If there is one thing photography embodies, it is the ability of any person to capture a piece of time. Photos hold memories, and what cannot be saved perfectly by the mind is preserved forever with one click of the camera.

Every year, the Manchester Arts FOCUS Photography Contest and Exhibition provides an opportunity for local photographers to showcase their memorable captures. The open-theme competition is judged for top finishers in five different age groups. 

With the winners recently announced, the city hosts an exhibition through July 8 in Schroeder Park, 359 Old Meramec Station Road, where one photo entry from each participant will be displayed. Community members may visit the exhibit from sunrise to sunset each day. A reception event will be held for photographers from 6-8 p.m. on June 21 in the park, offering an additional opportunity for community guests to meet with creators and discuss their photography.

Judges evaluated photographs based on the strength of each photo’s subject and message, creativity, originality and overall excellence. Former FOCUS Photography Best in Show winner and experienced photographer Allen Ahner joined the evaluation panel in 2024 as a guest judge. 

“Each judge has elements that appeal to them more than others,” Ahner said. “I look for impact. Images submitted for the competition (have) about three seconds to catch the judges’ attention in a (large) competition, (so they) must have an immediate impact. A good photographer uses the tools available to deliver that effect for a given situation.”

The overall contest prize, titled the Best in Show, embodies the values of such an impact. This year, hobbyist photographer Joel Christopher Wheeler captured the sensation in “The Oncoming Storm,” a memory of his travels across the North Atlantic. The photo depicts an old boat crushed up against an embankment in the waters of Seydisfjordur, Iceland. 

“To get the shot, I had to climb over like a rock as the locals were watching me,” Wheeler said. “They probably expected me to fall or drop the camera, but I got across and took stock of the image and was really happy with it. I didn’t have to do any additional exposure tricks; it was just that good of a weather front.

“As I finished that picture and climbed back over the rocks, it started to pour down rain, leading to the title of ‘The Oncoming Storm.’”

Participating in hobbyist photography since high school, Wheeler grew an inclination towards natural, landscape images. 

“Having traveled in the North Atlantic and seeing how dynamic and changeable it is, I took (the photo) to show the power of nature in the storms,” Wheeler said. “To see this boat that, at one point, was someone’s livelihood, crushed up against the bank with the storm oncoming, shows that weather can cause havoc on these folks at any point. Nature (is) a force that we contend with, but sometimes it still wins.”

Lucy Mertz, 21-49 age group winner, found similar inspiration to Wheeler in the abandonment of historical structures. Her photo “And Then Thou Shalt Have Good Success” emphasizes a contrast of light in the remains of an abandoned church in the Midwest. 

The photo illuminates the surviving letters of the quote “And Then Thou Shalt Have Good Success” in bright yellow across the balcony. The message, though circumstantial in finding, aligned with Mertz’ personal affairs. 

“Sometimes the world works in weird ways of the universe trying to tell you something” Mertz said. “The light shining on this quote came at a good point in my life where I needed that message to relay to me that I’m on the right path.”

Though finding the picture-perfect moment was fortunate, Mertz’ intention behind the photo was specifically to honor abandoned history.  

“I like to document things that aren’t normally seen by people,” Mertz said. “Capturing a moment, a feeling, and then getting that same feeling again from looking at a photo is a special thing.”

Photographer Karen Jenkins didn’t stumble upon her winning photo’s subject in the wild like Mertz and Wheeler. Instead, her technical skill created a similar, capturable memory. The 50-64 age group entry, titled “Painted Tulip,” focuses on a double tulip surrounded by water droplets and fog.

“I take paint or dye and drop it in water, and it slowly falls and creates these beautiful images,” Jenkins said. “To get the bubbles on the flowers, I use the sprayer hose from my sink.”

Jenkins’ unique strategy of capturing manipulated action still stems from an intended goal of preserving memories. 

“It’s so beautiful to see print and paintings preserve what we have,” Jenkins said. “I just wish cameras could see how the human eye sees. Sometimes, you see a beautiful sunset, and it’s very hard to get it to look exactly the way it was. I always want [the photo] to be what I saw, as natural as possible, to preserve the life of the moment.”

The memorable preservation of life in each FOCUS Photography Exhibition piece provides a valuable opportunity to share pieces of time with the Manchester community.  

“I enjoy the company of other photographers. As an artist, any of the arts bring us together to learn and grow. We may gather in the same place, but once we start shooting, we’re totally immersed in our images,” Ahner said. 

Additional age group winners include Alwin Yu in the 5-13 age category for the photo “The World of Galaxies” and Austin Scott in the 14-20 age category for “When Life Gives You Lemons.” Barbara C. Phillips earned first place in the 65+ age category for the photo “Summer Solstice” as well. 

To view the winning photographs and further photo entries, stop by Schroeder Park to stroll through the FOCUS Photography exhibit.