Despite the COVID pandemic, the 20th annual Best in Show Competition was held once again with the help of many. The competition was open to amateur photographers in Champaign County and the surrounding 11 counties and is the largest such competition in east-central Illinois. All competitors were eligible for the competition’s top prizes, except those entered in the Club category.

Here is a 30-minute video by 2021 Best in Show Chair Allen Wehrmann presenting the winning photos along with some comments from our judges.

In addition to the Champaign County Camera Club (CCCC), there are nine sponsors of the Best in Show competition. The Urbana Park District assisted with all phases of the event including submission collection, hanging the prints, and communicating with participants. For information about Urbana Park District programs, call 217/367-1544 or visit the UPD website at urbanaparks.org. We gratefully acknowledge Lincoln Square Mall for providing the space for the show. Images will be displayed in the mall Saturday, February 6th through the morning of Sunday, February 14th. Larry Kanfer Gallery and Illini Studio provided funding for the top image awards. Trophy Time donated all place-winner ribbons; Busey Bank, Prairie Gardens, International Galleries, and Art Coop also provided prizes. The generosity of all these businesses is important to making this such a popular public event. CCCC thanks them all for their generosity.

For tips on what makes an award winning image, view the Best in Show Zoom Workshop on youtube. You'll get an inside look at the judging set up/process and what the judges are looking for, as well as tips for formatting and mounting your photos for the 20th Annual competition.

See coverage of this event on the local news. This year, like every year, there were 9 categories for entry. Follow us on Facebook. To see the winning images, click on the adjacent category. Club members were restricted to entry in the club category.

Watch the judges decide winners in the category of People in this video. Judges for Best in Show 2021 were:

Della Perrone started Della Perrone Photography in 2013 after spending several decades capturing images for performers and commercial purposes. Today, Della’s work ranges from portraiture to nature and sports to performance and events (and the occasional wedding). She serves a variety of private, commercial, and institutional clients, and covers some events free-lance for the News-Gazette. Her personal work primarily reflects a passion for the natural world.

Peggy Shaw’s work has been shown nationally including solo exhibitions in Chicago and New York and has won numerous awards in both photography and video, including awards from the Illinois Arts Council and Arts Midwest/NEA Regional. She received her Master of Fine Arts in Photography from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Shaw is an Art Professor in Photography/Video at Parkland College in Champaign, IL.

Bridget Broihahn started as a freelance photographer in 2004 for real estate marketing, promotional materials, and website stock for both Realtors and home builders. From there she started working as a photojournalist for local news publications and magazines, eventually becoming editor for the News-Gazette Magazines. Currently, she manages the photo repository, graphics, and other communications media for the City of Urbana. She also occasionally does freelance work.