Out of close to 800 entries submitted to the #GoPark photo contest, the judges have announced the winning photo is Sean Sweeney's The Morning Sun, taken in Clove Lakes Park on Staten Island, Sweeney's home borough. Entries representing every borough were received, with submissions ranging from the city's parks and beaches, to its wildlife and natural beauty, great scenery and the laughter of people who came to our parks.
"The impressive response to the #GoPark contest -- both in the quality and quantity of photos submitted -- proves just how beloved our city's public parks are," said Commissioner White. "Sean Sweeney's photo of Clove Lakes Park epitomizes the Go Park message of exploration, adventure, and fun. On behalf of all of the judges, I would like to thank everyone who shared their love of Parks with us."
"Staten Island is my home and my camera shows me it in a new way almost every day," said contest winner Sean Sweeney. "We have endless shorelines and open spaces. I make great use of it all while shooting photos and sharing them."
Submissions were judged by a panel of four experts on parks and design: First Deputy Mayor
Patti Harris; NYC Parks Commissioner Veronica M. White; Chief Digital Officer for the City of New York Rachel Haot; and Founder and CEO of Infinia Group LLC Ron Cappello. Although we received many great photos, the finalists were judged on subject matter, photo quality, and diversity of activities and locations that New York has to offer.
In addition to Sweeney's overall winning submission, borough finalists are: Baby vs. City by Kendra Canty, taken on the High Line (Manhattan); Songs for the Open Body by Raúl Hott, taken at Pratt Playground (Brooklyn); Bronx River by Claudia Amaya (Bronx); and Row New York at Practice by Susan Landau, taken on Meadow Lake in Flushing Meadows Corona Park (Queens). The winning photo and each of our finalist entries is featured on the NYC Parks website. The winning photo will also be featured on an NYC Parks merchandise item to be sold online and at the New York CityStore, available for purchase soon.
The #GoPark photo contest began on October 19. Participants submitted photos celebrating NYC Parks through social media, by posting them with the tag #GoPark on Instagram or Twitter, or sharing with the #GoPark Photo Contest application found on the NYC Parks Facebook Page. The contest ran through 5:00 on Tuesday, November 12, 2013.
#GoPark is a campaign encouraging all New Yorkers to discover something new in the more than 29,000 acres of parks and open spaces across the city. Whether you like to Go Dig at our volunteer events, Go Wild at our nature centers, or Go Explore our 700 miles of trails - this fall there's something for everyone at New York City's Parks.
Sean Sweeney has enjoyed photography as a hobby for over 30 years, starting with film and eventually moving on to digital format. Sweeney spends many early mornings walking through city parks close to his North Shore Staten Island home. Much of his work is shared on social media, but he has a piece displayed in the current Museum of the City of New York's Rising Waters exhibit, and also a gallery show at Staten Island's CPG gallery. Sweeney is the proud father of 2 children, 17 year old Sean Jr. and 11 year old Olivia Mae.
A protected Forever Wild site because of its valuable ecological assets, Clove Lakes Park has a rich natural history and a few remnants of the past that remain and continue to thrill visitors. Chief among them are the park's lakes and ponds, outcroppings of serpentine rocks, and Staten Island's largest living things, a three hundred year-old tulip tree. Besides strolling down trails and paddling on its bodies of water to appreciate its beauty, visitors can also experience the park as a more modern recreation zone. Several baseball diamonds, a soccer field, basketball court, playgrounds, and football field dot the park's landscape.
For more information on ways that you can share your love of NYC Parks, visit
nyc.gov/parks.
