Snapshots of Success: Winners from the Biotech Photography Contest

Written by Anika Ajgaonkar

November 2023

Alongside their academic talents, Biotech students showed off their eye for aesthetics in the recent photography contest hosted by the school’s very own Yearbook Club. Submissions ranged from snapshots of everyday life, incredible architecture, scenic landscapes, and settings abroad, and were accompanied by a blurb of no more than 100 words that artistically captured the theme of the photo or the inspiration behind it. The student body voted on their favorite photos, with the three highest-voted photos winning the popular vote. Honorable mentions (and English teacher Mrs. Laczny’s personal favorites!) followed suit. Senior Rina Lee, Director of Yearbook Activities, shared, “Organizing the student photography contest this year was a gratifying experience for me, particularly because of my own love for the art form since I was a kid. I had the privilege of seeing how our students express themselves through the lens of our youth and their takes on what it means to be a photographer in our generation. I think photography holds a lot of power—power chronically underestimated in our time, being able to visually represent one’s emotional and intellectual growth. Now solidified in our 2023-24 yearbook, these works will remind us of who we once were when we grow old. A big thank you to everyone who submitted, and congratulations to our winners!”

Below, find the winning photos and their accompanying blurbs.

Top 3 Chosen by the Student Body

First Place — “A Collision of Time” by Meiqi Tan

Preservation of the past has long been a salient feature of Chinese culture, especially in remembrance of the vivid lives lived by centuries past. In a sector of Shanghai, China, besides the tranquil YuYuan Garden, lies the Shanghai Old Street. From the pagodas bedecked by red symbols and golden coats to the countless merchants and customers, time seems to have remained stagnant from the past, aside from small anachronisms: phones, lights, and speakers. But the fact remains that history shouldn’t serve as a tourist attraction, it holds secrets in its gaps and knowledge in its records.

Second Place — “Glimpse of the Serenity” by Suhani Faldu

The boat sped across the freezing cold water, barely even touching it. I tightened my grip on the handles of the inflatable yet sturdy boat, and closed my eyes. Ice-cold air whipped my face, and for the first time in my life I felt an utterly unspeakable sense of utmost tranquility. My eyelids fluttered open and there before me was a beautiful glacier, glistening in the soft warmth of the daylight. The bright blue waters reflected the glacier with deep serenity.

Third Place — “Where the Sky Meets the Hills” by Joyce Cho

High up in the mountains, it's truly mesmerizing what a new perspective one can gain. Literally and figuratively. Physically and mentally. Time seems to stop, the worries melt away, and nature sings to you. The wind carries the notes past as the horizon, fabricated by the sky and the hills that only seem to soften for it, pulls you in for a dance. The once stubborn and solid ground lets go and blends in with it's counterpart, separated by nothing, not anymore. Were they once this close? Does the distance between them seem to disappear when I am here?

Honorable Mentions

“The Sea is a Harsh Mistress” by Eric Morshed

Fate works in mysterious ways.

This peculiar concrete ship was originally an innovative new way to help America in WWI, the War to End All Wars. WWI ended before the ship saw the light of day. It toured the East Coast, got abandoned, toured the coast again, and got shipwrecked in a storm. It was too heavy to move, so it remained. The War to End All Wars got a sequel, and still the ship remained. The light of day came and went thousands of times, and still the ship remained.

Today, it is a pit stop for seagulls.

“Narnia” by Daniel Fiskin

I had been dropped off at the top of my street, forced to embark on a dangerous path filled with black ice, darkness, and scary noises. As I started to walk down my driveway, a paranoid instinct made me look over my shoulder. Instead of a monster or stalker, I saw this. I instantly smiled, filled with nostalgia and a sense of safety. “It will not go out of my mind that if we pass this post and lantern either we shall find strange adventures or else some great changes of our fortunes.”

-Lucy Pevensie, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe

“Sanguine Lights” by Julia Advento

Amidst an orange glow, music paints its vibrant soul.

Ms. Laczny’s Honorable Mentions

“Light at the End of the Tunnel” by Anika Ajgaonkar

It is always at the end of my journeys that I realize I fear the destination I endeavored daily to reach. When the aching pain of a difficult road slowly becomes familiar to us, how could we not hesitate in the face of our long-sought rewards?

Though the path I must take is gilded in light, I am still tempted to cling to the shadows.

Many weary travelers have passed before me, yet I remain frozen in their footsteps.

The end is near. I should be pleased, so why do these tears of mine refuse to cease?

“A Hue of Blue” by Aditi Paschimiray

The clouds weigh down on the sky, spreading their sorrows to the ocean. The sky turns a shade of blue that only a skillful few can achieve; the ocean follows suit. A girl stares back at the two entities who appear to seamlessly intertwine with each other. There's just something about that hue of blue that can't make her stop watching she think as she brings her camera to her eyes and memorializes that moment forever.

“4,292,449” by Musa Dar

Four million, two hundred ninety-two thousand, four hundred forty-nine dreams. Many left, many more were welcomed in. Dead or alive, life went on.