Submitted by Chris Valuckas, Union City Recreation Supervisor

Paddy’s Coffeehouse and Union City Leisure Services Present The Union City Photography Contest 2011

This photo show has been held for over five years now and it has been a joint collaboration with Paddy Iyer and Paddy’s Coffee to showcase outstanding local photographers in the area.

• We had more than 118 photos submitted for the contest by Bay Area photographers of all ages.

• The contest has six categories: Candid Family, Environment, Black and White, People, Animals and Altered Images.  Each photographer was allowed to submit one photo for each category.

• We had a group of five judges ranging from artists to professional photographers that judged the work. Each judge had to select four winners in each category including first, second, third and honorable mention.

•  In the end these are the pieces they chose:

Candid Family Category

Altered Images Catergory

Black and White Category

People Category

Animals Category

Environment Category

• We also had two special categories as well.  There is a BEST IN SHOW category (the photo that got the highest total rating by all of the judges) and a MOST OUTSTANDING PHOTOGRAPHER category (the photographer who had the most photos place the highest by the judges). 

• The winning photos will be on display at Paddy’s for the entire month of February. 

• The winning photos will also be on display at both the Union City Sports Center and at City Hall later this year.

• The actual placement of the photos (who finished first, second, etc.) will be announced at our special winners reception on Friday, Feb. 3, at Paddy’s at 7pm.  Each winner will receive an award ribbon, an award certificate and a gift card from such local Union City businesses as Best Buy, Michaels and others.

• The reception will be hosted by former Union City Councilmember and Union City CERT program chairperson, Carol Dutra Vernaci.