Jeff Whitten, correspondent
It’s not quite a three-peat, but local photographer J.J. Bellemare has done it again.
The Bryan County Schools bus driver and CDL trainer won the 2026 School Bus Fleet magazine photo contest for a shot of his school bus parked in the Cape Harwick subdivision in South Bryan. It’s Bellemare’s third win in the contest – he also won in 2021 and 2022, hence the reference to a three-peat -- and his photograph earned honorable mention in 2025.
Bellemare’s winning photo this year was taken in March, with his bus next to live oak trees and azalea bushes blooming up a storm of color.
“I felt that the scenery was just typical of Coastal Georgia and the ideal background for my yellow school bus,” he said.
The magazine’s judges obviously agreed.
Unlike photographers who use fancy cameras and lots of expensive equipment, Bellemare sticks with his iPhone 15 Pro camera.
“I have been using the same equipment for many years with minor upgrades once in a while,” he said. “I like the convenience. It’s there when I need it. I am eager to get results. I just don’t have the patience to deal with a tripod and highly sophisticated equipment. My FOMO (that’s fear of missing out) is too high.”
Still, Bellemare, who has been with Bryan County Schools since 2013, doesn’t let that fear of missing something keep him from looking for just the right shot, and then taking as many photos as he can in hopes he’ll capture just the right image.
“I often take dozens if not hundreds of pictures, delete most of them and keep maybe one or two shots that I consider decent,” he said.
And what makes a good photo?
“In my opinion, a good photo has to have something, whatever it is, that is eye-catching,” Bellemare said. “Something that stands out and makes this particular photo unique. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it has to be meaningful.”
Winning the photo contest comes with a $50 gift card. Bellemare said he used his 2026 winnings to buy cleaning supplies for his school bus.
“I must confess though that the certificate and bragging rights that come with it are what I enjoy the most,” he added.
And while Bellemare hasn’t gotten his own art show yet, he’s gotten plenty of attention at home and elsewhere. Richmond Hill Middle School arts teacher Tammy Luke has used his photo in one of her classes, and the Thomas Built Buses company has used his photo on its social media.
The company ran a campaign in February to remind motorists to stop for loading school buses and invited the public to nominate school systems to win proceeds derived from the campaign.
Bellemare, who seems ever the optimist, decided he and his fellow bus drivers should compete for the prize.
“Considering the fact there are more than 3,000 counties in the U.S., I knew there would be stiff competition,” he said. “But I pleaded in favor of South Bryan County Transportation and encouraged coworkers, parents and members of the community to vote for us. In the end, we won. And our district received a $5,692 check. It’s always worth trying.”
Besides, Bellemare said, why shouldn’t Bryan County Schools compete at the highest level?
“My philosophy is that in Bryan County, Ga., we are just as capable and talented as anybody else,” he said. “I dislike the notion that some school board in Salt Lake City, Toronto or San Antonio gets recognized without us even trying.”