When Olivia Kim and Andrea Zuchegno came to Image City before the opening reception of Photographer’s Journey 2025, they were greeted by 64 images spanning moments of human emotion, intimate scenes, and thought-provoking concepts that were divided into eight categories: Portrait/Event/Sports, Architectural Cityscape, Wildlife, Landscape/Seascape, Digital/Conceptual/Abstract, Botanical/Still Life, Documentary/Journalism/Street and Travel.
Both Olivia and Andrea brought complementary perspectives shaped by their artistic professional background. Olivia, who draws, paints and primarily sculpts, approached each image with an emphasis on uniqueness and technical skill. She says, “I look for the synthesis of technique, creative inspiration and the art object as a whole.” As she viewed each image, she asked herself questions pertaining to this synthesis:
- What are the proportions of value, scale, composition and chroma that exist within the photo?
- How does the photo reflect the inner perception of the photographer?
- Is the photo a complete object including the image, material, frame and mat?
Andrea, whose background is in macro photography at RIT, reflects a deep appreciation for design, detail and the emotional impact conveyed. “Wow! That’s really unique,” she often found herself saying. “I try to step back and think about the message the photographer is trying to convey, then I look closely at the technical approach.”
The judging process began with silent individual reviews, allowing each judge to absorb the images without influence. For example, they looked for fresh approaches in familiar genres—wildlife shots that revealed a creature’s character, architectural images that played with geometry and shadow, travel photographs that transported the viewer beyond the frame. In the conceptual/abstract category, they looked for balance between clarity of message and originality.
From the remarkable images, one image rose to the top: the Grand Prize winner, Scrum Struggle, by Tom Kredo. The photograph depicts a tangle of athlete’s arms locked in intense competition, their faces hidden from view. Olivia remarks, “The image intrigued me enough to question what it was and yet still read as a photograph, as opposed to digitalized abstraction. Because this image is mainly rooted in physical realty, as opposed to a digital one, it intrigued me more to ask how it could possibly exist, largely in part to the photographer’s choice of cropping and scale.”
Andrea, also drawn to this image, notes “Because it was only showing arms and not the athlete’s heads, I found myself looking at it more closely.” The absence of faces invited viewers to focus on movement, form and raw energy—turning the ordinary into something visually and emotionally compelling.
Another unexpected entry that stood out was One Step by Jack Taylor. Olivia was particularly drawn to it because of its unusual focal point—a single toenail on a big toe.
She says, “That absolute focus ties the entire image together, as it anchors the eye so the movement surrounding it is counter balanced. Without that focus, the many forms of movement in the image would have simply stressed out my brain, to the point of rejecting it.” That tiny detail, rendered with precision, transformed the image into something both intimate and curious, proof that a photograph’s power can rest on the smallest of choices.
After initial scoring, Olivia and Andrea came together for spirited discussions, sometimes debating the merits of two equally strong contenders. Their final decisions reflected a shared philosophy: a winning photograph must marry technical excellence with emotional impact. Whether a botanical that turned everyday flowers into visual poetry, a landscape that stirred a sense of wonder, or a sports portrait that challenged expectations, each chosen winner stood a testament to the power of the photographic image.In the end, both judges’ collaboration ensured that the contest celebrated not only the photographers’ skill, but also the diverse ways an image can move, challenge, and inspire. Their thoughtful, balanced approach made this year’s judging as much an art form as the photographs themselves.
If you would like to comment or ask a question, please do so in the space below. You can visit Image City Photography Gallery to see this exhibition until August 31, 2025.
6 responses to “Seeing through their Eyes: How Olivia Kim and Andrea Zuchegno Judged the Photographers’ Journey 2025”
Thank you for this interesting write-up – it was very interesting to read about the decision-making process!
Glad you enjoyed it.
Thanks Marie, for an excellent look into the working of 2 excellent artists and how they reached agreement. A wonderful behind the scenes story.
Thank you, Dick. It was fascinating watching them!
Marie, this wonderful summary of yours is most helpful in underscoring the insights, the thoughtfulness, the mindfulness of these two judges’ involvement in this particular show. this is a great learning opportunity!
Thank you, Nick. They truly did put a great deal of thought and effort into the process.