Last semifinalists picked in Foto Fest

A child's portrait, baby birds feeding in a nest, seagulls flying and a puppy nestled in a basket were chosen by judges as semifinalist winners in the final week of Foto Fest, an amateur photography contest sponsored by the Southeast Missourian and Westfield Shoppingtown West Park.

Other contest sponsors are Schnucks and Kasten Masonry Sales in Jackson.

Semifinalist winners were Mike Mitchell and Linda Kremer, both of Jackson, and Robert L. Cox and Marc Fulgham, both of Cape Girardeau.

The photos are on display at the mall and online at www.semissourian.com. Several other honorable mention photographs are posted online as well.

A difficult shot

The picture of seagulls flying against a bright blue sky was probably a difficult one to shoot, judges said. The birds blending in with the background makes for a dramatic effect, a judge said.

Cox spent plenty of time snapping pictures of the seagulls as he rode a ferry in the Outer Banks of North Carolina earlier this summer. "And I finally got one to look at me," Cox said.

Marc Fulgham didn't have any trouble getting a nest full of robins to look his way for a picture. The mother bird would always fly away when Fulgham was mowing near the tree and nest, but "when I walked past, their heads popped up. They must have thought I was coming back with food," he said.

He took several pictures before capturing the one he entered. Judges liked the picture's composition, saying it required some studying to truly appreciate.

Dog 'posed himself'

But Linda Kremer's photograph of the family pet, Radar, in a basket makes "you just want to reach out and pet his fuzzy head," one judge wrote.

Another said the picture showed a "patriotic pooch" since the dog was curled up in a basket lined with Americana fabric.

Kremer did put the golden retriever puppy in the basket "but he posed himself. And it's hard to put them somewhere and have them stay still, so it was a lucky shot," she said.

The dog, registered as Tyler's Golden Dream Come True, is now about 4 months old, and probably wouldn't fit into the basket, Kremer said.

Mike Mitchell's photograph of his niece, Makenzie, 4, was "adorable," judges said.

Mitchell snapped the photo at the Jackson City Park while he was taking an engagement photo for the child's mother. Makenzie will be a flower girl in the wedding, and "she just happened to be there and I thought it would be a good opportunity," to take her picture, Mitchell said.

Although the weekly contest has concluded, a grand prize and several finalist winners will be announced next week. The 24 semifinalist winners from the six weeks of the contest will be considered by the judging panel.

ljohnston@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126