The Best from Personal Histories: Photography Annual 2021 Gold Winners

This week’s new photo entries differ greatly while holding similar qualities as well, taking a deep look at

Winning Gold with “History 118,” Scott Lowden combined flowers with some artifacts of personal significance to create this intriguing piece. The dark background enables the red from the roses and green from the leaves to stand out. The sheen of the leaves does wonders, changing the black background into a deep teal which lightens most in the center. A hand reaches out, palm up, from the right side to offer some dark purple grapes. A small blue bottle sits opened in front of a prayer card, and some wooden boxes are stacked to the left. With all these elements placed together, it creates a somewhat gothic yet interesting still life that makes you wonder what the story is behind the image.

The second image this week is another gold winner. “The Best We Can” (above) by Lucy Shoenfeld showcases brightly colored toys and games that are often found in homes. “I had been searching at the beginning of the pandemic for something that made me feel irresponsible,” Shoenfeld said of the piece. “I wanted the feeling of being a child again … this photo was based upon the feeling of rooting through a parent’s possessions and finding enjoyment despite the seriousness.”

A deck of cards sprawls out of its box, a Rubik’s Cube tilts lazily, green and yellow construction paper sits in various levels of folding, and a bright red camera props a book open, displaying drawings of snakes. The image captures a feeling so many people likely related to when finding themselves in new (or old) places, like childhood bedrooms, when the pandemic hit.

To enter your photography into our Photography 2022 Awards competition, visit graphis.com.