Judges' Choice Winner: Mackenzie LaRoe —Sylvan Heights
About the Judges' Choice Winner: Mackenzie LaRoe
By Laura Hutson
“I enjoy being a ‘fly on the wall’ and capturing moments organically,” Mackenzie LaRoe tells the Scene. Easier said than done — the perfect candid shot is one of photography’s most elusive beasts. That’s why our judges voted this shot as the winner of this year’s Nashville Scene Photography Contest.
“I don’t know this girl personally,” says LaRoe, “but her lackluster expression watching the grill master do his thing caught my attention.”
The judges were similarly taken with the girl — her serious sideways stare, a stray wisp of blond hair across her face and single arm cocked on her hip — and also the nearly perfect composition of the shot. It’s difficult, said judge Amiee Stubbs, to capture a moment like this and maintain just the right composition between the lines of the grill’s lid and the chef’s tongs, or include the perfect section of the three stars on his T-shirt. The Scene’s longtime photographer Eric England even compared the shot to something you’d see in National Geographic.
“This photo screams Americana to me,” says LaRoe. “Outdoor summer gathering. Beautiful blond girl. Hamburgers and hot dogs. A genuine encapsulation of a wonderful afternoon in my neighborhood.” Here’s to more where that came from.
Readers' Choice Winner: Willette Y. DuPree — Mt. Juliet
Judges' Honorable Mention: David L. Morel (davidmorelphoto.com) — Cumberland River
Judges' Honorable Mention: Bruce Dretchen — Lower Broadway
Judges' Honorable Mention: Nick Swift (swftnck.com) — Broadway
Adrian Morales — Nashville Roller Derby
Brian Kees — Third and Broadway
Jo Fields — 409 Broadway
David L. Morel (davidmorelphoto.com) — Radnor Lake State Park
Erica Eldridge Photography — Gallatin Pike
Alecia Battle — Shelby Park, East Nashville
Ann Richardson — The Grand Ole Opry House
Chris Bonfield — Downtown Nashville, from the East Bank
David L. Morel (Davidmorelphoto.com) — Radnor Lake State Park
Hamilton Matthew Masters — Murfreesboro
Garland Gallaspy (CEO; Dreams Unlimited) — Nashville
Erica Eldridge Photography — Green Hills
Josh Ungurait — Watertown
Josh Farrow — Shelby Park, East Nashville
Hamilton Matthew Masters — Murfreesboro
Kyle Lamoureux — Eastland Avenue
Lindsay Garland — Downtown Nashville
Nick Swift (swftnck.com) — Legislative Plaza
Lindsay Garland — West Nashville
Jo Fields — 11th Avenue
Paul Schatzkin — Lower Broadway
Savannah Scruggs (Savvy Film Photography) — Oak Valley Lanes
Katy Fry — Narrows of the Harpeth, Kingston Springs
Meet the Photo Judges:
Brandon Donahue
Brandon Donahue is a local artist and professor of art at Tennessee State University. He was born and raised in Memphis, but has considered Nashville his home for more than 15 years. Brandon has exhibited his work in other cities such as New York, Berlin and Miami. He can be followed on Instagram @bdonahue1111.
Eric England
After graduating from Middle Tennessee State University in 1988 with a degree in mass communication, Eric England moved to Nashville and worked as a photo assistant before heading out on his own as a freelance photographer. He became the Nashville Scene staff photographer in 2004 while continuing to shoot for a variety of publications and corporate clients. He has won numerous awards, including first place for photography in the national Association of Alternative Newsmedia Awards in 2011.
Laura Hutson
Laura Hutson is the Nashville Scene's arts editor and has curated art exhibits at TSU and Third Man Records. She has a degree in art and anthropology from New York University.
Megan Seling
Megan Seling is the culture editor at the Nashville Scene, and she also manages the Scene's Instagram account. Before moving to Nashville in 2013, she worked at The Stranger in Seattle for more than a decade and has also written for Rookie, Wondering Sound and Paste. She likes pop punk, candy and puppies.
Amiee Stubbs
Amiee Stubbs is the official photographer for the Nashville Zoo, the photojournalist for Animal Rescue Corps, and runs the UltraViolet Gallery in downtown Nashville’s historic Arcade. She spent her early years as a photographer at the Opryland theme park before detouring into a career as a professional wrestler. She then went on to get her photography degree from Middle Tennessee State University, and now devotes all of her time to photography, focusing primarily on animals and music. Amiee was voted Best Photographer in the Nashville Scene’s Best of Nashville Readers’ Polls in 2014 and 2015. Check out her portfolio, learn more about her zoo photography classes, and get info on her custom pet portraits at amieestubbs.com.
Mackenzie LaRoe — Sylvan Heights
