Through the lens

Sir John Herschel first used the term “photography” in a lecture before the British Royal Society on March 14, 1839. During the next 110 years or so, the art of photography was practiced by professionals using bulky equipment that was neither convenient nor easy to operate.

Then came the Kodak Brownie and the Polaroid camera, and suddenly there wasn’t a birthday, wedding, prom date or pet safe from the prying eye, and lens, of an amateur photographer. And, in the last decade, digital cameras have made the pastime even easier. Now our telephones take and send photos. With that in mind, we thought we’d have a contest for fledgling and experienced local shutterbugs.

Response was tremendous.

So thank you for the nearly 500 photos sent to us during the past month for consideration in our photo contest. We received a remarkable array of styles, approaches and subject matters, and judging them was no mean feat.

Like the jury in a murder trial, we went back and forth, argued, cajoled, disagreed and then duked it out. The one photo we could agree on, the one image that brought us together over and over again with a shared “Awww,” was the bright eye of Crowley, who appears on the winners spread.

Enjoy.

Winners

Honorable mentions

Online extras