We expected to see a much stronger showing here but perhaps that’s
for the best. After all, the common thinking is that most of us would
rather photograph stories or “real” moments than be burdened with a
daily diet of environmental portraits or, even worse, an illustration - a
category that was so abhorred by earlier generations. The NPPA
members and board struggled off and on for years whether to include
it at all. But the truth is that a portrait can hold powerful moments if
you are prepared to notice them, and an illustration can draw forth
some of your best creative thinking. Perhaps the most disappointing
aspect of most images in this category was a lack of mood to feeling
combined with some rather haphazard image processing.
Nonetheless, the winners met most or all aspects of good portraiture
or illustration.
Judges:
Kim Leeson/Freelance, David Leeson/Freelance, (Formerly of The Dallas Morning News)
Judges Comments
We expected to see a much stronger showing here but perhaps that’s for the best. After all, the common thinking is that most of us would rather photograph stories or “real” moments than be burdened with a daily diet of environmental portraits or, even worse, an illustration - a category that was so abhorred by earlier generations. The NPPA members and board struggled off and on for years whether to include it at all. But the truth is that a portrait can hold powerful moments if you are prepared to notice them, and an illustration can draw forth some of your best creative thinking. Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of most images in this category was a lack of mood to feeling combined with some rather haphazard image processing. Nonetheless, the winners met most or all aspects of good portraiture or illustration.