Inaugural Life of TXK Photo Contest
Texarkana Magazine proudly presents the winners of the inaugural Life of TXK photo contest. Each winning photograph provides a distinct glimpse of the community, demonstrating remarkable talent and creativity. The contest featured five categories, with the overall winner and the special smartphone categories receiving cash prizes. Discover and celebrate the beauty and diversity of our local area through these winning entries.
OVERALL WINNER
Night Photography
Events, objects, locales, peoples, or activities in the Texarkana area that convey a sense of place after dark.
“Lightning Across Two States” by Eric Ethridge
Inspiration: My wife and I were returning home from a friend’s house during a spectacular lightning storm without any rain or wind. I decided to go downtown (about 20 minutes from our current location) and see if I could capture lightning in the background of the post office. I had photographed this same composition many times before with ominous clouds but never with lightning. The lightning was so frequent that it took less than three minutes of shooting on time-lapse to capture this specific shot. I got several other lightning bolts in other photos of the sequence, but this one was my favorite because it “crawled” across the state line.
Name: Eric Ethridge
Age: 40
Day Job: Media Manager, City of Texarkana, Arkansas
Camera: Panasonic GH6
Altered Images
Photographs manipulated for artistic purposes by applying digital and/or traditional special effects (i.e., colorizing, toning, collage, photo composites, HDR, etc.) in the Texarkana area.
Winner “Ace of Clubs Moon” by Eric Ethridge
Inspiration: I set out with the goal of getting a photo of the post office with the full moonrise. To attempt this with my 800 mm lens, I had to get very far away from the post office (a few blocks away) so I could use the full zoom and make the moon appear as large as possible. Unfortunately, the moon did not line up well with the composition I had in mind… but it did line up perfectly with the Ace of Clubs house. Even though this is the category of “altered image,” the moon appeared almost exactly as it does in the image, but I did have to take two exposures to expose the house and the moon, and I also had to slightly enlarge the moon to cover the glow of the moon on the house exposure.
Perspective
Events, objects, locales, peoples, or activities in the Texarkana area that convey a sense of place.
Winner “Golden Hour Union” by Katelyn Peek
Inspiration: I’m always drawn to the historical charm our train station has and love to imagine the liveliness it once possessed. This sunset took my breath away for a moment, and a quick snap, just for me, after a session turned out to fit the mood of this category perfectly.
Name: Katelyn Peek
Age: 31
Day Job: Full-Time Homeschool Mom, Part-Time Photography and Marketing
Camera: My personal camera is a Canon 6D Mark II, but lately, I have developed a love for anything film.
Architectural
Buildings, cityscapes, and/or landscapes; construction elements, architectural features, and facades in the Texarkana area.
Winner “The Monochrome Crossing” by Bryant Allen
Inspiration: One day, I saw this picture while driving. I take mental pictures when I drive. It helps me see the beauty in everything. This picture got me thinking about protection. Some beautiful, kind human designed this because they wanted to protect their fellow humans. That was a cool thought, so it deserved to be preserved in photo form.
Name: Bryant Allen
Age: 38
Day Job: Heat It Up Owner and Bubba’s 33 Kitchen Manager
Camera: Sony A7RV
Special Smartphone Category
Must contain a visible portion of Courthouse Square in downtown Texarkana.
Winner “Mack and Me on the Courthouse Square” by Amber Adams
