Wheaton North student's winning photo celebrates beauty of autumn
Trusting scenes from her first venture abroad to her memory seemed too risky, so Anna Catherine McGraw made certain to use her phone's camera at every opportunity while exploring Europe.
"I traveled out of the country for the first time this summer, which was very exciting and eye-opening," the 16-year-old Wheaton North High School sophomore said.
Her father, a Wheaton College professor, was leading students on a trip intended to study countries that had once been communist nations. The itinerary included Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Germany.
"He invited me to come along with one of his classes," she said. "The trip was an amazing opportunity."
She chronicled the sights in each country, framing iconic architecture and catching vistas through her phone's camera lens.
Her visit to the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin particularly struck a chord, she said.
"It was pouring and I felt very impacted by the memorial and the rain. I took a picture of one of the rows in between the large concrete blocks," she said. "I just thought it was very sobering."
Her interest in photography now ignited, when she returned home to Wheaton she began experimenting with the family camera when her mother wasn't using it to document family events and celebrations.
She eventually purchased her own camera, a Nikon D3400.
One afternoon in September, she and a friend, Clara Delzell, were walking down the street. By this time, McGraw was in the habit of bringing her camera with her nearly everywhere.
"It was after we'd gotten home from school," she said. "The sun was behind me. I think there were some clouds. I was trying to get a picture of her with leaves. Then she started throwing leaves at me."
The airborne leaves floated down around her friend as she looked straight into the camera lens.
McGraw said she used a wider angle lens to capture the moment. The result is the November winner of the Daily Herald Photo Finish contest, a distinction that carries with it a prize of a $50 gift certificate good at PJ's Camera in Glen Ellyn.
"It's a difficult photo to get and it's composed nicely with a clear shot of the girl's face," said Bev Horne, Daily Herald DuPage photo director.
McGraw said she decided to submit the shot because it looks almost like the sky is raining leaves and because it suggests "the beauty of autumn."
When she has time she pursues her passion for photography, often in the natural areas in the Western suburbs, she said.
"I really like to photograph wildlife," she said. "I've been fairly successful."
About our contest
If you'd like to submit a photo, email it in .jpg format with at least 300 dpi resolution to dupagecontest@dailyherald.com. Be sure to include your name, address and a phone number, plus a description of where you took the photo and why you like it. The monthly winner will receive a $50 gift certificate from PJ's Camera, Pickwick Place Plaza, 662 Roosevelt Road, Glen Ellyn.