Wiz Kid, May 2007

Sterling, my oldest son, turned 9 in February. He is a fantastic young man: smart, kind, and thoughtful, with a natural charisma that lights up those around him. Like most boys, he's fascinated by gadgets and technology, and he loves to use his Olympus digicam to take pictures on outings with friends and family.

The thing is, he has a great eye. This year, as a third-grader, he won "Best of Show" and two other "First Place" prizes for photography in his school's annual student art fair held this week.  Two years ago he did the same thing... as a first-grader (he missed his 2nd grade art fair).

He says he gets it from his Daddy, but I don't know... I think he's brilliant. And his little brother Ethan, 4, is just as smart and talented (their mother is to blame... see a photo of both of them here).  In any case, I've posted a few of Sterling's entries to give you a sense of the quality of his work.

Please take a few moment and enjoy Sterling's winning photographs!

Lamborghini, Maui, Hawaii 2006. Photograph by Sterling Voth, age 8.

Peacock, Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, Washington 2007. Photograph by Sterling Voth, age 9.

School of fish, Maui, Hawaii 2006. Photograph by Sterling Voth, age 8.

The following are some of Sterling's winning photographs of India, made in 2004 with a very basic drugstore digital camera when he was just 6 years old. The color from the in-camera images was so poor I decided to convert them to black and white for entry in his first art fair, which turned out to be a sound creative decision. The black and white treatment lends a timeless documentary quality to the images, letting the viewer share in Sterling's way of seeing without being distracted by the technical limitations of the camera.

Rajasthan, India, 2004. Photograph by Sterling Voth, age 6.
 

Rajasthan, India, 2004. Photograph by Sterling Voth, age 6.
 

Rajasthan, India, 2004. Photograph by Sterling Voth, age 6.
 

Rajasthan, India, 2004. Photograph by Sterling Voth, age 6.