Houston Christian High School is proud to celebrate senior Lea Garcia for earning Third Place in the People and Portraits category of The Buzz Magazines' 21st Annual Photo Contest. The competition drew more than 1,500 entries from Houston-area residents ranging in age from 12 to 86, making Lea's recognition a standout achievement.

 

Lea's photo, titled "Haze," was taken last August in the school's photography room and features her friend Julia Park. Lea described her process: "Our teacher wanted us to try to get different lighting techniques, and I was able to get a beautiful halo lighting. This image brought me joy when I saw it because of Julia's facial expressions and the color of light we chose. The light shows all the little imperfections in her little baby hairs and reflects onto her face. Julia isn't looking directly into the camera, which causes a sense of maybe longing or slight unknown."

Judging for the contest is conducted blind by a panel of local professional photographers, who evaluate entries on lighting, focus, exposure, composition, and the overall skill and intentionality behind each image. Lea's ability to craft mood and emotion through light caught their attention among a deeply competitive field.

 

Houston Christian congratulates Lea on this well-deserved recognition and looks forward to seeing where her creative eye takes her next.