New England – August 2022 – Spot News

Judges Comments

1st - The photographer's choice to be far from the scene elevated this image to the top. Juxtaposing the scale of the burned house against the firefighter helps the viewer understand just how much damage was done, and you get the life of the greenery on the right vs. the "dead", burned home. 2nd - A unique use of backlighting made this a strong contender, and something different from just a firefighter using a hose. But what you gain in using that exposure, you lose in showing the damage. Maybe something from even lower, or wider, might've been stronger. 3rd - The layers and framing, with the strong relationship between eyes and hand, keep your eye looking at this. There is so much happening with their jackets and the hands, that it becomes a little bit too busy. A crop may have helped this be even stronger.

Judges: Chase Sutton/POLITICO, Kylie Cooper/Seattle Times, Hannah Beier/freelance