Our second Cape Cod Xplore Spring Photo Challenge has affirmed our belief that Cape Cod and the surrounding area is home to some outstanding photographers who are willing to share their talents and love of the Cape. Our quest for photos that captured the essence of Springtime on the Cape brought forth everything from baby geese and floral blooms to rainbows captured at the shore.
While not an easy task, our judges have chosen a Spring collection that highlights the beauty of the Cape Cod region. Our judges were delighted with all the submissions and had a tough job choosing the favorites!
Winners of our Spring Photo Challenge:
1st Place – Michael Mondville, Plymouth, MA
“Sandwich Boardwalk”, Sandwich
Our first place winner Michael Mondville, has been awarded a $150 Visa gift card. Mondville, a skilled photographer, has wowed us with his photography for the second time!
Michael shoots with a Canon 5DMKIV, Leica Q2 Monochrome camera and a Leica Q2 color sensor camera. He puts in hours planning a shot and tries to find different compositions of well-photographed subjects. Almost every photo he takes is a single image edited in Lightroom.
Michael began his photography journey back at Rockland High School and attended New England School of Photography in Boston in the early 90’s. He always had a love for photography, but landscape photography has always been his real passion.
Early in his career he was fortunate enough to meet and befriend Neil Parent, a very well-known and published photographer out of Maine, igniting his passion for black and white photography. Shooting in black and white is a whole different experience. Michael believed once you master black and white, it makes you a better photographer. When photography started going digital, he stepped away for awhile, feeling that these new cameras were overpriced and producing horrible quality images.
Having drifted away from photography, Michael found a new passion; he met the love of his life and married in 1994. They shared a great life together, traveling as much as possible. When his wife became sick with a very rare inoperable cancer in 2009 , even though Michael was working full time, he became her primary caregiver. Michael picked up a cheap Canon digital camera and began taking photos again as an outlet to relieve the stress and feelings of hopelessness. Michael credits photography as providing him and his wife, through her enjoyment of his work, with a sense of purpose and hope throughout the nine long years of her illness.
Although he doesn’t work professionally as a photographer or have a website, he has sold some of his prints when requested on social media. A favorite project of his is creating an annual calendar from his selected photos that he gifts to the wonderful people that took care of his wife at Dana Farber.
He still hopes to fulfill his wife’s wish for him to sell everything and buy an RV to travel and take pictures of this beautiful country. He was all set to go in 2020 when Covid happened and delayed his plans. For the past two years Michael has been traveling through New England and documenting the beauty it has to offer.
We loved the stunning image of the iconic Sandwich Boardwalk, misty and colorful, that Michael submitted for the Cape Cod Xplore Spring Photo Challenge.
2nd Place – Ajit Moghe
“Milkyway with the Marshes”, Yarmouth
Agit Moghe, our Second Place Winner, has won a $100 gift certificate from KKatie’s Burger Bar. Agit is a New England photographer residing in Massachusetts. As a photographer, he is in love with Cape Cod and the surrounding region because it has unlimited natural beauty to offer. He enjoys capturing marshes, boardwalks, beaches, sunrise & sunsets, moonrise & moonsets, lighthouses, the night sky, and any possible combination of these to provide a unique perspective to the viewer.
The image submitted by Agit Moghe of the Milky Way over the marshes reminds us that the Cape is beautiful, day and night!
The following five 3rd Place Winners have each won a Cape Cod Xplore T-Shirt:
“Family Outing”, Stony Brook Grist Mill, Brewster by Nick Hebditch
Nick is a photography hobbyist who has recently started taking classes to learn and improve upon his art. While he is mainly interested in photographing live bands and events, time off from his seasonal landscaping job on Cape has allowed him time to appreciate local scenery and wildlife this winter. He grew up on Cape and is grateful for these surroundings,which he “wants to share with anyone interested in the beauty this place has to offer.”
We loved the image submitted of a family of geese exploring the Cape together!
“Love of Cape Cod”, East Dennis by Lori Robbins
Lori Robbins loves taking walks on the Cape, photographing moments. “Oceans and sunsets, bogs and ponds and trails, towns and people, there’s always more to see and experience.”
Lori’s beach shot captures the subtle light and the soft sand, beckoning us to follow down the path with her!
“Hyannisport Sunrise”, Hyannisport by Anna Head
Anna was drawn to photography because of a dear friend’s encouragement about 5 years ago, she then enrolled in a photography class. The beauty of the Cape and the light has become her muse. ” The beauty on the Cape inspires me to pause and look at the everyday beauty that surrounds us. ”
We love the beachy vibes and stunning sunrise colors of the photo she submitted to our Spring Photo Challenge!
“Perfect Mound of Sea Life’, Dowses Beach, Osterville by Keith Putnam
Keith was born and raised here on Cape Cod and has been a self-proclaimed outdoors man since being a young lad. He has always been drawn to the natural settings that are provided here on Cape Cod – from the ocean, ponds, and to woodlands that surround and loves to share his enthusiasm with others while promoting being outdoors and staying active!
From the green seaweed to the crashing waves in the distance, Keith’s seashell composition certainly captures the energy of the sea in the Springtime.
“Sunset at Sagamore Beach”, Sagamore by Jill O’Connor
Jill is a Boston-based amateur photographer who loves capturing landscapes and still life photos with unique angles and lighting. She grew up going to the Cape as a child and says, “Now I am lucky so spend all our free time here in Sagamore Beach.”
We love the sunset at Sagamore Beach photograph that Jill submitted to our Spring Photo Challenge – and can almost hear the waves lapping at the shore!
Congratulations to all the winners of our Cape Cod Xplore Spring Photo Challenge and a heartfelt thank you to all of our contestants who submitted their photos and captured the beauty of the place we call home. Please check out more photos at #Cape Cod Xplore Spring Challenge and make sure to subscribe to our weekly Cape Cod Xplore Newsletter for a chance to win your own Cape Cod Xplore T-shirt and stay updated on the next Photo Challenge, details coming soon.
