Semifinalists chosen for week two of Foto Fest contest

A snapshot taken during a spring trip to France captured the judges' eyes and was chosen as one of four semifinalist winners in the second week of Foto Fest, an amateur photography contest sponsored by the Southeast Missourian and Westfield Shoppingtown West Park.

Semifinalist winners were Doug Lincoln, Dorothy Ressell and Daphne Edmonds, all of Cape Girardeau and Michael Rushing of Jackson. Another 20 images are posted online at semissourian.com/fotofest.

There were more than 200 entries in the second week of the contest. All the images will go on display today at the mall.

The display wall grows as the contest progresses, which makes for an interesting assortment of photographs. Having the images on larger panels makes it a more dramatic display and makes them more noticeable to people stopping by the mall, said Joyce Hunter, contest coordinator for Westfield.

Judges liked Lincoln's photograph taken along the L'Eure River in Chartres France, because "it seems peaceful and faraway. It really captures a mood."

Another judge liked its color and setting, saying it seemed "intriguing."

Michael Rushing's toddler grandson is constantly intrigued by the basketball goal at the edge of the driveway. Rushing's image of Colby trying to reach the goal captivated judges.

"Ever since he's been able to walk, he's wanted to play basketball," said Donna Rushing, wife of the photographer.

Judges liked that the toddler has his sights set on a goal, albeit one of tremendous height. "It's small meets big," one judge said.

One judge liked the lighting and composition in Edmonds' photo, while another thought it captured someone "waiting for the horses to come in."

Edmonds shot the picture at Heuer's stable, where she and her family often go horseback riding. The picture was taken about a month ago and shows Sarah Uptmor in silhouette.

"I liked the lighting and how you could see the rope and point of her cowboy boots and her profile in the silhouette," Edmonds said.

Ressell snapped her photo at just the right time, one judge said. The image of her granddaughter Ashley Pittman peering into the window at Hutson's Fine Furniture was one Ressell was surprised to get. "We were just down to view the window and I snapped the picture," she said. What surprised Ressell was that she captured both her granddaughter's reflection and a reflection of the work on the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge spanning the Mississippi River.

Photo entries are accepted through 5 p.m. Friday for judging the following week. The contest runs through Aug. 15.

Drop-off locations are Southeast Missourian offices in Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Chaffee and Marble Hill, the customer service center at the mall, Schnucks and Kasten Masonry Sales in Jackson. Official rules and entry forms are available at each location.

Forms for the contest also are posted online at www.semissourian.com/fotofest.

ljohnston@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126