BYU Student Wins First Place in Renowned Photography Contest

When Sara Anderson found out she was a winner of the PDN Faces Portrait Photography Contest, she could not believe it. After receiving the confirmation email from an unknown contact and a celebration emoji in the subject line — months after she expected to hear back — Anderson was not sure the news was legitimate. Once she had verified the authenticity of the email, her skepticism quickly turned to celebration. The PDN competition is run in conjunction with Photo District News magazine — an award-winning publication that has covered the photography industry for over 30 years and has around 500,000 readers each month. Anderson first heard about the competition from photography professor Daniel George. Despite her hesitancy, she considered applying after learning about the scope and popularity of the contest. “It’s always a shot in the dark with these kinds of contests, but if you don’t try you’ll never have the opportunity,” Anderson said. After deciding to enter and selecting possible photo submissions, Anderson took her photos to Department of Design Photography area head Paul Adams — whose work was accepted by the publication several years ago — for an expert opinion. “As a mid-career professional with other accolades under my belt, I listed it as a top-tier peer review and was extremely proud of the accomplishment,” Adams said. “It is rare indeed for a student to be published in this magazine.” The inspiration for the winning shot came from Anderson’s reflections on tensions within relationships. “I had been thinking a lot about relationships, whether that be family, friends or romantic relationships. I thought about how they can change and ebb and flow,” Anderson said. “I wondered what it looks like after an argument with a couple, especially in a tight space like a car. You can’t leave, you can’t walk away. What does that look like? What does that feel like?”

Anderson noticed an old car that had been sitting on the street outside an auto shop near her home for over a year. One day she went inside, asked if she could use the car for a photoshoot and her idea quickly came to life. “At the time I was in a location lighting class with Robert Graham and we were talking a lot about visual storytelling,” Anderson said. “We were studying photographers who light on location and use models and styling to help tell narratives, so that was on my mind.” Anderson called up her married friends to use as models — one of whom is a film major at BYU and had an understanding of and appreciation for the creative process. “A lot of the time, my ideas are loose until I get the people in the space and talk through things with them,” Anderson said. “They were good about picking up on the idea. For the man in the picture, it was easy to think about the character and the narrative because of his film background.” Anderson, who will graduate in April with a BFA in photography, was originally drawn to the art after watching her aunt and cousin work as photographers while growing up. “I’ve always been drawn to people and in high school I would do portraits or family photos as a way to make money,” Anderson said. “For myself, though, it was always about interpretive portraiture or storytelling and that has been a theme throughout a lot of my photographs.” Majoring in photography has helped Anderson find her artistry and meet other creatives who think like her. “I would attribute a lot of my artistic growth to the photo program,” Anderson said. “The faculty here have been a huge inspiration and they push me to find my artistic voice. Before the photo program photography was a hobby, but it has become my lifestyle.” Photography has helped Anderson find herself, explore themes and ponder her own life experiences. “I feel most like myself when I’m creating,” Anderson said. “I also feel the happiest when I’m being creative and doing something with my hands. It just really fulfills me.” Anderson’s photography exhibit “The Archer House” was displayed in the HFAC from Feb. 15-26.