Wheaton photographer is always on the lookout for ‘interesting things’
At first glance, it might look like a little man with three legs bursting out of a colorful background.
But, in reality, it’s a close-up look at the inside of a tulip from the garden of Cathy Godfrey of Wheaton.
This striking image caught more than Godfrey’s eye; it also captivated the DuPage photo staff, which selected it as the May winner in our monthly Photo Finish contest.
“I like it because the color is spectacular and the composition is terrific, simple and dramatic,” DuPage Photo Director Scott Sanders said.
For her efforts, Godfrey will receive a $50 gift certificate from PJ’s Camera at 662 Roosevelt Road in Glen Ellyn.
“Normally, tulips are kind of average looking, but this one caught my eye,” Godfrey said. “It reminded me of a starburst or the wheel of a car spinning around giving off light.”
When she isn’t taking prize-winning pictures, Godfrey says she enjoys kayaking, woodworking and gardening.
In fact, she was in her garden when the colorful tulip caught her eye and she broke out her Canon Powershot SD960iS to capture the image.
As usual, she posted some of her pictures on Facebook for friends and family to see.
When she got a positive response, she decided to enter the tulip photo in our contest.
Godfrey says she gets her passion for photography from her father, who pursued the hobby when she was a kid.
“He would take these beautiful still photos with one of those old box cameras,” Godfrey said.
She took some photography classes in college and never lost interest as she went on to pursue a career in health and physical education.
She has been taking pictures ever since of nature, family, friends and her woodworking projects. While her son, Patrick, was in the military and stationed in Turkey by the northern border of Iraq, Cathy had an opportunity to go visit him. There, she took many photos, including some in the catacombs of the Myra tombs.
Godfrey says her favorite part of photography is that it freezes memories in time.
“I like looking for interesting things,” she said, “and capturing the memory of seeing what was taken, what I was doing, and the fun I was having when I took the picture”