West – April 2022 – Portrait/Illustration

Judges Comments

The first place image was all about peace and finding space - the visual tone matched the story perfectly. It was refreshing to see an image that allowed a space to be a space, stepping back and seeing the (literal) larger picture worked well. As photojournalists, visualizing loss is one of the hardest things to do and the second place image, placing the son in the passenger seat of his late father’s car, resonated deeply with us. Vintage cars are such bright spots in people’s lives, but they are often collected by an older generation who leave both the vehicle and the memories behind when they pass. The third place image was a well-handled portrait and while it used a technique we’ve seen before, the lighting and framing worked well here. The body language and expression of the player showed a level of comfort that comes from connection.

Judges: Mark E. Johnson/University of Georgia, Dr. Kyser Lough/University of Georgia, Dr. Andrea Hudson/University of Georgia