A total of 143 photographs were submitted to the competition for the best photograph from this year's Gliniada. The qualifying committee selected 30 of them, and readers of IstotneInformacje.pl voted on those entries. More than 1,400 votes were cast in total.
The results were announced and the prizes were presented on Saturday during an exhibition opening at the “Concordia” gallery in Bolesławiec. The event was hosted by Aneta Opała and Bogusław Nowak. Quite a few guests attended; there were more than 150 people.
According to IstotneInformacje.pl readers, the best photograph, titled “The Idea of Creating,” was taken by Sylwia Zając (sekkmet). Second place went to “Rose of Memories,” taken by Mirosław Małecki (ikcelam). In third place was “Glimag,” taken by Jarosław Blaminsky (jablam).
“I was happy to be among the top thirty. I did not expect first place at all. I am not a photographer—neither an amateur nor a professional. It was just a photograph taken on the occasion,” Sylwia Zając, the winner, told Istotneinformacje.pl.
“The other photographs are so fantastic that mine was modest compared with them. But apparently there is something in it, since it achieved such success,” said Mirosław Małecki, who came second. The photographer told us that he has Parkinson’s disease and that his hands shake, but taking photographs is precisely his way of fighting the illness. He creates and takes photographs, and assures us that if his health allows, he will appear at the next Gliniada.
The first-place prize was 500 zł, the second-place prize was 300 zł, and the third-place prize was 200 zł. Jacek Opała of “Opałkowa Chata” funded a special prize. It went to the third-place winner, but for a different photograph. Jacek Opała liked “Golden Rose.”
Let us remind our readers that 735 photographs have so far been submitted to the “Gliniada 2008” gallery, and they have been viewed more than 270,000 times. The most frequently viewed photograph is “Disgusted,” taken by user Inet-wlan. Next is “Golden Rose,” taken by user jablam. In third place in terms of views is the photograph titled “Wedding Parade of the Clay People,” taken by user ps1970. The most photographs—69—were added to the catalog by gołąb.wróbel.bocian.
The photography competition was organized jointly by the “Via Sudetica” association and our portal. The initiative received financial support from the Marshal's Office of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, the Bolesławiec County Office, Centrostal SA, and the “Ziemia Bolesławiecka” Association.
(KG report)