Abstract nominee

For the abstract category, I've submitted five photographs that were converted into Mandalas (a Sanskrit word meaning "circle"). Each of these photographs takes something industrial (metal, a sports car hood, a truck grill, a tail light, a red bowl, etc.) and using post-processing created the images that have been submitted. I've seen these types of pattens being replicated by a number of civilizations (Tibetan, Navajo) and even in nature (shells). I found through "trial and error" that the manipulation of a photograph leads to a mandala-like design where a circle is created and from that a repetition of patterns emanates from the center.

Kirk Johnson is an aspiring photographer who has been taking photos for the past 7 years. A Nikon shooter, Kirk is most interested in pictures of wildlife, architecture, street and urban, portrait, floral and abstract. A member of the Northern Virginia Photographic Society (NVPS) since 2012, Kirk has won local awards and has been recognized on three separate occasions with his photos displayed in Shutterbug.com (Shutterbug "Photo of the Day") and most recently in 2019 Outdoor Photography.com. Kirk, a retired military officer, lives in Alexandria, Virginia (just outside Washington, D.C.) with his wife, Leslie. He works in Washington, D.C as a Principal Director for the federal government.

Awards include:
• 2019 Annual Photography Award - Honorable Mention in Wildlife category (Animals in the bush)
• 2017 Fine Arts Photography Award (FAPA) - Nominee Award for Abstract photographs
• 2014 - Great American Country (GAC) - Hunt for Americana Photo Contest - United States Southern Region Finalist - "Tennessee Barn"