Go to www.heraldguide.com now to submit photos for 2018 contest
One-year-old Hudson Hales was taking his first steps in his grandmother’s backyard when she snapped her winning photo in the Herald-Guide’s 2017 Camera Shootout Contest.
Hudson was clearly excited about learning how to walk and it showed in his beaming expression.
“That was just a pretty day outside and it turned out to be a really cute picture,” said Hudson’s grandmother, Jenny Hales. She was babysitting Hudson during spring break at the time this photo was taken.
“I’m excited and happy,” Hales said about winning the contest. “I never expected that with all the photos we had.”
“He’s just a happy little boy,” she said. “We spoil him rotten.”
Hudson will be two in April.
Hales, a parent educator at Lakewood Elementary, will receive a $500 gift card for her photo.
The second-place photo in the contest is Josephina Campbell’s “Happy Bubbles,” also of her grandson.
Third place went to Hailee Weber’s “My Christmas Angel” of her dog. Weber added, “We were putting up our tree and Sophie just had to strike a pose. What a beautiful Christmas gift.”
Hales’ photo, entitled “Playing in Ja-Jen’s backyard,” was taken of Hudson playing in her backyard during spring break.
And, yes, Ja-Jen is what Hudson calls his grandmother.
“He’s a very happy go lucky, very smart little one-year-old,” she said of Hudson, who also lives in Norco. “He’s all over the place.”
Since taking his first steps, Hudson said he has stayed busy.
“He’s all over now … talking and singing,” she said of her grandson who now has a head full of curls. “He loves to sing songs. His favorite song now is ‘Twinkle, Twinkle.’ He loves to be read to and his favorite book is ‘Mickey Mouse.’”
Hudson also loves his big brother, Hunter, who is six.
Hales said she was surprised over the win because the competitors were so good.
“I never expected that with all the photos they had,” she said. “I loved the puppy photo because I’m a pet lover.”
Hales also said she shared the invite to vote at least 10 times on Facebook, as well as her daughter and son, which helped generate the votes to win the contest.
“They just kept coming in,” she said. “I guess it worked.”
It did work and Hales says it more likely she’ll take a lot more photos of Hudson.
“I think it’s great and it’s great they do that,” Hudson said of the photo contest. “It gives the public an opportunity to put their photos out there and show the cute faces of their babies and dogs.”
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