Winners of the 2023 Pittsfield Photo Challenge Announced!
This summer, Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. held a photo challenge to find the photo that best captures why downtown Pittsfield is the “Heart of the Berkshires”. Entrants were encouraged to capture photos that showcased the beauty and personality of downtown Pittsfield, keeping in mind the theme “Heart of the Berkshires”.
The first-place winner, as determined by a panel of local judges, is Brian Beckett. His photo “The Pittsfield Sun” has won him a prize package donated by local downtown businesses, and his photo will be featured in Pittsfield’s 2024 Downtown Guide and a Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. social marketing campaign.
“I started thinking about ideas a month ago,” said Brian. “I was struggling at first, how do I capture the essence of Downtown Pittsfield with one photo. As I drove through North ST. daily, I kept my eye out for the right spot. Eventually I thought, is it possible to capture the sun setting over downtown? And if so, how would I do it? A few weeks ago I took my camera and tripod out to test this theory. I was able to get set up facing west, looking towards Park Square and the fountain. I took a bunch of photos, including some long exposures. I saw the sun streaking in the photo, and thought it might be ruined. But what I came to realize after getting home was that this was the best shot I got. The angle and intensity created the perfect streak to look almost like a cartoon sun. I call it, “The Pittsfield Sun” – a play on the name of the baseball team, which has to stop occasionally due to this very phenomena. I really adore this photo, and hope you will too!”
The second-place winner, Zack Morris, will also take home a prize package donated by local downtown businesses. The winning photo is called “The Center of the Universe”.
Honorable Mention: “A moment of quiet” by Michelle Foley
“This photo I took of my best friend admiring the artwork that has been made in downtown Pittsfield… I have always appreciated the Arts including Acting and Paintings, so I loved seeing a beautiful piece be shown in our city.”
Honorable Mention: “The Heart of the Berk” by Daniel Martin
“This was taken from atop the Holiday Inn looking towards East St.”
The winners of the Pittsfield Photo Challenge were decided by an esteemed panel of Pittsfield judges:
- Branden Huldeen, DPI Board President and Artistic Producer/Director of New Play Development, Barrington Stage Company
- Jessica Rumlow, DPI Board Chair and Executive Director/CEO, Berkshire Family YMCA
- Liam Gorman, CozQuest/LovelLocalBRKS and DPI Board Member
- Lindsey Schmid, 1Berkshire VP of Tourism & Marketing and DPI Board Member
- Mike Dell’Aquila, Hot Plate Brewing Co. and DPI Board Vice President of Marketing
- Rebecca Brien, Managing Director, Downtown Pittsfield, Inc.
- Representative Tricia Farley-Bouvier
The first and second place winners will win an assortment of prizes donated by the following businesses: Artist Diane Firtell, Artist Sally Tiska Rice, Barrington Stage Company, Berkshire Mountain Distillers, Dory & Ginger, Downtown Pittsfield, Inc., Hot Harry’s, Kidding Around Consignment, Roots Rising, Soma’s Aromas, and Witch Slapped.