Latrobe photographer Clare Kaczmarek earns 3-peat in regional photo contest
Dec. 4—For the third consecutive year, Latrobe resident Clare Kaczmarek captured first place in the Places category of the 2022 Go Laurel Highlands Photo Contest, with a sunrise photo taken in May at Baughman Rock Overlook, above the Youghiogheny River Gorge south of Ohiopyle.
Kaczmarek said she had to get up about 4 a.m. in order to reach the location in time for the photo, which features the sun peeking above a distant ridge and a fog-covered valley.
It's a vista she's shot many times, but not always with great results.
"I've been up there a zillion times and not gotten anything, so I wasn't expecting it," she said. "I usually don't know what I have until I get home and start downloading the photos."
Kaczmarek also won in 2021 with a photo of snow-covered Laurel Mountain Ski Area and in 2020 with a picture of sun and clouds reflected in Mammoth Lake at Westmoreland County's Mammoth Park.
Going back to 2015, the amateur photographer also won the Places category with a view of the lake at Keystone State Park.
Mostly self-taught, Kaczmarek said, "I thought at one time I would like to do (photography) full-time, but I never wanted to lose the joy of it."
Her work focuses on the natural world, including sunrises, fog scenes and moving water, especially waterfalls.
Kaczmarek is a member of Latrobe Art Center and has received merit awards in the center's annual Mister Fred Rogers Fine Arts Juried Exhibition. Her photos also have earned prizes from the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation and the Westmoreland Art Nationals.
She works part-time at the Southern Alleghenies Museum at Ligonier Valley as a visitor services associate and assistant to the site coordinator.
Rich experiences
and landscapes
Kaczmarek was one of nine winners in the Go Laurel Highlands contest, which was the 18th annual.
Second place in the Places category went to Thomas Bush IV of Uniontown, for a shot of a wintry day in Forbes State Forest. Adrienne Golembiewski of Morgantown, W.Va., took third by capturing starry skies above the Mount Davis Observation Tower in Somerset County.
Carol Saylor of Meyersdale won first place in the People category for a photo of her neighbor leaping off a bench at High Point Lake Overlook in Somerset County. Saylor said she was inspired to try the shot after seeing a similar image taken on a beach.
John Keck of Butler placed second for a photo of military re-enactors at Fort Ligonier. Stephanie Lambert of Berlin took third for a photo of visitors at Flight 93 National Memorial.
For the winning shot in the Plants and Animals category, Flanna Soliday of Irwin headed to Twin Lakes, where she heard that a family of foxes was making their home. She was able to capture two of the young animals on a moss-covered rock.
For second place, Linda Seanor of Berlin submitted a photo of bluebirds on a suet feeder near Shanksville. Rockwood resident Ron Bruner took third with an image of a sunflower at Golden Valley Farms near Somerset.
"The annual photo contest ensures Go Laurel Highlands continues to have a library filled with authentic and unique images that capture all the rich experiences and landscapes our region has to offer," said Ann Nemanic, executive director of the destination marketing organization. "Hearing the stories from each photographer about the image they captured was truly a gift. So many wonderful stories behind those beautiful images gave me a renewed appreciation for our photographers."
The top images will be published in the Go Laurel Highlands 2023 Destination Guide and on its website and will be displayed at the organization's visitors center on the Ligonier Diamond. Winning photos also may be featured in its social media and other marketing initiatives.
"It's nice that they use so many of the photos," Kaczmarek said. "You never know where they're going to pop up."
To be eligible, color photos had to be taken in public spaces in the Laurel Highlands, comprising Westmoreland, Fayette and Somerset counties.
First place winners received $500; second place, $200; and third place, $100. Winners were chosen among more than 700 entries by the Go Laurel Highlands marketing team and professional photographers Brenda Torrey, Paul g. Wiegman and Alex Byers, who also is the organization's content and design specialist.
Go Laurel Highlands will begin accepting entries for the 2023 photo contest on Dec. 1. For information, visit golaurel
Shirley McMarlin is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Shirley by email at smcmarlin@triblive.com or via Twitter .
