Sarah Beard Buckley of Cape Elizabeth, with her image, "White Calla Lily," walked away with the Jim Taliana Best of Show Award sponsored by The First Advisors at the 2014 edition of the Maine Photography Show. The announcement came at the end of the awards ceremony held Friday, April 11 at the Boothbay Region Art Foundation Gallery in Boothbay Harbor.

BRAF is the presenter of the Maine Photography Show and the Best of Show Award is named after the late Jim Taliana who guided the institution of this show open only to Maine based photographers.

Juror Freeman Patterson said of Buckley's image: It is "an absolutely stunning photograph in its sheer simplicity and graphic quality! This non-representational or abstract image evokes far more than it describes, inviting me to venture far beyond ordinary ways of seeing."

Buckley, a freelance photographer who also works for Maine magazine, said after receiving the award, "I really wasn't expecting it. It is a really great recognition." This is Buckley's second time winning at the MPS, having taken third place in the Black & White category previously.

Other winners by category included:

Black & White: First place, Peter Felsenthal, Trevett, "Waterfall"; second place, Stephen Thomas, Cumberland Center, "At Your Service"; third place, Tony Marple, Whitefield, "January on Rodger's Pond"; HM, Rick Scanlan, Wiscasset, "January Snow, South Bristol"; HM, Daniel Dow, Cumberland Center, "Two Cottages, Ireland."

Color: First place, Lydia Goetze, Southwest Harbor, "Upper Hadlock Pond"; second place, Scott See, Boothbay Harbor, "Clarks Cove"; third place, Craig Snapp, Brunswick, "Ditch Ice with Leaves"; HM, Michele Barker, Hudson, "Wood Duck Taking Flight"; HM, Michael Austin Kane, Damariscotta, "White Water."

Student: First place, Sam Delaware, Durham, "Sarah"; second place, Michaela Peabody, Jefferson, "Winter Rose"; third place, Matthew Burnham, Boothbay, "Tidal Foam"; HM, Yanmei McElhaney, Camden, "Last Train Home"; HM, Elena Lautsen, Rockland, "Vela."

Theme: First place, Michael Fillyaw, Kennebunk, "Wallflowers"; second place, Liz Rollins, North Yarmouth, "The Last Iris"; third place, Robert Crink, Edgecomb, "Flowers Hope"; HM, Marie Pierce, Augusta, "Divas"; HM, Kathleen Toubman, Rockland, "Red Claret in the Desert."

The MPS committee each year selects an image for the cover of the Exhibition Catalog. This year's photo is "My Iris Yoga Instructor" by Steve Demeranville of East Boothbay.

Event sponsors provided cash prizes in each category. In addition to the First Advisors Best of Show Award, the Black & White category was sponsored by The Portland Camera Club, the Student category by Capital Area Camera Club, while the Color category sponsorship was shared by Boothbay Boat Sales, Jonathan Manning, Boothbay Framers, Laddie Drucker and McSeagull's Restaurant. The special Theme/Flowers category was sponsored by Boothbay Region Greenhouses.

The 2014 Maine Photography Show is now open through Friday, May 2 at the BRAF Gallery, 1 Townsend Ave., Boothbay Harbor. Check the MPS website, www.mainephotographyshow.com, for more information. The annual archival video showcasing the images, interviews with photographers and the awards ceremonies will soon be available through pegMedia for local access stations around the state.

Any questions can be directed to chairman Bruce Burnham at 207-380-1863 or the BRAF, 207-633-2703.