2025 Year-End Awards

Year-End Awards

In November, a panel of three professional Judges evaluated the Year End Competition submissions, scoring 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th for each of the 5 categories, plus one Special Judge’s Award per Judge – and a Best in Show award. The winners were disclosed at the Awards Dinner December 9, 2025.

The three Judges for this competition were Lin Craft, Jeanette DiAnda, and Tim Mathieson.

Thank you to our sponsors for their generous support of the 2025 Year-End Dinner & Awards.

• John Morreale, Tiffany Nekritz, Purus Wealth Management
• Donna Empfield, Laguna Premier Realty
• Bonnie Beaux Fullerton, Laguna Woods Real Estate
• Dr. Narcisa Dobruscu, ND Dental

Live music was provided: Stu Pearlman.

All awarded images are displayed in the “Awards Gallery” at the top of this page, and are listed below by award and category. All other images are displayed in the “Other Submitted Images” Gallery at the bottom of this page.

Entries Slide Show

2025 Year End Entries (YouTube)

2025 Year End High Scores with Music (YouTube)

Scores by Category

Entries and scores are available in the following PDF files, grouped by Category.

• Open Color
• Monochrome
• Smart Phone
• Special Subject
• Artistic Expression

Best In Show

• Jack Salvador, Brothers – Special Subject – Macro

Judges Awards

• Mark Brenner, Pelicans Fighting for a Fish – Open Color
• Ken Furata, Pink Pizzazz – Smart Phone
• Mary Madden, Lantern Fest Hoi An – Artistic Expression

Open Color

• First Place: Ken Furuta – Defiant
• First Place: George Harper – Up For Air
• Second Place: Myra Posner – Pretty In Pink
• Second Place: Mike Bray – Morning snack
• Second Place: Larry Goodman – Great Blue Heron Taking Off
• Third Place: Mark Brenner – Pelicans Fighting for a Fish
• Third Place: Ken Furuta – Soft Landing
• Third Place: Brad Friesen – Tranquility
• Third Place: Mary Madden – Good Catch
• Fourth Place: Russ Lazar – Waiting Alone
• Fourth Place: Myra Posner – Keeping My Eyes On My Young Ones
• Fourth Place: George Harper – Fun at the Beach

Monochrome

• First Place: George Harper – Surfboard Ballet
• Second Place: Myra Posner – First Flight
• Third Place: Larry Goodman – American Avocet
• Third Place: Daniel Lee – Jump high
• Fourth Place: Kamran Ghassemi – Pier
• Fourth Place: Jack Salvador – Gyre
• Fourth Place: Mike Bray – Super Grom
• Fourth Place: Russ Lazar – Just Another Day in Captivity

Smart Phone

• First Place: Ken Furuta – Pink Pizzazz
• Second Place: Kamran Ghassemi – Descending
• Second Place: Brad Friesen – Basilica Cistern
• Third Place: Larry Goodman – Best Place To Study
• Fourth Place: Mike Bray – Nature’s Delight

Artistic Expression

• First Place: Kamran Ghassemi – Crossing
• First Place: Raymond LaBelle – Pink Rose
• First Place: George Harper – The Palouse
• First Place: Mary Madden – Lantern Fest Hoi An
• Second Place: Diane Hall – Eagle Eye
• Second Place: Tom Conrad – Praise Be! Pinhole
• Second Place: Ken Furuta – Aquatic Agility
• Third Place: Russ Lazar – Motion
• Third Place: Myra Posner – Trolley Time
• Third Place: Brad Friesen – Imagineering Stroll
• Third Place: Larry Goodman – Soka University Glowing At Night
• Third Place: Mike Bray – Full Moon over Joshua Tree
• Fourth Place: Diane Hall – We Remember
• Fourth Place: Esther Spektor – Spirits Among Us
• Fourth Place: Russ Lazar – Basking in Sunlight
• Fourth Place: George Harper – Blocked
• Fourth Place: Myra Posner – Cheetah At Home

Special Subject

• First Place: Jack Salvador – Brothers – Macro
• First Place: Mark Brenner – Resting with Pet Goat in Ireland – Street Photography
• Second Place: Larry Goodman – Hiding In The Reeds – Reflections
• Second Place: Daniel Lee – Dragon – Silhouettes
• Second Place: Ken Furuta – Pachyderms in the Sunset – Silhouettes
• Third Place: Daniel Lee – Dragonfly hovering – Macro
• Fourth Place: Brad Friesen – While the Guard was Sleeping – Silhouettes

2025 High Scorers

• First Place:Ken Furuta
• Second Place:Mike Bray
• Third Place:Adriana Greisman
• Third Place:George Harper
• Fourth Place:Myra Posner

All Submitting Members (18)

• Mike Bray
• Mark Brenner
• Susan Brown Matsumoto
• Tom Conrad
• Brad Friesen
• Ken Furuta
• Kamran Ghassemi
• Larry Goodman
• Diane Hall
• George Harper
• Raymond LaBelle
• Russ Lazar
• Daniel Lee
• Mary Madden
• Myra Posner
• Hilla Sadri
• Jack Salvador
• Esther Spektor

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