The Images of Aging photo contest extended the due date to Friday, March 21 from its previous date, March 17.
A high response rate and photo opportunities over spring break impacted the decision to push back the submission date, announced on the Images of Aging blog, http://blogs.acu.edu/imagesofaging/.
Students now have until Friday to submit their photos by email into one of the three contest categories: Black and White, Color and Mobile photos. The email address for submission is imagesofaging@acu.edu.
First and second place submissions are awarded for each category, along with honorable mentions. A special awards luncheon will celebrate all the participants on April 8.
Laura Baxter, a senior communication sciences and disorders major from Katy, entered the contest last year.
“I saw it as a great way to showcase pictures of the loved ones I cherish and admire,” Baxter said.
This year marks the fourth annual Images of Aging photo contest sponsored by the Pruett Gerontology Center. Students are encouraged to take photos of a person who is at least 60 years of age or older to show their appreciation for older adults in their lives and to enjoy digital photography.
“When I look at the photos I have submitted for the contest, I see the strength and joy in my grandfather’s wise eyes and hope that others do too,” Baxter said.
Baxter’s love for her grandparents is a key value the contest is trying to share.
Julie Reeger, an ACU speech pathology graduate from Lubbock, has worked at the Pruett Gerontology Center for three years and has seen what the contest brings every year.
“It encourages creative expressions through an appreciation for older adults and for people to share their love for photography and art,” Reeger said. “They are all different, but they all show images of aging and give beauty to it.”
While Reeger’s degree is in speech pathology, she graduated with a certificate in gerontology after taking classes with Dr. Charles Pruett.
“He really made me understand the need for people to interact with older adults and have a relationship with them,” Reeger said. “I fell in love with older adults just because of their spirit and the stories you can learn from them.”
Images of Aging started out small, but the contest continues to grow every year. Last year, there were close to 50 submissions and all were put on display in the Gerontology Department, sparking student’s interest for this year.
“There are older people constantly around us and to find an image and see the beauty in their aging is really neat,” Reeger said. “Not only can you capture the moment and image of these people in a photo, but you will always have the memory of the conversations and stories they shared with you.”
