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A quiet moment in nature turned into a big win.
Kathrine O’Shea has been named the winner of Greater Long Island’s inaugural Spring Photo Contest, earning over 40% of the public vote with her standout image of a swan and its babies gliding through a pond at Frank Melville Memorial Park.
The photo, captured in Setauket, rose to the top among more than 100 submissions and four finalists before Long Islanders made the final call.
“I’m so thrilled and honored,” O’Shea said. “The competition was fierce, there were a lot of great pictures in there.”
From Setauket roots to a winning shot
O’Shea, who grew up in Setauket, said the area continues to inspire her work.
“I always seem to find myself going back there,” she said. “It’s got such cool history, and it’s just a very beautiful place to visit… it’s kind of enchanting and ethereal.”
While not a professional photographer, O’Shea has long had a passion for the arts.
“It’s more of a hobby,” she said. “I work in communications, so I do a lot of writing and editing, but I’ve always loved photography… I got my first camera when I was about 13, and I realized how much I loved it.”
Capturing the moment
The winning photo came together on a quiet spring day at the park.
“It was kind of an overcast day… I like to turn my phone off and just be in a peaceful space,” she said. “I happened to notice these beautiful swans with their babies and just wanted to capture the moment.”
O’Shea said she kept her distance, using a telephoto lens to avoid disturbing the animals.
“They were kind of hanging out by the water, and it just created the image itself,” she said. “It was perfect — they kind of swam right into the frame.”
The result is a serene, story-driven image that resonated strongly with voters.
The prize
As the winner, O’Shea receives:
- $250 cash prize
- Full photo credit
- Her image featured as Greater Long Island’s Facebook header through the spring season
The photo will remain prominently displayed on the publication’s Facebook page through the end of June.
Celebrating real Long Island moments
The contest was created to highlight authentic, local photography — something O’Shea said she deeply appreciates.
“Long Island needs to be recognized for how beautiful it is,” she said. “There’s so much here that people don’t realize.”
Greater Long Island plans to continue the series with a summer-themed contest in the coming months.
The finalists
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