LexJet’s headquarters in Sarasota, Fla., welcomed 2015 National Sunset Print Award Winner, Kari Douma, to our offices and home town as part of her first place prize for her image, “Aged Gracefully.”

The Grandville, Mich., photographer posed with her husband, Vince, pictured in center above, with LexJet’s Tom Gruss and Rachel Gamberg.

“I absolutely love the idea behind the Sunset Print Award, and I was thrilled to be considered,” Douma says. “I think the Sunset award is a little bit more prestigious than others in the industry. And being that I’ve started printing myself about a year ago, I was very excited to win the credit for the LexJet media.” She’s now printing competition work on LexJet Sunset Cotton Etching Paper on her Canon imagePROGRAF ipf6400 printer.

At the national level, Douma competed with 28 other photographers who won Sunset Print Awards in their various state and regional competitions. “I was very intimidated,” she says. “When you look at all the award winners across the country, it is huge talent.”

As the National winner, Douma won airfare for two to Sarasota and lodging at the Lido Beach Resort on Lido Key for three days. She also received a $500 Visa gift card. The Doumas escaped the 7-degree cold in Michigan for sunny days in Sarasota where they had lobster rolls at the beach, shopped in St. Armand’s Circle and went on a sunset cruise.

“My favorite part of exploring Sarasota was the warm weather and the beaches, especially picking up shells,” she says. “Photographers tend to be workaholics, and so I came on this trip just wanting to relax and not take my computer or work with me!  I was able to do just that, relax on the beach.”

Turns out we will see Douma in this year’s national competition. She just won the Sunset Print Award at the PPA Northeast District competition. Congrats, again, Kari!