Judges Comments

This category had us discussing the line where something is spot news compared to general news. A few of these entries would have been a better fit in the general news category. As with the sports category, some of these entries were hurt by including too many photos. Several of them had great single images that would have placed, but had two or more additional weak photos tacked on. First place was a great look at a really complicated rescue situation. The images are dramatic and beautifully composed. Second place had nice color and composition. The dramatic lines helped and the smoke was impressive. Third place was interesting to us because most airplane retardant drops aren't seen near residential areas. The inclusion of the fire visible in the background was good and helped to tie the caption in. We all felt that it would have benefitted from a tighter crop.