First Place: We unanimously awarded this first place. It has a lot going for it and is a great example of what makes a feature image. The image has great tonal range, with a true black and a true white, with grey tones in between. The person walking with the umbrella is set against the light portion of the image, showing the photographer's eye for background and patience when getting the shot. Crop is in a good spot, below the knee, but above the ankle. Although we lean more into color in most photojournalism applications, this was an excellent use of black and white.
Second place: Another strong image that is a timeless slice of life we look for. The image is composed well, paying attention to the edge of the frame. The painters are placed well - no one on top of the other and in action. While some of the judges prefer faces, this is an excellent showing of a back shot, that actually makes it stronger in the category of feature. Nice work and nice color!
Third place: The graphic nature of the lines from the tires in the snow make for a solid feature. The subtle color in this image was especially favored by the photographers. The photographer’s angle of view, combined with the hill, erases the horizon line and adds to the overall aesthetic composition. One judge remarked this should be a Hallmark card. Great image. This photographer clearly has an eye for feature imagery.
Honorable Mention: The image of pedestrians crossing the street on Broadway in Nashville was one of our honorable mentions for this category. The backlight during the unexpected snow adds to the overall dreamy feeling. While this was a great showing and one worth debating, we felt the other images were stronger examples of features.
Honorable mention: The mother and daughter sledding was a great showing of movement. We understand the difficulties of panning and appreciate the photographer showing they understand their camera. It’s also a timeless slice of life and will continue to be a good image well into the future. Overall, it could be a little looser on the mother, a little tighter on the faces and pull the highlights down just slightly to give more separation between the white pants and the white snow. These are nitpicky suggestions, but such tiny things separate the images that place and honorable mentions sometimes. Great job overall!
Category Notes: Some nice, clean images, however, this category should be reserved for photos that tell a story outside of general news, but still have a strong moment. Some things that pulled images out of running were focus and composition, so be mindful of your technical skill.
Judges:
Kriston Jae Bethel/Freelance, Sarah Landwehr/Professor, Temple University, Steven M. Falk/Freelance
Judges Comments
First Place: We unanimously awarded this first place. It has a lot going for it and is a great example of what makes a feature image. The image has great tonal range, with a true black and a true white, with grey tones in between. The person walking with the umbrella is set against the light portion of the image, showing the photographer's eye for background and patience when getting the shot. Crop is in a good spot, below the knee, but above the ankle. Although we lean more into color in most photojournalism applications, this was an excellent use of black and white. Second place: Another strong image that is a timeless slice of life we look for. The image is composed well, paying attention to the edge of the frame. The painters are placed well - no one on top of the other and in action. While some of the judges prefer faces, this is an excellent showing of a back shot, that actually makes it stronger in the category of feature. Nice work and nice color! Third place: The graphic nature of the lines from the tires in the snow make for a solid feature. The subtle color in this image was especially favored by the photographers. The photographer’s angle of view, combined with the hill, erases the horizon line and adds to the overall aesthetic composition. One judge remarked this should be a Hallmark card. Great image. This photographer clearly has an eye for feature imagery. Honorable Mention: The image of pedestrians crossing the street on Broadway in Nashville was one of our honorable mentions for this category. The backlight during the unexpected snow adds to the overall dreamy feeling. While this was a great showing and one worth debating, we felt the other images were stronger examples of features. Honorable mention: The mother and daughter sledding was a great showing of movement. We understand the difficulties of panning and appreciate the photographer showing they understand their camera. It’s also a timeless slice of life and will continue to be a good image well into the future. Overall, it could be a little looser on the mother, a little tighter on the faces and pull the highlights down just slightly to give more separation between the white pants and the white snow. These are nitpicky suggestions, but such tiny things separate the images that place and honorable mentions sometimes. Great job overall! Category Notes: Some nice, clean images, however, this category should be reserved for photos that tell a story outside of general news, but still have a strong moment. Some things that pulled images out of running were focus and composition, so be mindful of your technical skill.