By Emily Lawson

The Herald Bulletin

ANDERSON, Ind. — Local photographer Barbara Grimball walked away with a staggering five awards last month after submitting six photographs to the local IN-Focus photography exhibit.

The Anderson Center for the Arts, 32 W. 10th St., has set up the photography exhibit annually for 29 years.

This year, 58 photographers from 21 Hoosier cities and towns entered a total of 256 works. The arts center is exhibiting 90 of those works by 39 photographers, said TACA Director Deborah Stapleton.

This year’s judges were Ryan Sparrow, of Muncie, and Susan Fleck, owner of Susan Fleck Photography in Indianapolis.

The exhibit is split into categories, among them Open, People, Landscape and new ones including “Places around Madison County.”

Grimball took wise use of the categories, submitting several photographs including one she calls “Clockwork Clown,” which won in the People Category.

“It’s a candid shot I took of a clown up in the Mississinewa re-enactment battlefield,” said Grimball, president of the Muncie Camera Club. “It was really odd for me to catch someone in that type of regalia, so that one was pretty neat.”

The member of Anderson’s Killbuck Photo Guild uses a Canon 5D to shoot her subjects, then turns to the resources of Photoshop and other tweaking software such as Nik Efex and Topaz.

On the other hand, Stephen Wright won first place for using film and a darkroom — that old non-digital format.

Using a darkroom set up by his father nearly 30 years ago, Wright developed “Steppin’ Out,” a photo taken on his Leica camera of a zoot suit surrounded by women’s clothes in a store window.

“Traditional darkroom work is becoming a craft that not many people can do but hopefully it’s something that everybody still appreciates,” said Wright.

Linda Rosencrans, another participant, entered two pieces this year.

The first, and the one admitted into the judging round, was a color photo of a Lipizzan horse. Her second submission, titled “The Girls in the Mist,” is a candid shot of a group of white-tail deer in a misty meadow.

Her color photo of a white showhorse was named best in the Open division.

“I like to work in color,” Rosencrans said. “It’s really just a personal preference. I do some sepia and black-and-white, but mainly color photos.

“One year, I submitted a color photo of a black Labrador retriever in a red canoe and it won the People’s Choice Award. The black really stood out against the red. That’s an effect that I probably couldn’t have achieved with black-and-white.”

For Grimball, it’s just the opposite.

“Black-and-white and sepia are my favorite,” said the 15-year photographer. “Color is just fine, too, but black-and-white would have to be my absolute favorite.”

Both photographers agree that, for them, photography is more than just snapping a shot.

For Grimball, the process goes further than achieving the right lighting. “I try to use a lot of symbolism and metaphors in my work. I try to make people think; like another one of my photos that won an award. ... It’s called ‘Atlas’ and it’s an African American holding a globe on one shoulder, Africa is facing the lens.

“It’s things like that, things that make people think about their surroundings and what’s going on.”

Rosencrans has the same urge to incorporate meaning into her photos, though her subject matter is a bit different.

The Andersonian says she tries to stick to what she knows. Using her Sony digital SLR, she aims for light-hearted and loyal.

“My favorite things to capture are children and companion animals,” Rosencrans said. “It’s what I feel most passionate about.”

Both Grimball and Rosencrans agree on the main thing, anyway, for them photography is more than just a hobby or an attempt at winning a few awards, it’s their passion.

If you go

The IN-Focus exhibit runs through April 9 at the Anderson Center for the Arts, 32 W. 10th St., with the exception of Easter weekend (April 3-4). The gallery is open for viewing Tuesdays through Fridays from noon to 5 p.m.; Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays from 2 to 5 p.m.

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IN-Focus Awards

The following photographers received top honors at the IN-Focus photography competition. Their works can be seen at The Anderson Center for the Arts, 32 W. 10th St.

Winners are listed by category, photographer, hometown and title of work.

Best of Show: Peter Howard, Indianapolis, “Meeting Among Friends”

Best People: Barbara Grimball, Anderson, “The Clockwork Clown”

Best Nature: Wendy Kaveney, Carmel, “Yin & Yang”

Best Architecture: Wendy Kaveney, “Reclaimed by Nature”

Best Traditional Film and Darkroom: Stephen Wright, Anderson, “Steppin’ Out’”

Best Open: Linda Rosencrans, Alexandria, “The White Horse”

Best Scene in Madison County: Claire Heineman, Yorktown, “Madison County Snowscape”