Gwinnett Daily Post

"Snack Time for Rosie," by Mike Towner

SUWANEE -- A three-time winner of the city's annual photography contest, Janet George still considers herself a regular resident.

"Not that I'm a nobody, but I'm a nobody," said George, who won for "Little Suwanee Splash," an image of her niece's son in a fountain. "You hear people say, 'If anybody can win, I can win.' I'm in that category."

George was among 13 winners of the Snap Suwanee contest, and those photos will be on display for a year (beginning on March 1) along the lower back foyer of City Hall. The city received 129 entries from 43 photographers that featured scenes from around Suwanee, such as a child feeding a goat, the city's 9-11 ceremony and snow in a park.

"It's an honor to be recognized in your town," George said. "I'm just somebody who loves living here, and likes to grab my camera. I had no expectation of winning again."

Mike Towner, whose image is called "Snack time for Rosie," said he had just gotten a new camera, a Nikon DSLR D-3100.

"I really thought it was a neat, spontaneous shot," Towner said. "It actually inspires me to take some better pictures."

A hobbyist who specializes in nature photography, Brian McDonald said he's taken a lot of pictures around the city, but they weren't necessarily recognizable to Suwanee. That changed with his picture of snow in a park.

"I can't say it was one of my favorites," said McDonald, whose image is called "Snow@ Sims Park." "But it's easy to see for people that have been to the park. I was just excited to see that much snow in Georgia."

This is the first contest that Carol Vey has entered after family and friends implored her to enter contests and show off her photography. Vey has a degree in fine arts, but admitted she hadn't done much with the degree in the last 10 years. Her photo, "Mosaic Resting," is validation.

"It wasn't just my friends and family telling me about it," she said.