH2017 judges’ panel included CAW Co-Chair, Sherry Godlewski of NHDES; seacoast Senator, Dan Innis; Union Leader Correspondent, Kimberly Haas; Eric Gendron of Eric Gendron Photography; Maggie Sutherland of Seacoast Lately; and Abigail Lyon of the Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (PREP).

The quality of submitted entries was impressive this year, making it extremely difficult for the judges to pick only three winners. Following a three-way tie breaker for 3rd place, contest organizers decided to award two honorable mentions in addition to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place and People’s Choice winners.

The winners are:

1st Place: “…We’re on the Road to Nowhere…” | Hampton, NH | By: Peter DiGeronimo

Judge Reflection: “This photo shows something potentially impassable…you can imagine a vehicle approaching this road and having to navigate the rising tide.” – Abigail Lyon Prep

2nd Place / People’s Choice: “Standing in Silence” | Hampton, NH | By: Jennifer Dubois

Judge Reflection: “This photo has great visual impact…the person standing surrounded by water makes flooding personal.” – Eric Gendron, Eric Gendron Photography

3rd Place: “King Tide turned this slide into a WATER SLIDE” | Hampton, NH | By: Joann Theriault

Judge Reflection: “This photo does a great job showing how nature is slowly encroaching, and I hate to say encroaching because we are the encroachers, upon the very places we go to enjoy nature and love to play.” – Kimberly Haas, Union Leader Correspondent

Honorable Mention: “Connected by a Thread” | Hampton, NH | By: Will Brown

Judge Reflection: “I had visceral reaction to this photo…it’s shocking to see and definitely a conversation starter.” – Abigail Lyon, PREP

Honorable Mention: “King High Tide – Island House” | Hampton, NH | By: Patricia Lane Evans

Judge Reflection: “The symmetry and reflection of this photo is clean from a composition perspective and stood out to me.” – Eric Gendron, Eric Gendron Photography

To view all contest submissions, click here: photos.app.goo.gl/SieNpkF7kX8GICJH3.

Judges met last week at the Seacoast Science Center to review finalist photos and select the grand prize winners based on two criteria: 1) effectiveness at conveying the high tide and associated flooding vulnerability, and 2) photographic composition. The People’s Choice prize was awarded to the photo that received the most Likes on Facebook during the People’s Choice voting period.

Contest winners have been notified and congratulated. They will be able to choose from a fantastic list of prizes generously donated by seacoast area organizations and businesses.

An exhibit of select contest photos – donated by Live Free Photography – will be on display at several seacoast area locations throughout the remainder of 2017 and into the New Year. Confirmed exhibit dates and locations include:

• November 27 – December 8, 2017: 3S Art Space in Portsmouth, NH
• December 11 –22, 2018: Seacoast Science Center in Rye, NH
• January 8 – 19, 2018: White Heron Café in Portsmouth, NH
• March 5 – 16, 2018: Seabrook Public Library
• March 19 – 30, 2018: Durham Public Library
• April 2 –13, 2018: Exeter Public Library
• April 16 –27, 2018: Rye Public Library

To learn more about CAW and stay up to date with CAW events and stories, visit: nhcaw.org; sign up to receive the Crow’s Nest newsletter: tinyurl.com/NHCAWnews; and/or follow @nhcaw on Twitter and @nhcoastaladaptation on Facebook and Instagram.

Submitted by James Martin.