Winners announced in hot air balloon photo competition

The exhibition runs through September 14

"Mèlie's Dream" a collage by Fran Forman

LONGVIEW — TCC Photo Gallery has announced the winners of the First Annual International Hot Air Balloon Competition Exhibition that was held prior to Longview's Great Texas Balloon Race in July.

The winners are: Best of Show "Mèlie's Dream", collage by Fran Forman; Second Place "100 Years", Patty Lemke; Third Place, "Untitled 1", Clark Langley; Honorable Mention "Airborne," Fran Forman; Honorable Mention "Field of Balloons," Jacob Adkinsson; Honorable Mention "In the Clouds," Val Isenhower; and Honorable Mention "Luminous Inflation," Jennifer Meihofer.

New York City photographer Harvey Stein was the juror fo the exhibition. Stein had this to say about the competition:

"100 Years" by Patty Lemke

As near as I can tell, about 30 percent of the images I’ve selected for this exhibition were taken from hot air balloons while in the air. For whatever reasons, I have never been up in a hot air balloon, even though I’ve heard about how silent, beautiful, peaceful and wonderful an experience it is. Maybe I was afraid, maybe I didn’t have much opportunity, living in the great urban center of New York City. Maybe I was always too busy photographing earth bound subjects. But last October 1st, I had the great pleasure of being in Albuquerque’s sprawling Balloon Fiesta Park, freezing along with thousands of others, at 4 a.m. and getting ready for the mass ascension of the world’s largest hot air balloon extravaganza. Of course, I was there to photograph, which I did until about 10 a.m. I was amazed at the passion, awe and love that the balloonists, as well as the spectators expressed at the event.

"Untitled 1" by Clark Langley

So I was thrilled when asked to jury the TCC Photo Gallery’s International Hot Air Balloon competition. Viewing the submitted images, it took me back to that chilly, dusty field in Albuquerque. I again felt the exhilaration and wonder of these beautiful flying balloons. So many of the images capture the sublime, ethereal, calm beauty of this sport. And what these images do for me is to instill the desire to get up in the air in one of these giant creatures. So thank you all contestants, and my congratulations to those of you who have been selected to exhibit your work. Your photographs are masterful. Hey, keep shooting and being UP in the air, flying freely. I’ll wave to you when we pass each other.

Other artists chosen for the exhibit are: Carol Watson, Audrey Watson, Becky Thompson, George Campbell, Jan Martinsky, Jennifer Melhofer, Judith Panagotopulos, Michelle Ford, Nancy Pasel, Scott Leberman, Steve Korevec, Steven List, Steve Stokan, Val lsenhower, John Petty, and Lisa Smith.

Harvey Stein is a professional photographer, teacher, lecturer, author and curator based in New York City. He currently teaches at the International Center of Photography and in the Master of Professional Studies Program in Digital Photography at the School of Visual Arts.

The exhibition runs through September 14, 2012. TCC Photo Gallery is in Downtown Longview and on the web. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.