For the past 17 years, Bousquet Holstein has hosted this photography contest as part of our ongoing efforts to support education and the arts in our community. Some past winners and finalists of the contest have gone on to study photography in college, and some have made photography a career after graduation.

Please read through all instructions carefully regarding how to submit student images and how to participate.

17th Annual Contest Theme

We're excited to announce that our theme for 2025 is “Activated Communities: The Pulse of Our Spaces” inspired by William Strobeck's exhibition, DEAD END.

Our public spaces are brought to life by the people who use them. When people interact with these areas, they redefine their purpose, turning the ordinary into something vibrant and unique. These spaces hold stories, movement, and connection. 

This year’s theme explores how our public spaces are activated in unexpected ways and capture the pulse of the communities that bring them to life. Students are encouraged to capture these moments through photography, highlighting the interaction between people and the spaces they shape. 

Every year, the theme of our annual photography contest is inspired by an exhibition at the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse. This year’s theme is inspired by William Strobeck's exhibition, DEAD END, which celebrates the long-standing skateboarding culture at the museum’s Community Plaza. Just like skateboarders have redefined that space, we encourage students to find and document places in their community that are activated in unique ways. 

About DEAD END

The Community Plaza at the Everson Museum of Art has been the unofficial hub of the Syracuse skateboarding scene for decades. For William “Bill” Strobeck, it was the place where he found community in the 1990s, which eventually led him to a successful career capturing the complex emotions and intimate connections within youth, street, and skateboarding cultures worldwide in his photographs and films. DEAD END. is a love letter to the Everson Museum, where skateboarding has always been valued as an unsanctioned art form.  

Curated by Strobeck, the exhibition brings together works by several pioneering artists who have indelibly shaped the image of East Coast skateboarding culture. DEAD END. will showcase works across all media, including films and videos, photographs, paintings, sculpture, skateboard decks, and archival materials, offering a comprehensive look at the intersection of art and skateboarding culture. 

How to Enter

2025 submissions will open in Spring 2025.

High school students (9-12) in Onondaga and Tompkins Counties are eligible to enter. Student must be enrolled in high school for the Fall 2024 semester in order to be eligible for this contest. Students are not required to be in a photography or art class in order to participate.

There are two options available for students. Students can either submit their photos using our Google Form or via Sharefile. When submitting through the Sharefile link, please be sure to select the “BH Photo, Contest” option.

Here's everything you'll need to enter the contest:

Students can submit up to seven photos. We recommend that students collect their photographs, subject release forms, and entry forms before submitting their entries.

Submit through Google Forms
Submit through Sharefile

Winners and Finalists

All entries will be judged on composition, imagination, relevance to theme, and creativity of content by a panel of artists, teachers, photographers, and attorneys at Bousquet Holstein PLLC.

Our judges will review all photographs submitted and select 20 finalists, including our first, second, and third place winners. The 20 finalists, their families and teachers will be notified and invited to an exclusive finalist reception hosted at the Everson Museum, where we will showcase their photographers and announce our winners. The place winners will receive their scholarships at the ceremony. This event will take place in early November, before the Thanksgiving holiday.

The 1st place winner will receive a $500 scholarship and their school's art/photography class will also receive $500. The first-place photograph will also be featured on the cover of the firm's annual Thanksgiving card – sent to over 7,000 of the firm's clients and colleagues. The 2nd place winner will receive a $300 scholarship, and the 3rd place winner will receive a $200 scholarship.

Contact

We are committed to making this contest as accessible as possible for students and teachers. If you have any questions or hiccups while trying to submit photographs, please do not hesitate to contact Anna Morse at 315-701-6388 or AMorse@bhlawpllc.com.

Student Photographer Acknowledgement

By entering the Bousquet Holstein High School Photography Contest, student photographers approve and authorize Bousquet Holstein PLLC to publish, print, display, and distribute photographs in Bousquet Holstein printed publications, photo contest materials, social media, internal office galleries, and the firm's website. Participation in the contest is voluntary, and therefore, understood that the use of student images on social media, publications, marketing materials, holiday cards, and websites produced by Bousquet Holstein PLLC is also voluntary, and students will receive no financial compensation.

To view our past finalists/winners for inspiration, please view the links below: