Congratulations to Sam Brown, the winner of our Flickr Photo of the Week contest! Sam becomes the first two-time winner of the contest and follows last week’s winner, Robert W. Howington.

“I am both honored and surprised to have another photo selected by Art&Seek,” Sam writes in an e-mail. More from Sam in a bit.

First, If you would like to participate, all you need to do is upload your photo to to our Flickr group page. It’s fine to submit a photo you took previous to the current week, but we are hoping that the contest will inspire you to go out and shoot something fantastic this week to share with Art&Seek users. If the picture you take involves another facet of the arts, even better. The contest week will run from Monday to Sunday, and the Art&Seek staff will pick a winner on Monday afternoon. We’ll notify the winner through FlickrMail (so be sure to check those inboxes) and ask you to fill out a short survey to tell us a little more about yourself and the photo you took. We’ll post the winners’ photo on Wednesday.

Now, more from Sam:

Sam Brown

Equipment: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7

Art&Seek: You’re a student at the Art Institute of Dallas — tell us about what you are studying there.

I have been a painter for many years and have exhibited my work here and there, mainly in local venues. As far as the Art Institute of Dallas is concerned, I am a returning student who has come back to academia to complete a degree in Graphic Design, which I left open-ended many years ago. My interest was in learning about computers and the creative programs, which are so prevalent now. Prior to re-entering classes I had never owned a computer and certainly knew nothing about systems such as Photoshop, Illustrator or InDesign. As I had hoped, these creative techniques have opened up a realm of new possibilities where my artistic endeavors are concerned, both personally and professionally.

Art&Seek: What do you hope to do once you graduate from AID?

My main interest still lies in painting and illustration and, along with my new skills, I hope to eventually find opportunities in these areas which will be fulfilling. I consider myself an amateur photographer. The self-portrait I submitted was part of a digital photography class I took as an elective. I’m pleased that some find the image interesting.

Here’s a few more of Sam’s images for your enjoyment, including his previous Flickr Photo of the Week winner on top:

Untitled, Deep Ellum, Dallas

Visual Metaphor