Category: News

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Canopy of Light Receives ViewBug’s Pause Award

There are many photography awards that recognize technical excellence, composition, or creativity. Those are all wonderful achievements, but every so often, an award comes along that celebrates something a little more personal.

I’m honored to share that my photograph, Canopy of Light, has received ViewBug’s Pause Award.

According to ViewBug, the Pause Award recognizes photographs that do something increasingly rare—they make people stop. In an age of endless scrolling and split-second decisions, these are images that invite viewers to linger, explore the details, and experience the feeling behind the photograph.

When I first read the award description, it resonated with me immediately.

As a photographer, I’ve never been interested in creating images that simply document a place. My goal has always been to capture atmosphere—the quiet moments, the interplay of light and shadow, and those scenes that evoke an emotion long after you’ve looked away.

Canopy of Light is one of those photographs.

The warm glow of the string lights, the graceful curves of the canopy, and the calm evening atmosphere came together to create a scene that felt peaceful the moment I pressed the shutter. It wasn’t about finding the loudest subject or the most dramatic location. It was about recognizing a moment that many people might have walked past without noticing.

Receiving the Pause Award tells me that the photograph communicated exactly what I hoped it would.

One of my favorite parts of the award description reads:

“…the most impactful images aren’t the loudest—they’re the ones that quietly linger in our minds long after we’ve seen them.”

I couldn’t ask for a better compliment.

Photography continues to teach me that sometimes the quietest images leave the strongest impression.

Thank you to everyone who has followed my journey, encouraged my work, visited my exhibitions, and shared my photographs with others. Your support makes moments like this even more meaningful.

I’m excited to continue creating images that invite people to slow down, look a little longer, and discover the beauty that’s often hiding in plain sight.  Canopy of Light is available in the Bright Lights category, or on our Pixels page.

Thank you for being part of that journey.

Kathy

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Mile High Nights: Why I Never Ignore “On This Day” Photo Memories

Almost every morning, I spend a few minutes looking through the “On This Day” photo memories in my OneDrive account.

Most days, it’s simply a pleasant walk down memory lane. Family gatherings, photos of the dogs, pictures of herbs, snapshots from trips, and reminders of places I’ve been and things I’ve seen. Sometimes I smile, sometimes I laugh, and occasionally I wonder why I ever thought a particular photo was worth keeping.

But every once in a while, something special happens.

A photograph appears that I had completely forgotten existed.

That happened recently with a photograph I’ve titled Mile High Nights.

The image was captured years ago during a trip to Denver. At the time, I was carrying an older phone—one I no longer own—and while I remember taking plenty of photos during that trip, I had completely forgotten about this one. Had it not been preserved in cloud storage and resurfaced through OneDrive’s photo memories, I might never have seen it again.

When the image appeared, I stopped scrolling.

There it was: the glow of Empower Field, the lights of downtown Denver, and the energy of the city stretching between them. Looking at it now, I can appreciate details that I probably overlooked when I first captured it. The composition, the atmosphere, and the story hidden within the scene all seemed far more meaningful with the benefit of time.

As photographers, we often focus on our newest work. We’re excited about the images we captured yesterday or last weekend. We spend our energy planning the next shoot, the next trip, or the next portfolio project.

But sometimes the best discoveries are already sitting in our archives.

Our skills evolve. Our artistic vision changes. We learn to see photographs differently. An image that seemed ordinary five or ten years ago may suddenly reveal qualities we didn’t recognize at the time.

That’s one reason I encourage photographers never to neglect their photo archives.

Go back through old folders.

Revisit forgotten memory cards.

Browse your cloud storage memories.

You might find a hidden gem that deserves a second chance.

In my case, I found a photograph that had been quietly waiting in the background for years. With a little editing and a fresh perspective, it became one of my favorite cityscapes from Denver.

Not bad for a photo taken on a phone that no longer exists.

So if you haven’t looked through your old photographs recently, take a few minutes and do it. You never know what treasures may be waiting for you there.

Sometimes the best new photograph is actually an old one.

See the final version of the image in the Bright Lights gallery.

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Lens Flares & Melting Ice Earns the Frame Award

I’m happy to announce that my image “Lens Flares & Melting Ice” has earned the Frame Award by Viewbug.

It’s thrilling when your work is recognized. I’ve loved this image since I took it, it was such a special moment. Bitter cold, but the sun was shining, causing thermal melting in the tree. It honestly felt surreal being there watching that, and hearing the ice traveling down through the tree and water splashing on the driveway. I had to capture it.

This image is available in the Water Gallery under Ice Rainfall.

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Dupont Circle Traffic Earns Finalist Award in My Viewfinder Project

I’m so excited (and honestly a little humbled) to share that my Dupont Circle Traffic image has been selected as a FINALIST in the My Viewfinder Project on ViewBug!

Click on the image to see all the finalists

This photograph has always held a special place for me—not just because of how it turned out, but because of the experience behind it. That weekend in Washington, D.C. is one I’ll always remember. The energy, the movement, and especially the incredible staff at The Dupont Circle Hotel who were so engaged and genuinely supportive while I worked to capture the shot—it truly felt like a shared moment. Like everyone was rooting for it to come together.

The version featured in the project is available on ViewBug, and the final version can be found on my website in the Bright Lights Gallery.

Thank you so much for your support—it means more than I can say.
— Kathy

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“Ben Franklin Bridge” Image Exhibiting in Spain & Greece

We are thrilled to announce the upcoming exhibition of an extraordinary image in two prestigious international galleries. This remarkable picture, celebrated for its captivating lines and Art Deco style, will be featured at the renowned Blank Wall Gallery in Athens, Greece, on September 9th, and the iconic Valid World Hall in Barcelona, Spain, on November 7th.

I knew when I took the picture and worked on it in my ‘digital dark room’ that it would be special. It’s hard not to be with this gorgeous bridge.