ITEM PHOTO BY OWEN O’ROURKE
Joanne Micozzi and her daughter Jessica Micozzi look at Joanne’s photograph which won second place.
By BRIDGET TURCOTTE
MELROSE — Winning photographers from Breakheart Reservation’s Winter Photo Contest gathered for a gallery opening at Hunt’s Photo & Video Wednesday night.
Their images have been matted and framed and are on display inside the Melrose store. After a week, they will be moved to Breakheart’s Christopher P. Dunne Visitor Center for guests to view.
The second annual Winter Photo Contest was sponsored by the Friends of Breakheart Reservation, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and Hunt’s Photo. Nature enthusiasts and photography lovers were encouraged to capture the beauty of the park through their own lenses.
Winners were chosen from more than 110 entries in three categories: Wild Breakheart, Seasons of Breakheart and People and Pets. Judges included members of the Friends, DCR and Hunt’s employees.
Anthony Bonanno took first place for Wild Breakheart; Richard Robinson for People and Pets, and Lin Bell for Seasons of Breakheart.
Second and third place winners included Richard Robinson, Sean McGrath, Joanne Micozzi, Luis Flores, Kerri Domohowski and Joey Ferrara.
Roy Pescatore garnered an honorable mention for the Seasons of Breakheart with his photograph of a lake at the park. The photo was taken during a drought, which left visible water lines on the surrounding rocks. Pescatore, who has been taking pictures for fun for nearly four decades, said he’s particularly fond of the picture because of the reflections in the water.
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Ferrara, 11, is the youngest-ever contest winner. His photo is a view of leaves on the walking trail from a low angle.
“I go up to Breakheart with my grandparents,” he said. “We walk the dog. We were walking and I saw the leaves and thought it would make a good picture so I borrowed my mom’s phone. I thought the angle looked cool.”
Ferrara, a fifth-grader at Arthur T. Cummings Elementary School in Winthrop, said he doesn’t have any prior experience with photography but the competition sparked an interest.
Others were drawn to enter a photo because of their love for the world around them.
Bell, a winner for the second year in a row, said she was drawn to photographing nature after struggling with serious health issues. Domohowski took up the art while living in California. While the state was beautiful, she said she missed the views of the changing seasons in Massachusetts.
Bill Dalton, Breakheart park supervisor, said he hopes to see the contest grow and continue for many years.
Bridget Turcotte can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @BridgetTurcotte.