National – December 2018 – Photo Story/Essay

Judges Comments

Overall in the category, we were surprised to find a lot of event coverage or work that was shot over the course of a single day. This alone was not a problem but these entries tended to lack a central focus or them and were weak on demonstrating any kind of narrative arc. But, there were four projects that very quickly ascended to the top of our list. We felt each could benefit from a slight tighter edit and/or minor adjustments in sequencing. Dangerous Dives was an instant first place for us. Some terrific images and this photographer really worked to gain access to and capture just about every aspect of the story in a compelling way. We loved the way the photographer decided to tell the Kaine story. The visual choices and sequencing emphasized the story information provided in the captions. Seekers, too, had a strong concept and did a strong job of executing. Our main comment would be to strengthen the edit by cutting 1-2 images that feel a little redundant.

Judges: Jenn Poggi/RIT, Dominique Hessert/The New Yorker, Michael Owens/Freelance