There’s an otherworldly air about it, the photograph awarded Best In Show in the 14th annual Maine Photography Show. Are those towering rock formations – or the walls of a castle belonging to one of the Roman gods – Jupiter perhaps? The mist and fog below the castle and a setting sun is breathtaking. Narrow, earthy roads are revealed in one area where the fog isn’t present.

“TreCime,” taken by Stephen Fabricius of South Portland, in Italy, was chosen Best In Show by juror Ron Rosenstock who said, “A magical image! A combination of being at the right place at the right time and knowing how to interpret the subject matter.” Fabricius was not in attendance. He was in Italy.

Rosenstock said it was no easy task selecting the 105 images being exhibited through May 3 at Boothbay Harbor’s Boothbay Region Art Foundation. The 777 (give or take) electronic submissions were considered by Rosenstock on his 10-inch Mac laptop over three days, for 10-12 hours per day. But seeing the images on a computer screen is vastly different than seeing them fully presented.

“I must say I was knocked over (seeing the show). I am really impressed by the sizing, the matting, the framing  … this show gets three thumbs up from me,” Rosenstock said. “You all did a fantastic job!”

Award recipients and all of the photographers in the show, their friends, and Maine Photography Show Committee members attended the April 6 awards event at Mine Oyster. 

And now the rest of the First Place entries: color – “The Curl” by Rob Smith of Harpswell - Juror comment: “Subtle color adds to the drama of the moment!” Infrared (special category) - “The West,” by Doug Van Kampen of Brunswick - juror comment: “What makes this image is the contact with the horse in a majestic landscape.”  B&W – Scarborough photographer Jeff Bazinet’s “Ocean’s Fury” - Rosenstock said, “Amazing light and wonderful interpretation!” Finally, in the Student category -  from Gorham, Brady Marquis’ “Sea Smoke” - juror comment: “The soft light has a very painterly effect, very compelling.”

Second Place winners:  Student category: Rose Lynch, “Nothing Is As It Seems;” Color category: Amy Durocher, “A Golden Necklace For the River;” B&W: Laura Zamfireescu’s “The Morning Gathering;” and in the Infrared Special category: Stephen Thomas, “Dinghy’s at Madelaine Point.”

Placing Third: Color category, Anne Copeland (Trevett), “Antique Lily;”  Infrared Special category, Craig Snapp, “Rendezvous in the Wilderness;” Student category: Elizabeth Rudd, “Resurgence;” and  in the B&W category: Shary Skoloff, “Cloud Dreaming.”

The MPS Committee’s choice for the show booklet was East Boothbay photographer Steve Demeranville’s “Eagle Hunter.” Demeranville shared a bit of the back story with the audience: The photo was taken in Ogi, Mongolia. “I traveled several days in various vehicles that broke down. There were no streets anywhere,” he said. “We traveled over open plain.”

This same photograph was selected by National Geographic Magazine for publication in January of this year. “I was extremely pleased. There were 18,800 submissions and only 36 were chosen for the assignment,” Demeranville said. This announcement was punctuated by very enthusiastic applause.

Locals in the show include Eva McDermott and student Sierra Murray of Boothbay;  Julia Latter, Kayla Latter, Lois Glaser, Scott See, and student Shea Fritz of Boothbay Harbor.

Upstairs at the Art Foundation, MPS Committee member Norbert Leser’s show, “The Extraordinary of the Ordinary,” includes photographs taken around the world featuring people in various countries. Leser has also published many of his collections and these volumes are included in the show.

Said Leser to the crowd about his show, “I believe, and hope, that photography and any form of art, actually, can lead to more reflection of how we treat and see our other fellow human beings in the world. They are no less worthy than we are. Everyone is special and extraordinary. That’s what I like to express in my photographs.”

Leser also noted the use of Smartphones for taking photographs noting that a “significant number” of the images submitted - and selected - for the show were taken with a phone rather than a camera. The times may be a-changin’, but the quest for that perfect image, that perfect balance  of light and shadow, of capturing a moment, a place, a face ...  in time ... forever - will tempt the eye and imagination of a photographer, regardless of of image taking preference!

The 14th annual Maine Photography Show runs through May 3. The Art Foundation, at 1 Townsend Ave., is open Thursday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information, and to see all of the photographs and juror comments,  visit https://mainephotographyshow.org