While working on a series of cloud photographs in 1925, Alfred Stieglitz coined the title ”Equivalents” for his work, with the idea that the photographs could correspond to both the reality in front of the camera’s lens and the internal being of whoever was looking at them. Photographs could be representational and abstract, so even a photograph of a mundane subject could provoke a strong emotional response.

W. M. Hunt, the juror of the 17th Annual Photo Competition at Photo Center NW, chose this idea as the open theme for this year’s contest. So, the winning images are eclectic, but all meet Hunt’s criterion for what makes great photographs: their ability “to evoke a sensation that resonates through my being,” regardless of subject matter or technical process. See if the work resonates through your being too at Photo Center NW’s Seattle gallery, or check them out online. And for more of Hunt’s curatorial vision, check out The Unseen Eye: Photographs from the Unconscious, 35% off as part of Aperture’s summer sale, which ends this Friday, August 10.

Aperture’s Summer Sale has just been extended to August 17, 2009! Limited-edition prints and portfolios are 15% off and you can get an additional 15% off already-reduced books if you use coupon code APADV9 during checkout.

These savings are only available online, so start shopping now!

Some exceptions apply, of course. Signed and limited-edition books are excluded, along with a few select prints.

Click here to shop books!

Click here to shop limited-edition photographs!