LOCAL photographer Rhys Grainger has taken out first prize in the Bowraville Tech Centre’s (BTC) “To Bowra With Love” photography competition judged during this month’s Back to Bowra festival.
The prize money of $250 went to Mr Grainger for his snap of a rainbow peaking through clouds above a scene of Bowraville’s iconic main street.
Entries for the competition were accepted over October and November in conjunction with the lead up to Back to Bowra event.
Thirty-eight entries were received containing a variety of subjects from prize-winning cattle to Bowraville’s heritage listed buildings and street scenes.
Two photographs, both featuring rainbows, stood out as clear winners.
“In the end it was a matter of just a couple of votes between first and second,” a spokesperson from the BTC said.
Runner-up in the competition went to Kevin Woods with his photograph of a rainbow over fields taken from his Argents Hill home.
Collecting his prize money, Mr Grainger generously donated a significant portion back to the volunteer-run not-for-profit BTC, which maintains the community website which will feature the winning photographs as part of its home screen design.
“It’s a wonderful surprise,” Mr Grainger said.
Although not a professional photographer, his snaps of the area are well-known to many social media users.
“I’m just a hobbyist but I ended up with a decent camera, and I have sold the odd photograph for things – like I think one was used as a splash back for a bathroom,” Mr Grainger said.
Third place went to Marion Syratt for her photograph featuring Crooked Top Mountain at sunset.
Close to 200 people participated in the voting which was carried out in-person at the Pioneer Community Centre and the Bowraville Technology Centre over the course of the festival.
“We are very pleased with the interest and feel it really helped people to think about what they love most about our gorgeous region,” competition organiser Ned Cowie of the BTC said.
“Next year we plan to run it again and hope it is even bigger,” she added.
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