Two University of Manitoba students have snapped-up a prestigious photography award for their skills behind the lens.

Windsor Park resident Anna Audette and Susan Horodyska, who lives in Fort Rouge, are among 10 winners of the TD 2012 SNAP!Stars photo competition. Their winning submissions are unrelated.

Along with a cash prize of $1,500 each, the pair’s work will be shown at SNAP! in Toronto on March 25 — the AIDS Committee of Toronto’s annual photographic fundraiser, which will feature a live auction of curated art, a silent auction and a photo competition to support programming for individuals living with HIV/AIDS.

Audette, 22, said her submission captures the growth of the Sage Creek neighbourhood and the "solemnness" she felt as the landscape developed.

"I just wanted to capture the feeling of the sudden amount of construction and the many new cookie cutter housing lots, which I found kind of negative," said Audette, a full-time fine arts student at the university.

"I was examining how lonely these places are. I remember walking around the area at 7 p.m. when 70% of the lots had been sold and there was nobody out in the neighbourhood."

Horodyska, 43, said her entry — which features appliances including a stereo, television set and vacuum cleaner in a room — works on different levels.

"On a personal level, it’s an exploration of attachment, grieving and death. It was taken at the house of someone recently deceased, so it brings up the whole idea of memories and objects we get attached to," said Horodyska, a part-time fine arts student. "On a deeper level, it’s a reminder of my own mentality.

"On a composition level, it’s a subdued, unified palette of colours — beiges, browns, ivories and greys. The arrangements of style and soft quality of light create a contemplative quality of mood."

Horodyska — who uses an older film camera — said the image also represents technological progress.

"TV and audio technology has changed so much from these objects, which speaks to how far we’ve come and changed so quickly, yet these are recognizable, iconic objects in our culture," she said.  

Students studying photography and photo-based media from eight art institutions across Canada and the northeast U.S. were invited to submit digital images of their work for the competition, which was judged by industry professionals and faculty members from participating schools.

For more information, visit www.snap-toronto.com.

simon.fuller@canstarnews.com