Category: “Autumn”
Judge: Sandi Croan
Genre: Autumn
The autumn season is a season full of color, and change. Images should capture the essence of autumn: trees turning color, fall festivals, pumpkins, changing weather, etc. Images may focus on the natural aspect of the turning of seasons, or the human and cultural aspects of the season.
Key Visual Elements
Foliage & Textures: Images often focus on the intricate details of individual leaves, their veins, and the "colorful carpet" they form on forest floors.
Atmospheric Conditions: Photographers frequently seek out mist and fog to create "moody" or "ethereal" scenes, as these conditions naturally saturate colors and simplify busy backgrounds.
Reflections: Still bodies of water, like lakes or even puddles, are used to create symmetrical compositions that double the impact of vibrant autumn hues.
Contrast: Effective shots often pair warm foliage colors (reds and yellows) with complementary cool tones, such as a crisp blue sky or dark, wet rocks, to make the subjects "pop".
Sandi’s Brief Bio:
Sandi Croan is an independent artist from Centreville who has been living in Northern Virginia since 1978. She specializes in landscape, nature, and travel photography with an eye for capturing the unique and creating fine art for homes and offices.
Sandi has won numerous competitions and awards for her fine art photographs. In 2008, she was awarded Photographer of the Year and Print of the Year by the Northern Virginia Photographic Society and she won both Best in Show and 2nd Place at the juried Meadowlark Photo Expo in Vienna, VA. Her images have been selected to be put on permanent display at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens and the Joseph Miller Center for the Photographic Arts. She has been juried into numerous art shows including; the prestigious VisArts of Rockville Exhibitions, Fairfax County Council of the Arts Show (Unlocked), and The Fraser Gallery International Photography Exhibition. Sandi has sold many of her photographs to private, corporate and government clients, and does shows for businesses and other local events. In addition, Sandi has recently/or currently is displaying her art at Broadway Gallery in The Promenade shopping center in Fairfax, VA, The Blue Iguana restaurant in Fairfax, Meadowlark Gardens, Cub Run Recreation Center and the Fairfax County Government Center.
Sandi was a featured artist in Elan Magazine, and her photograph “Blue Lagoon” was on the cover. She has also had photographs published in other local and national magazines.
In addition to her fine art photography, Sandi is an outdoor portrait photographer specializing in children at play in natural settings and portfolio/marketing photos for models, actors and teen pageant competitors. She captures the essence, personality and beauty of all of her clients.
Sandi has been an active member of the Northern Virginia Photographic Society (NVPS) since 2004 and has served in a variety of board positions, including two terms as President of NVPS (2009-2011). She also serves as a judge for area photographic competitions.