By Nicole Dixon

Third place, with 63 votes, went to Sharon Cooley for her black and white photo depicting a misty evening on the shoe, looking up at the darkness of the pier with a gloomy sky hovering above, just the as the street lamps begin to flicker on.  She used a slow exposure to create an eerie feeling.

“I’ve never taken (photography) up as a profession,” said Cooley, a former resident of Ocean Beach and who now lives in San Carlos.

Cooley hs been experimenting with photography as a hobby since she was 16 years old and is now in her 40’s.  She recently took a black-and-white photography class at the University of California San Diego and has since been working to perfect her landscaping images.  In the meantime, friends have been asking her o do black-and-white portraits of their families.

“My goal is to become a little bit more than an amateur,” Cooley said.

She found the photo contest a perfect way to enhance her skills and get feedback on her work.  Along with her award-winning photo of the Ocean Beach Pier, Cooley has photographed the Imperial Beach Pier and the Children’s Pool in La Jolla.

“I've been trying to shoot every monument in San Diego,”

she said.  “The OB Pier is my favorite.”

Just like Capps, Cooley has never entered a photography competition.  Now she plans to put more of her work on public display.  She hope to enter an art gallery sometime and is currently working on a website.

“I’m glad I had the chance to enter this contest,” she said.  “I’m just excited that I placed:  I don’t care that I didn’t win.”