Hope Ludwig to have photo in Hyde Collection

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By Derek Liebig

An aspiring young photographer from Granville is among a select group of high school students who will have some of their work displayed at the region’s premier art museum.

Hope Ludwig, a senior at Granville High School, will have one of her photographs displayed in the Hyde Collection’s 24th annual Regional Juried High School Art Exhibition. ludwig, hope

“I’m very excited,” Ludwig said. “It’s almost surreal. I didn’t believe it at first but after about an hour it really started to hit me.”

The exhibition, which will be on display April 25-May 31 (an awards ceremony will be held on May 17) in the museum’s Wood Gallery, features around 100 pieces of art from students residing in Warren, Washington, Saratoga, Hamilton and Essex counties.

The museum reaches out to area schools seeking work for the exhibit and received about 1,100 submissions this year. A jury of local art professionals then whittles those submissions down to about 200 pieces and selects 100 pieces for the exhibit.

“There’s so many regulations and rules and a lot of paperwork,” Ludwig said.

She initially submitted a CD of five photographs and after one made it through the first round of cuts, she was asked to submit a physical copy.

She learned last Monday that her photo had made the final cut.

“At first, I tried to act like it wasn’t a big deal,” a humble Ludwig said. “But I went to the dentist and four people congratulated me on my photograph. I thought that was kind of cool.”

It is believed to be the first time a student from Granville has been selected to display work in the exhibit.

The photo features Emily Marks, a fellow Granville student who Ludwig described as her best friend and “spokes model” lying in the Mettowee River.

“It (the photo) was kind of spontaneous. We were down at the Mettowee River and I said, ‘let’s try a water shoot.’ She was very willing and said, ‘okay,’” Ludwig said.

The photo features a number of technically challenging aspects: Marks’ face and hair are in focus, but her legs and the rest of the water is in soft focus. The flow of the water is also running diagonally away from Marks.

Ludwig took a number of photos, but initially didn’t think much of the photo that was selected.

“I have another of her that I liked ten times more,” she said.

Her art teacher, Andrea Tabor, said that the judges tasked with selecting pieces for the exhibit tend to look for work that is unique and the photo fit that description.

The photograph will be the first piece of work Ludwig has ever had in an exhibit.

Ludwig said she’s looking forward to seeing the exhibit.

“I really want to see some of the other work that was selected,” she said.

Ludwig, who is choosing among colleges in Boston and New York City, plans to study business and photography. She is particularly interested in portrait photography.

“I want to own my own studio one day,” she said.

If she does, she knows which photo to hang first.