Annual ONPA convention delivers needed fuel
The 73rd edition of the ONPA convention and seminar is now in the history books. While previous conferences during the golden ages were larger, the 73rd accomplished what those other larger gatherings always did. The event always provides a needed boost when you’re worn down from the daily grind and can use a little more fuel in the tank when you are continually being asked to do more with less.
This year Terry Clark was charged with the job of refilling the tanks. Clark’s presentation 50 Years / 50 Photographs provided just the right octane. His assignments during his midwest-based career weren’t much different than those of his audience.
He was taught to work harder than every other person in the business and it was a lesson plan that he carried out well during his 50-year career, which began with a 4 by 5. These days he carries a Sony mirrorless. Needless to say there’s a little less grain in his pictures these days.
ONPA president Andrew Dolph looks on as Terry Clark presents 50 Years / 50 Pictures at the 73rd annual ONPA convention and seminar at The Fawcett Center in Columbus.
Andrew Dolph and Jeremy Wadsworth are 2023 ONPA Photographers of the Year
Andrew Dolph from The Times Reporter in New Philadelphia and Jeremy Wadsworth from The Blade have been chosen ONPA Photographers of the Year for 2023. Wadsworth won the large market title and Dolph was the winner in the small market division in the 73rd Annual Ohio News Photographers Association still contest. Both are first time portfolio winners.
Dolph also won Best of Show for his first-place winning feature picture “Junior Hog Showmanship.”
Wadsworth, who placed second in the competition last year, pulled off a rare double as he also won the Monthly Clip Contest Photographer of the Year title. Eamon Queeny from The Columbus Dispatch was the last to do so ten years ago.
Erik Schelkun of Elsestar Images won the Ron Kuntz Sports Photographer of the Year award.
Best of Show – Andrew Dolph, The Times Reporter
Kaitlin Yoder stares down judge Seth D. Keplinger, from Springfield, as she competes in the 14-year-old hog showmanship division at the Tuscarawas County Fair in Dover.
Ohio University’s NPPA student chapter leaders have a bright future
Ohio University junior Zoe Cranfill has won the Larry Fullerton Photojournalism scholarship the past two years. Cranfill will begin an internship at the Los Angeles Time begining in May.
The Buckeye Visualist
On this episode of the Buckeye Visualist, host Lori King traveled to Ohio University in Athens, Ohio to talk with leaders of the NPPA/OU student group.
Our topic was photojournalism, of course, and why my four student podcast guests chose the School of Visual Communication at Ohio University for learning the craft of photojournalism.
Listen as Zoe Cranfill, the president of NPPA/OU, vice president Charlie Nick, treasurer Megan Van Vlack, and freshman Ben Pennington chat about life as a photojournalism student in the rural Appalachian region of Southern Ohio.
They also talked about how they handle competition amongst themselves; what makes OU churn out POY winners year after year; and the awards they’ve won as scholastic photojournalists:
- Cranfill – the ONPA Fullerton Scholarship, two years in a row
- VanVlack – First place for photojournalism news feature photo at the Fall National Media Convention last year
- Pennington – Finalist in the Interpretive Eye category in the 78th NPPA College Photographer of the Year competition
For all episodes, go to the Buckeye Visualist podcast Spotify page.
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Ben Pennington
Charlie Nick
David Bradford wins fourth ONPA Television POY Award
David Bradford from WJW-TV in Cleveland is the 2023 ONPA Television Photographer of the Year in a very competitive contest in which only four points separated first and third places.
This is the first POY title for Bradford since he ran off a three year string of wins beginning in 2005. Bradford won first place in four of the six categories and his first place In-Depth Series entry “Dragon Boat Survivors” was selected as Best of Show.
For the second year in a row Chris Reece from WJW placed second in the contest. Joe Cromer from WTOL-TV in Toledo placed third.
For the third year in a row WBNS-TV in Columbus has won ONPA Station of the Year award.
David Bradford from WJW-TV, Cleveland wins his fourth ONPA Television Photographer of the Year Award.
Best of Show – David Bradford, WJW-TV, Cleveland – “Dragon Boat Survivors”
Jeremy Wadsworth repeats as ONPA Clip Photographer of the Year
Jeremy Wadsworth of The Blade finished the year strong to repeat as ONPA Clip Photographer of the Year. Wadsworth who was in third place and trailing by 70 points in October earned 504 points in the final two months to claim the title by 312 points.
Finishing in second place was Brooke LaValley from The Columbus Dispatch. Rebecca Benson from The Blade came in third.
Wadsworth had wins in all eight categories, 13 of them placed first and had 51 wins over the course of the year, which equalled his win total for the previous year. The bulk of his wins came in the feature and portrait categories.
November – 1st place Sports Feature – St. Ursula players celebrate defeating Avon to win the Division I regional volleyball final at Norwalk High School. St. Ursula defeated Avon 3 sets to 1. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
The Buckeye Visualist
The official podcast of the Ohio News Photographers Association
Monthly Clip Contest
Questions concerning the monthly clip contest can be directed to Jeremy Wadsworth or Rebecca Benson.
Entries are accepted from the first through midnight on the 15th of the month following publication.
1st – Jeremy Wadsworth – 232
2nd – Kurt Steiss – 132
3rd – Jeff Lange – 102
Brooke LaValley – 102
5th – Isaac Ritchey – 92
6th – Erik Schelkun – 62
7th – Bill Lackey – 52
8th – Andrew Dolph – 42
Sam Greene – 42
10th – Jonathan Aguilar – 32
Kimberly Barth
Board Chair
Andrew Dolph
President
Barbara Perenic
Treasurer
Sam Greene
Still Vice President
Chris Reece
Television Vice President
Gaelen Morse
Secretary
The Larry Fullerton Photojournalism Scholarship was established at The Dayton Foundation through contributions from Larry Fullerton’s family and friends to assist students pursuing careers in photo- journalism. Larry Fullerton was a long-time member of ONPA and both a photojournalist and assistant managing editor of the Hamilton Journal-News.
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