This October, students have the opportunity to express what Malvern truly means to them in original photography.

The school has announced a photography contest – an opportunity to feature your best photographs with your classmates, your parents, your teachers, and the word-famous photographer Platon.

The contest is being spearheaded by Mr. Aaron Brady, Director of Experiential Learning. According to Mr. Brady, the requirements for the contest will be will be two photographs, 8X10 or 8X12, printed out and given to Mr. Brady no later than October 20.

Mr. Brady stated that one photo should depict what Malvern means to you and the other can portray anything you want.

The pictures will be hung in the Duffy Center and judged on October 28 by Mr. Algeo, Mr. Talbot, Ms. Frankenheimer and a surprise judge at 7:45 am. Each student will have the opportunity to discuss his pictures before the judges make their decisions.

According to an email sent by Mr. Brady to the upper school student body, there will be a student and faculty division. One winner will be selected from each division to speak during Platon’s visit at the assembly.

The winner of the contest will also win a Wawa gift card, and more importantly “the honor of winning,” Mr. Brady stated.

On October 6, Mr. Talbot sent an email to parents to encourage students to participate in this contest. “For some students, such experiences serve as fodder for effective college application essays. For others, the work itself triggers a passion they didn’t know they had,” Talbot wrote.

Platon is visiting campus on Thursday, October 30 as part of Malvern’s Distinguished Speaker Series.

He is an distinguished photographer who is known for his portrait work. According to Platon’s website, he has shot portraits for Rolling Stone, New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, Esquire, GQ and the Sunday Times Magazine. He has been invited to be a keynote speaker on leadership at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Chanel, Nike, Yale University, Oxford University, Wharton University, the National Portrait Gallery in London and International Center of Photography in NY. Now he will add Malvern Preparatory School to the list.

Last year, students also participated in a competitive screening to share their work with guest speaker Mr. Adam Bryant, a New York Times columnist and best-selling author.

If you have any questions about the photography contest, contact Mr. Brady or Ms. White.

As in the words of Platon, every picture tells a story. What story will yours tell?