Costco Connection - February 2013

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International Grand Prize, Soongon Hong
Third Place
Julie Clegg
Issaquah, Washington
Say “cheese”
(at right)

JULIE CLEGG is a professional photographer in Issaquah, Washington, who specializes in animals and people. A dog owner herself—she has two yellow Labs named Bailey and Banjo ( www.baileyandbanjo.com)—she met a Great Dane puppy named Parker while doing a photo shoot for City Dog Magazine.

“He ended up being cover dog for that
issue,” she says. “I always loved the shoot and
the picture. He has such a fun look on
his face that just captured the whole fun day
of shooting.”
Clegg used a Canon 5DMII with a 24-105
mm lens.

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Third Place, Julie Clegg

For her third-place win, Clegg received a $500 Costco Cash card. When asked [in December] how she planned to use it, she replied, “Maybe some Christmas gifts, stock up on some groceries and get some more ink for our printers.” No word on whether the win helped her play Santa.

And maybe, if they were good dogs, Bailey and Banjo got a treat or two, too.—Steve Fisher

Steaming noodles

SOONGON HONG enjoys going to Muuido, a small island about a half hour off the northwestern coast of South Korea near Incheon, to take photos of wild flowers. The island, accessible by ferry, is also popular among tourists and photographers for two lovely beaches and an abundance of shellfish—a delight, given the island’s proximity to South Korea’s third-largest city.

But on a recent trip, another image caught Hong’s attention. As a friend was cooking ramen for breakfast, the early-morning light illuminated the steam from the dish—and a lovely photo was made.

“The back sunlight was so beautiful as it showed the steam coming up from the ramen,” Hong tells The Connection. He has been an amateur photographer for 20 years.

Hong’s photo was chosen not only as the best photo among South Korean entries in this year’s photo contest, but as the best of all entries from the eight countries where Costco operates. As the winner of the International Grand Prize, he received a $2,500 Costco Cash card.—Tim Talevich