WASHINGTON (Feb. 11, 2013)—National Geographic Student Expeditions has announced the winners of its second annual Student Photo Contest. The grand-prize winner is Lijah Hanley, 17, from Ridgefield, Wash. His winning photo, “No Boundaries,” was taken on a family drive to The Dalles, Ore., to enjoy a picnic under the stars. He has won a trip to London this summer to participate in the National Geographic Student Expeditions London Photography Workshop.
Julianna Brown, 16, from Mystic, Conn., placed second with her photo, “Anticipation,” and will receive a $250 gift certificate to the National Geographic Store. Third place went to Emily Watson, 18, of Oklahoma City for “The Freedom Side.” She will receive a $100 gift certificate to the National Geographic Store.
“Photography has brought me into many very wonderful adventures. I have waded waist deep down raging rivers, stood on the edge of the ocean’s cliffs and hiked deep into the mountains at sunrise in search of that perfect shot,” said Lijah. This is not his first experience with National Geographic. In 2009, he was selected to be part of the National Geographic Kids Hands-On Explorer Challenge to Peru, which he calls his “greatest adventure thus far.” Last year, Lijah was the second-place winner in the Student Expeditions Photo Contest.
The judges, who were top National Geographic photographers and photo editors, had the challenging task of evaluating the entries and selecting the winning image and the two runners-up.
“This year’s Photo Contest was a wonderful success,” said Deb Harris, director of National Geographic Student Travel. “The students were so thoughtful and creative with their images and captions. Our judges had a tough job, but the winning and finalist images tell a rich story of exploration in the lives of high school students across the country.”
The images can be viewed on the Student Photo Contest Winners page. Students were asked to submit a photograph that conveys what exploration or adventure means to them, along with a written description of the “moment” captured and how it reflects a sense of exploration or adventure. Entries were judged on three criteria: the quality of photography, the extent to which the photograph conveyed a sense of exploration or adventure, and the quality of the accompanying description and its relationship to the photograph.
The National Geographic London Photography Workshop in which Lijah will participate is a unique, 12-day program where students have the opportunity to learn technical and creative photography techniques from a National Geographic photographer and professional photography instructors. The workshop is one of National Geographic Student Expeditions’ high school summer programs, offering students summer adventures of a lifetime. Limited space is still available on many of this summer’s programs. For more information on National Geographic Student Expeditions or its scholarship program, visit www.ngstudentexpeditions.com.
About National Geographic Student Expeditions
National Geographic Student Expeditions is a part of National Geographic Expeditions, the travel program of the National Geographic Society. Offering trips to more than 60 destinations across seven continents, National Geographic Expeditions features small-ship expeditions, land journeys, active adventures, family trips, photography workshops and expeditions, and more. The trips are often accompanied by National Geographic experts whose insider perspectives enrich each travel experience. All proceeds support the Society’s aim of increasing global understanding through exploration, geography, education and research. For more information on National Geographic’s travel programs, visit www.nationalgeographicexpeditions.com.
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