Again, the judges were surprised at the low number of entries in this category but they were happy with the strong images presented. For first place, the judges liked that the photographer not only captured the poignant expression on the main subject's face but layered that in with the other faces with different expressions, making the image even more storytelling. Second place is one of those moments you hope for when covering such a sensitive situation as a funeral. Again, the judges were drawn to the greater storytelling impact of having multiple subjects emoting differently. The coffin in the background tells us what we need to know about the scene without an over-reveal of the departed. Well-done covering a sensitive event. Third place is another one of those moments with layering that gives us a sense of place - all the elements of a town hall - and shows us how a variety of subjects in the photo are handling the tension differently. We liked the fact that we are drawn to study this image, because of the woman in front looking at her phone, perhaps uncomfortable with the visibly upset man pointing his finger, at the same time the woman in the foreground but also the woman in the background all appearing to be speaking at the same time. Another man in the background is looking back at the commotion. The projected graphic even adds to the information of this photo. Great choice of angle and timing by the photographer. A fourth place chosen was an image that all the judges kept coming back to so we thought we'd mention - some high school athletes sharing a rally with elementary school kids. We debated on cropping the image tighter - but ultimately agreed with the photographer that the wider view added an impactful layer to this capture. The images in this category just overall are a testament to these talented photojournalists with their ability to organize and juxtapose elements in chaotic scenes.
Judges Comments
Again, the judges were surprised at the low number of entries in this category but they were happy with the strong images presented. For first place, the judges liked that the photographer not only captured the poignant expression on the main subject's face but layered that in with the other faces with different expressions, making the image even more storytelling. Second place is one of those moments you hope for when covering such a sensitive situation as a funeral. Again, the judges were drawn to the greater storytelling impact of having multiple subjects emoting differently. The coffin in the background tells us what we need to know about the scene without an over-reveal of the departed. Well-done covering a sensitive event. Third place is another one of those moments with layering that gives us a sense of place - all the elements of a town hall - and shows us how a variety of subjects in the photo are handling the tension differently. We liked the fact that we are drawn to study this image, because of the woman in front looking at her phone, perhaps uncomfortable with the visibly upset man pointing his finger, at the same time the woman in the foreground but also the woman in the background all appearing to be speaking at the same time. Another man in the background is looking back at the commotion. The projected graphic even adds to the information of this photo. Great choice of angle and timing by the photographer. A fourth place chosen was an image that all the judges kept coming back to so we thought we'd mention - some high school athletes sharing a rally with elementary school kids. We debated on cropping the image tighter - but ultimately agreed with the photographer that the wider view added an impactful layer to this capture. The images in this category just overall are a testament to these talented photojournalists with their ability to organize and juxtapose elements in chaotic scenes.