Laura Dunkin-Hubby's dad gets the fish-eye treatment in her honorable mention photograph, "The Bug."

Click on photo for larger image.

A 15 ("almost 16")-year-old Palo Alto High School student, Dunkin-Hubby says she credits her dad for her love of camera work. "He's my guide through photography," she said.

Her journey started at Paly a year and a half ago, where as a freshman she decided to take a beginning photography class. It didn't take long for her to get hooked. Her camera has become a permanent accessory, and she has moved on from being a student to being a teacher's assistant for the class.

"Pictures are really fun, and give you a way to express your feelings," she says. "You get to control the whole process, although stuff sometimes comes out different than you expected."

Indeed, Dunkin-Hubby says she initially set out to take a picture of "how I see my dad."

But she doesn't want anyone to misinterpret the message the fish-eye-lens-induced warping of her dad is meant to convey. Of her award-winning photo Dunkin-Hubby says simply, "I just thought it was really funny."

-- Adam Levermore-Rich