SkillsUSA Louisiana State Photography Competition: Connections
Our recent SkillsUSA Louisiana State Photography Competition in New Orleans offered my students a unique opportunity to grow both technically and creatively. The competition's seven categories challenge even seasoned photographers, but it was the conceptual design portion paired with a museum visit—that truly inspired my students this year.
The Ogden Museum
The timing couldn't have been more perfect for our New Orleans trip. Jacob Mitchell, my former student and SkillsUSA competitor, currently has his work in "The Unending Stream: Chapter 1" exhibition at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. Jacobs invitation to be in the exhibition and recently having a piece inducted into the museum's permanent collection is the type of success story educators love to share with new students.
During our visit, Jacob generously met with my students, discussing his creative process and his journey to exhibition artist. Seeing someone who once stood in their shoes now having work in a museum collection made a powerful impression.
Conceptual Design
It was awesome for my students to see Jacobs conceptual photography as they prepared to make composites themselves. The conceptual design portion of the SkillsUSA photography competition is intentionally open-ended, with minimal parameters to evaluate creativity. Unlike other categories with specific photography requirements, this segment allows students to combine multiple images from their field assignments to produce creative conceptual art.
Students are challenged to think beyond commercial imagery and documentation to enter the realm of artistic expression.Successful conceptual pieces rely heavily on understanding design principles. In the conceptual design portion of the competition, students must consider how the principles work together to create a cohesive piece that communicates their vision.
Here is an example from a past students' conceptual design pieces with a breaking down the processes. A wide variety of visual interpretations are possible within the conceptual framework—this is not necessarily as scoring guide, but inspiration for the creative possibilities within this category.
2022 National Gold Winner Kendall Reynolds
SkillsUSA Photography 2025
I'm proud to share one of my students placed second in this year's competition—a fantastic achievement that has only fueled their determination to return next year with enhanced skills and creative vision. I also want to thank our judge, Chase Duval, for his thoughtful feedback and professional insight. With decades of experience judging photographs and running his own commercial photography business, Chase brought invaluable expertise to this year’s event. Thanks again to Chase Duval Photography for being such a thoughtful judge.
Congrats Ben!!!!!!!!
Looking ahead to next year, I'm reminded that while technical proficiency is essential, it's the ability to see beyond the obvious and create meaningful visual narratives that truly distinguishes exceptional photographers. If you are a student or instructor interested in the competition feel free to reach out. I am happy to share my insight and experience.