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Events 2009

The American West Through Your Eyes: Contest Winners

Tomas Kincl winning photo of Grand Canyon

December 15 — If you've wondered how the afternoon light reflects off the red rocks of America's Southwest, or what it feels like to stand on the Golden Gate Bridge when Nature pulls a blanket of fog over the Pacific Ocean, you should see the winning photographs in the U.S. Embassy's American Center's second photo competition, "The American West through Your Eyes." The winning photos captured the breathtaking beauty of the region.

The jury--American Center Director Miroslav Konvalina, Lidové noviny photographer Tomáš Krist and wilderness photographer Rostislav Stach--faced a challenging task selecting only ten photographs from among more than 200 submitted by talented Czech photographers.  The winning photos, listed below, will be displayed until the second half of January at the American Center.

The winner is Tomáš Kincl. Tomáš, who works at the Faculty of Management, University of Economics in Jindřichův Hradec, could not attend the official ceremony but told us photography has been his hobby since 2004.  He has visited the US several times and is still amazed by its nature, its cities and the people he met there. "The United States is an incredible country for photographers. You can take a picture of breathtaking scenery almost anywhere and also spend a few moments with no tourists. You just wait for the right moment and your success is certain. I consider the time I spent during a storm in the Grand Canyon one of the most powerful experiences of my life."

Marek Vlasák, from Krnov, had to wait awhile for the perfect photo of a foggy Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.  His patience was rewarded, as Marek's photo won second place.

Marie Dufková's photo, ”Hearts', was taken this September in Arizona's Antelope Canyon.  It lived up to its name, stealing the jury's hearts...and third place.

Ondřej Nejedlý's fourth-place photo of the beautiful sunset at Kelso Dunes in the Mojave Desert, represent one of the highest sand dunes in North America. Ondřej's view of the American West was especially unconventional. 

Iva Dobrovolná won fifth place for her photo of Monument Valley. Spanning the Utah-Arizona border, Monument Valley has been snapped many times from many angles, but Iva's photo's unique composition caught the jury's eyes.

The uniquely beautiful Antelope Canyon swept sixth, seventh and eighth places. Robert Kučírka (6th), Marek Velechovský (7th) and Jana Lecleire (8th) captured its enchantment.

Radovan Jurka‘s unposed photo of the Arches National Park in Utah won ninth place, capturing a perfect moment between a group of young people and nature.

Petr Bedřich won tenth place with a photo juror Rostislav Stach especially appreciated as a metaphor for the journey of life: a baby stroller in the foreground, with a tricycle, bicycle and modern car arrayed behind it. 

The jury awarded a special prize to Lenka Novotná for her picture of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Though her picture did not fall within the contest's guidelines, the jury thought her sense of humor deserved reward.

After the official ceremony, Miroslav Konvalina invited everyone to submit ideas for next year's America through Your Eyes photo contest.  The American Center will announce the theme in the spring of 2010. Congratulations to all the winners!  We look forward to seeing your future photos.

Related links:

 

Other Winning Pictures