Student selected as finalist in photography competition

Andy Mitkos, a student at the University of Illinois at Springfield, has been selected as a finalist in the 29th Annual Student Photography Contest sponsored by Nikon and Photographer’s Forum Magazine. His photo, a scene of a plane underwater, is titled “Any Landing You Can Walk Away From...,” and will be published in the Best of College Photography Annual 2009.

This is the second consecutive year that the work of a UIS student has been selected for publication in the annual. More than 4,000 students entered this year’s contest, which was open to photography students worldwide.

At UIS, Mitkos is earning a bachelor’s degree in mass communications and has take two photography courses under Professor Michael Duvall.

Mitkos’ winning photograph was captured while he was scuba diving off the coast of Aruba. He used underwater housing equipment with his camera to photograph the underwater plane.

“I like to use photography in everything I do,” Mitkos noted. “Professor Duvall suggested entering the contest to me, and I entered it not expecting anything to happen. It’s really an honor when your work is recognized by others.”

Established in 1977, Photographer’s Forum Magazine is a quarterly, award-winning publication dedicated to high-quality reproduction of photography in the United States and Canada. It is designed to facilitate communication and experience among emerging professionals.

This year’s judges for the contest were Rob Winner, Brooks Institute of Photography; Peter Glendinning, Michigan State University; and Karen Sinsheimer, Curator of Photography at Santa Barbara Museum of Art.