Local Photographer Competes in Canon Contest

Local photographer Richard Calmes is one of 30 semifinalists in the category of "Mood" in the Canon contest "Project Imagin8ion."

Semifinalists were announced June 6.

His photo is entitled, "Flying Sunrise," and it captures Snellville resident Maggie Ellington in a sunrise leap at Lake Chatuge in Hiawassee, Ga.

Calmes is a Snellville resident and the photographer for the Gwinnett Ballet Theatre. Maggie is a rising senior at Brookwood High School.

The grand prize winner will be chosen by famed director Ron Howard, and the winning image with then inspire a short film directed by Howard. 

There are a total of eight themes in the contest: setting, time, character, mood, relationship, goal, obstacle and the unknown.

Now that Calmes has made it to Round Two, the public is able to vote for his photo to be one of seven finalists in the "Mood" category. Canon experts will chose three other finalists, as well.

Voting is open June 6 - June 11. To vote for Calmes' photo, click here.

Ron Howard will then chose the grand prize winners, which will be announced in late July. The winners will be flown to New York for the premiere of a short film, for which their image will be the inspiration.

How Calmes got the photo:

“I had a group of Gwinnett Ballet Theatre dancers for a weekend photo shoot in North Georgia. I picked them up at their cabin at 5:30 a.m., and we headed for a nearby lake. When we arrived, I figured we had about a two-minute window of opportunity to get the shot I wanted. Clouds were threatening to cover the sun as it rose.

"I had to lie flat on the ground a few feet from the water with the camera about 12 inches above the water level. I sent Maggie into the water as the sun was still touching the mountains uncovered by clouds. She took a running, splashing start and performed the most spectacular jete! She splashed water all over me and my camera. Then the clouds covered the sun. One jump, one shot with perfect light-- it was magic.”

For more information on the contest, click here.

To view Calmes' photo, click here.