Winners of the 2008 Photo Contest

Winter 2009

Given the quality of the thirty finalists it was almost impossible to choose the best entry, but our panel of judges has once more taken on the very difficult task of determining the winners of CentralPark.com's Photo Contest - Winter 2009 edition. After careful consideration they have chosen the winners from the top thirty photos as voted by our members. We would like to again thank everyone who participated and encourage you to enter our current seasonal contest.

Skating Rink, by beckerman

Dave Beckerman is the first-place winner of our Winter Photo Contest. The New York native shot his fittingly named photograph, Skating Rink, on a cold December night at Wollman Rink. Mr. Beckerman saw something magical in the way the glowing buildings framed the rink and its skaters. By shooting at a slow speed, he was able to capture one still figure embedded in a chaos of skaters. Mr. Beckerman, who became interested in photography at the age of 15, finds the ever-changing Central Park an inspiration which keeps drawing him back. "There is something sacred about it," says Mr. Beckerman. "You can go there when you are feeling down and find a nice spot to sit and rest, and when you walk out of the park the world looks a little brighter." Mr. Beckerman is able to depict this brightness by shooting most of his photography at night. By doing so, he captures the beauty of Central Park against the dramatic Manhattan skyline.

Bow Bridge, by dr3333

Second place goes to David Ricceri for his subtly evocative photo Bow Bridge. Mr. Ricceri was excited to capture this image of the Central Park's most famous bridge as it stretches across the frozen Lake the morning after a blanket of snow had fallen upon the park.

It beautifully captures the stately arch of the bridge while framing it perfectly before the stark contrast of the skyline. David takes inspiration from his walks in the park and loves to visit Belvedere Castle with his son.

Reflections in the Pond, by raphaelsh

Third place winner, Raphael Shilhav, serendipitously went for a walk one and was drawn the quiet solitude of the Pond. He took his photograph Reflections in the Pond at a magical moment when the sun briefly broke through the morning clouds, reflected in the icy pond and washed its surroundings in delicate pastel colors.

Mr. Shilav enjoys his walks in the park as a respite from his writing work - this particular morning he was able to capture the moment to share with us all.

Once again we would like to thank everyone that took time to enter the contest and to rate the photos. We also look forward to the coming season and another collection of amazing pictures of Central Park.

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