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<p><strong>From staff reports</strong></p>
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<p>Bluffton High School student Kaitlyn Sherman won the Dale Westcott Memorial Nature Award given by the Photography Club of Beaufort.</p>
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<p>Sherman won first place for her image “Barnacles of the Lowcountry” (top), earning a check for $100. The judges remarked on the interesting abstract composition and Sherman’s skill at using a short depth of field to bring the viewers eye right into the barnacles.</p>
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<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Alexis-Rengier-Dale-Wescott-Springtime-scaled.jpg"><img src="https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Alexis-Rengier-Dale-Wescott-Springtime-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-50482"/></a><figcaption>Springtime by Alexis Renger</figcaption></figure>
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<p>Each year the Photography Club of Beaufort awards ribbons and monetary prizes to local high school students for their work in nature photography. The award is given in memory of Dale Westcott (1940-2005), a club member who was both an educator and an avid nature photographer.</p>
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<p>This year the club is still not holding regular monthly meetings so a special “print judging” was scheduled at an outside location and all board members were invited to attend. Bluffton High School students again took the top three awards and a student from Cross High School received honorable mention.</p>
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<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Inlets-of-the-May-River-Ian-Cruikshank-Dale-Westscott.jpg"><img src="https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Inlets-of-the-May-River-Ian-Cruikshank-Dale-Westscott-1024x791.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-50483"/></a><figcaption>Inlets of the May River by Ian Cruickshank</figcaption></figure>
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<p>Second place and $75 was awarded to Alexis Renger for “Springtime,” and third place and $50 was awarded to Ian Cruikshank for “Inlets of the May River.” Bella Pratt was awarded honorable mention for “Lowcountry Sunset.”</p>
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