Washington State 4-H Photographers Capture Top Awards at National Contest
Adult & Teen Honored for Creativity
By
Betsy Fradd, WSU Extension 4-H
Snapping expressive images comes naturally to Christina Murray and Ashley Hanson. Murray, a 4-H Afterschool Specialist from Pierce County, recently took first place in the staff division in the national 4-H This is MY Agriculture contest.
“I wanted to add an urban spin to agriculture,” said Murray whose winning photo featured her niece and nephew having fun in a pumpkin patch. “Sometimes we forget that, even though we live in a big city, we can visit farms and festivals to celebrate the seasons and enjoy the food that is produced locally,” added Murray who has been shooting photos for over 20 years.
15-year-old Ashley Hanson lives on a farm in the Eastern Washington community of Elk. Her photos of youth with animals earned her second place in the 4-H member category. “The pictures depict how animals are affecting youth today in an extremely positive way. They learn not only how to care for animals, but also life skills such as responsibility, confidence, patience, perseverance, and ultimately success,” said Ashley who used the proceeds from selling her Reserve Grand Champion 4-H market hog to purchase a Canon Rebel T3i.
The photo contest is part of USDA’s 150th anniversary celebration. Images were judged on composition, content and technical elements. All winning photos will be displayed in the USDA building in Washington D.C. during National 4-H week October 7 – 13.
All winning photos can be seen at:
http://my-agriculture.challenge.gov/
Posted October 2012
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