Photo Courtesy of Julie Bragg/Pioneer
By combining the art forms of sculpture and photography, photography major Julie Bragg earned a first place award in a statewide photography contest. The award-winning photograph titled, “Golden Stallion”€ was taken at the Boston Avenue United Methodist Church in Tulsa. The photograph captures sculptures above the South entrance of the church.

By combining the art forms of sculpture and photography, photography major Julie Bragg earned a first place award in a statewide photography contest.

The OCCC Board of Regents recognized Bragg for her accomplishment in the February regents meeting.

The award-winning photograph titled, “Golden Stallion” was taken at the Boston Avenue United Methodist Church in Tulsa, while Bragg was exploring the city with her family.

The photograph captures sculptures above the South entrance of the church.

The image is shot from directly in front of the gold metal sculpture of a horse, with the stone edifice of the church rising symmetrically behind the animal.

“I was just messing with the exposures and checking out what the lighting was going to do,” Bragg said. “But it turned out to be the photograph to enter [in the photography competition].”

Photography Professor Randy Anderson said he knows how skillful Bragg is as a photographer.

“She’s really good with architecture,” Anderson said. “She can bring out some sort of emotion or feeling with it. She did that with her photograph.”

The Norman native, who has entered various photography competitions since she was a child, entered the photograph into the Oklahoman Made Photography Competition hosted by the Oklahoma City Foundation of Architecture.

Entrants must submit photographs that have an architectural theme or some element of the manmade environment that is located within the state.

The competition has three categories, including one for students.

Bragg took first place — and the $500 cash prize — in that category.

Board members consider the student category the toughest category because of so many entries. Entrants can submit multiple photographs.

“Knowing that I came in first place and winning the $500 cash prize made me feel very accomplished,” Bragg said.

“Not only did I beat out other students from Oklahoma, but also I beat out some University of Central Oklahoma students.”

This was Bragg’s first time entering this particular competition. One of her competitor’s was her younger sister, who won a Merit Award in that category.

“My 12-year-old sister was also competing and we both won [in] that competition.”

Bragg, who will graduate this May, will continue her education at University of Central Oklahoma.

She will double major in Photography and Public Relations. Bragg already has a job offer from the Oklahoma Art Institute as a public relations specialist.

“I hope to give back to the Oklahoma Art Institute what they gave me in confidence in photography,” Bragg said.

For more information about the Photography Club, go to the club’s website at http://occc.campusgroups.com/photography/about.