From the Nominator

“The Sound of Opportunity” is an environmental portrait of PSU College of the Arts student and scholarship recipient James Valenzuela. The photograph is a part of a visual content suite developed for The Campaign for PSU, a $300 million fundraising effort to support students, faculty, capital projects and urban service initiatives at Portland State University. Scholarship support is one of the campaign’s highest-priority giving opportunities.

From the Judges

The complexity of this image is not typical in student portraiture. There are so many subtleties that make this shot stand out. It is distinctive, engaging, and technically very well done. There is a balancing act that blends the details of the French horn with the backdrop of intricate architectural details in a traditional space—all contrasting with the statuesque pose of an expressive, hip, non-traditional student. His added role art-directing the shot helped the photographer achieve a level of authenticity in the story that exceeded goals.