Glen Cove Students Win Photography Honors

Two students have been recognized in separate photo competitions for submissions of their work, according to their photography teacher.

Senior Andrew Vela, 17, won an Honorable Mention in the Gurwin Jewish Nursing and Rehabilitation Center Photography Contest in April for his entry, titled "4th of July Sunset." The contest was open to photographers of all ages and received more than 700 entries, according to Melissa Manzione, Vela's teacher.

The photo will be on permanent display as part of the center's collection.

The win was Vela's second, following his "Best in Show" designation at the city's 100 Best Communities for Young People celebration in March. That piece was an on-stage shot of students participating in a fashion show at the high school.

Elsie Goodman, 16, a sophomore in Manzione's class, placed third in the Self-Portrait category of the annual Huntington Camera Club's High School Competition.

Goodman's photo, a shot of her staring through a steamy shower door, was chosen from among more than 800 entries from students across Long Island. 

Manzione said judges chose the photo based on the "beauty and difficulty" of the shot.

"They highlighted her ability to balance her expression and the sharpness of her eyes with other elements of the photo like the shower steam, water drops on the glass door, and the overall tonality of the shot," Manzione said in an email.

The win is the third in the Huntington Camera Club's contest in the last four years for a student of Manzione's. Nicole DiGiovanni took first place in the Open category last year, and Kevin Bencio won an honorable mention in the Old & New category in 2009.

All work can be viewed at the competition's website at www.huntingtoncameraclub.org/highschool.htm