Winners of YPOC's Visual Storytellers Contest!

OVERALL GRAND PRIZE WINNER

This contest was sponsored by YPOC.com, believers that art is all around us just waiting to be made.

What an exhilarating ride! It's finally time to announce the winners of YPOC's Visual Storyteller's contest which ran for exactly one month, July 5 - August 5, 2011. The request was simple - show us a story with your art or photography. More than just a pretty painting or a beautiful picture, we asked that you submit interesting and intriguing images that made us all stop and stare.

In Week 1, we received amazing images from all the around the world. Phillip Van Nostrand showed us what life could be like when the pace slows down while Michelle Ferrera introduced us to a vulnerable woman who begged us to look away. In Week 2, we sat back and smiled at Stefano Facca's young lovers on the grass and then became mesmerized by Vickie Li's painting of a mysterious man surrounded by his own smoke. In Week 3, we concentrated only on photography, showing you ten of the best. Arista Rionne's sweet and small kitten. Cédric Allier's pacifying toting toddler. Evan L. Demianczyk's mosh pit mayhem. Finally, in Week 4, Michael Montano made us remember what childhood feels like while Jason Jenkins's art piece moved many of us to tears.

So, who came out the winner? The image that ultimately won the $1,000 cash prize and $500 gift certificate to YPOC.com came in the last 3 days of the contest.

Yesterday, we notified Janick Laurent, a 25-year-old from Toronto, Ontario that he was the winner. First, he had this to say.

"I am stunned. This is the very first photo competition I have ever entered in my life! My eyes are literally watering. Thank you so much!"

Then, when we asked Laurent for the story behind that winning image, he told us this.

"To be completely honest I went through a lot of depression in my teen years. This image portrays that transitional period of my life. The 'light at the end of the tunnel' sort of thing. When I was younger, I was just passing through life with no motivation and no real relationships with my family or friends. When I first got into photography, I started showing my family and co-workers the photos I took on my route to work. Their compliments and criticism drove me to improve my shots and communicate more, suddenly I had something to wake up to.

"Most images I create are barely planned. I just shoot what feels right in the moment. I have a lot of ideas written down, but this Life image was the only one I was motivated to really make happen. Something inspiring for people who have a lack of motivation. Something that can help others to wake up and start 'doing' instead of waiting for things to change on their own."

In the Art category, Christina Tsevis will also take home a $500 gift certificate to YPOC.com. Congrats, Christina!

Now, please enjoy those winning images as well as the first and second-runner ups. Amazing work!

PHOTOGRAPHY

First Place Winner and Overall Grand Prize Winner: Janick Laurent


First Runner Up: Paul Marquez


Second Runner Up: Hajaribrohim Mahmod

ART

First Place Winner: Christina Tsevis


First Runner Up: Michelle Ferrera


Second Runner Up: Valery Koroshilov

Thanks to everyone for making our second major photography/art contest a raging success. Hope you enjoyed this contest as much as we did. Finally, to YPOC.com, thank you for being a wonderful partner and for making a creative contest like this possible. Makes us truly believe that there's art is all around us just waiting to be made!