Ambuehl Student's Photograph Wins National Award

You know that Reflections contest the PTA sponsors every year in fall? Well, one local girl has taken her entry all the way to the top.

Ava Bachelder, a fifth-grader at this past year, won a national “award of excellence” for her photography entry (see attached).

Her winning entry was announced at the National PTA convention this weekend in San Jose.

The theme of contest in 2011-12 was “Diversity Means …” She titled her entry, “Let Your Light Shine.”

Bachelder said her first thought was to photograph a bunch of marbles. She spilled some out in her room.

"The light was shining through a few of them, and I saw the reflection on the ground," she said. That gave her the inspiration for her end product.

Although the photograph has an otherwordly feel to it, Bachelder said it's all real. She used printer paper underneath the marbles.

"It just reflected the sun a lot better and a lot brighter," said the now-sixth-grader who will attend in the fall. "It made it look a lot weirder becasue there wasn't a lot of shadow."

The script she added to her photo reads: “Diversity means that everyone is unique and shines their own light.” 

Winners were chosen from hundreds of thousands of submissions from students across the nation and in European schools serving military families who participated in this year’s program, according to the National PTA’s website. 

According to the National PTA, the association recognized 72 students with Awards of Excellence and 116 students with Awards of Merit across four grade divisions—primary, intermediate, middle/junior, and senior—in six arts categories—dance choreography, film production, literature, musical composition, photography, and visual arts.

Their artwork will be showcased in a virtual PTA Reflections gallery that will be live later this year.

Bachelder has entered in the past, but this is her first effort in photography. Her previous entries were in the poetry (literature) and drawing categories (visual arts).

While Bachelder liked to tinker with photography, especially taking photos of flowers, this was the first "artsy" photography she's taken. She said she wants to pursue photography more seriously now, and she'll continue to compete in the Reflections contest.

"I'll probably enter as long as I can. It's a very fun program."

The PTA Reflections was started in 1969 by Mary Lou Anderson, who served as Colorado PTA president at the time, according to the PTA website. In its 40-year history, the program has encouraged millions of students across the nation and in American schools overseas to create works of art for fun and recognition.