Photography student Angelo Kritikos isn't afraid to tell a makeup artist to back off.
He's not into perfect, glossy pictures that are touched and retouched using programs like Photoshop -- an approach that often goes against much of what's popular in the photography world -- but the Illinois Institute of Art student received his validation by winning a W magazine photography contest with a picture he describes as "raw beauty."
The theme of the contest was to come up with a photo that conveyed "obsession."
"I was lucky enough to work with a model named Ann Marie, who has these gorgeous freckles on her face," Kritikos said. "I photographed a couple of girls that day, but the second I saw her, I thought 'raw.' She has a mysterious quality to her."
The 20-year-old Addison, IL native has only been seriously taking pictures for the past five years, but has always been interested in multimedia, particularly film.
He found out a couple of weeks ago that he won the contest and everything that comes with it -- a promotional feature in the May issue of W, a free hosted Web site, a consultation with an agency and a cash prize.
"I was shaking, I was so excited when I found out. It was the most life-changing phone call I ever received," Kritikos said. "I believe this will open up a ton of doors for me. W is very prestigious."
At the very least, it'll be the picture perfect item for Kritikos to add to his resume when he graduates in June.
