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…
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