January 2015 clip contest results

Winning images

Spot News
1st - Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, "Firewall"
2nd - Shane Flanigan, Zanesville Times Recorder, "Rescued"
3rd - Barbara J. Perenic, The Columbus Dispatch, "Gassed"

Judges comments: Fairly weak category, but stronger than we usually see for whole regions in NPPA's clips. Several entries in General News were better for the Spot News category and might have contended here. First place was well composed with great light. Second place was a good capture by the frame had some sort of intrustion. Third was seriously hindered by the guy in the jersey.

General News
1st - Lorrie Cecil, ThisWeek Newspapers, "MLK Rememberance"
2nd - Brooke LaValley, The Columbus Dispatch, "New Gorilla"
3rd - Brooke LaValley, The Columbus Dispatch, "State of the District"
Judges comments: Extremely weak category. So many entries were not general news photos.

Feature
1st - Fred Squillante, The Columbus Dispatch, "Creative Movement"
2nd - Chris Russell, The Columbus Dispatch , "All Star Prep"
3rd - Mitchell Pe Masilun, The (Mansfield) News Journal, "Sledding"

Judges comments: First place had great moment and lighting. Second place was great composition and framing. Of all the snow/sledding photos, this was a nice quiet feature that was beautifully composed. HM's to the eyes watching the shoveler, which just needed a better moment. We couldn't figure out why on earth the Uncle Sam photo was shot at F/22, but better execution and it would have placed.

Sports Action
1st - Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, "Hit"
2nd - Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, "Defense"
3rd - Eamon Queeney, The Columbus Dispatch, "Leap"
HM - Barbara J. Perenic, The Columbus Dispatch, "Punch"
HM - Mitchell Pe Masilun, Mansfield News Journal, "Drive"

Judges comments: Not so much a weak category as just a lot of average photos. So many basketball photos that were just routine.  First place was a peak action moment well captured and cropped with the helmet flying off. Second place was close in moment and well executed. Third place would have been first with a tighter vertical crop. WAY too loose. Honorable mentions to the girl getting punched in the dive for the ball. The crop was too loose and we almost missed the punch. Bring it in. Similarly to the basketball/tiger shot. Cropped tighter and holding the tiger on the wall would have been a more interesting frame.

Sports Feature
1st - Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, "Confetti"
2nd - Eamon Queeney, The Columbus Dispatch, "Canucks Mascot"
3rd - Scott Heckel, The (Canton) Repository, "Courtside"

Judges comments: First place was a beautiful confetti angle. We've seen it, but it never gets old... at least not yet. Loved the kid getting bit on the head by the Canucks' mascot. Could have used a tighter crop. Third place was sneaky. We almost completely ignored it, but then we looked again and looked, and looked, and looked. Sometimes it's nice to have a frame that's sneaky like that and makes you look at it to figure it out.

Portrait
1st - Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, "Saferoom"
2nd - Andy Morrison, The (Toledo) Blade, "Centenarian"
3rd - Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, "Justice"

Judges comments: First place was creative and very well lit. Second place had fantastic tone and detail. Third place was well lit and controlled.

Story/Essay
1st - Jessica Phelps, The Advocate, "Pinewood Derby"
2nd - Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, "Champions"
3rd - Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, "Sugar Bowl"

Judges comments: So. Many. Championship stories. Pinewood derby was the best overall story from an event. Good variety and detail. Second was the best of the championship stories we saw, and the Sugar Bowl story rivaled it. Everything could have used a tighter edit.

Judges: From The (Wilmington, DE) News Journal - Kyle Grantham, Suchat Pederson and Daniel Sato

February 2015 clip contest results

Winning images

Spot News
1st place - William A. West, AshtabulaCurrent.com, "Barn Fire"
2nd place - Patricia Schaeffer, The (Lisbon) Morning Journal, "Fire Silhouette"
3rd place - Scott Heckel, The (Canton) Repository, "Fire Sparks"

Judges comments:1st place is a well-composed emotional moment. 2nd is a beautiful news photo. 3rd is a dramatic moment.

General News
1st place - Chris Russell, The Columbus Dispatch , "Meals"
2nd place - Katie Rausch, The (Toledo) Blade, "Mayor's Funeral"
3rd place - Jeremy Wadsworth, The (Toledo) Blade, "Tour Group"

Judges comments:1st is an emotionally packed, layered image. 2nd is a beautiful, well seen moment from a funeral procession. 3rd is an interesting image from what could have been a boring assignment.

Feature
1st place - Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, "Sunset"
2nd place - Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, "Cold Crossing"
3rd place - Fred Squillante, The Columbus Dispatch, "Ash Wednesday"

Judges comments:1st is a stunning graphic image. 2nd is an excellent weather photo that makes one feel cold just looking at it. 3rd is a well-composed, non-traditional Ash Wednesday photo.

Sports Action
1st place - Andy Morrison, The (Toledo) Blade, "Hockey Spill"
2nd place - Jenna Watson, Kentwired.com, "Basketball Jube"
3rd place - Shane Flanigan, Zanesville Times Recorder, "Scramble"

Judges comments:1st is dynamic hockey action. 2nd is a great use of a wide angle lens to tell the complete story of a play. The askew glasses elevates the 3rd place image.

Sports Feature
1st place - Andy Morrison, The (Toledo) Blade, "Fight Fan"
2nd place - Barbara J. Perenic, The Columbus Dispatch, "Bench Reaction"
3rd place - Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, "Fencing"

Judges comments:1st place works on multiple layers, but the kid makes the image. 2nd has many faces that add to the success of the frame. 3rd place is great seeing and composition.

Portrait
1st place - Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, "Artist"
2nd place - Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, "Fencing"
3rd place - Tom Dodge, The Columbus Dispatch, "Farm Taxes"

Judges comments:Not a terribly strong category. 1st place gives a nice glimpse of the artist’s personality. 2nd is well lit and creative. 3rd has a bit of emotion and a nice sky.

Story/Essay
1st place - Andy Morrison, The (Toledo) Blade, "Roller Derby"
2nd place - Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, "Last Speech"
3rd place - Andy Morrison, The (Toledo) Blade, "Mayor's Funeral"

Judges comments:1st place has the most moments and visual variety. 2nd is smart and has some humor. 3rd is solid event coverage.

Judges: From the San Francisco Chronicle - Scott Strazzante, Lea Suzuki and Brant Ward.

March 2015 clip contest results

Winning images

Spot News
1st - Chris Russell, The Columbus Dispatch, "House Explosion"
2nd - Andy Morrison, The (Toledo) Blade, "Life Flight"
3rd - Patricia Schaeffer, The (Lisbon) Morning Journal, "Family Escapes"

Judges comments: We picked the gas explosion for 1st because they found something interesting amidst the chaos, which was the lock and handle a good distance from the front of the home.  2nd place- This image was almost there for us, but the harsh daytime light and little pieces not all fitting right dropped it to second.  3rd place- Simple image, but had the best mood and color of all the spot news entries. We thought this was the weakest of the 8 categories

General News
1st - Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, "Church Crash"
2nd - Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, "Parade"
3rd - Scott Heckel, The (Canton) Repository, "Vigil"

Judges comments: 1st place has a nice quite moment after a serious accident.  Everything is in the right place bringing order to the chaos. 2nd place we enjoyed the movement of this photo and catching it just right as the wind blows their hair in a similar direction.  3rd place-  We thought this image had some of the best light and stuck out more than other images.

Feature
1st - Shane Flanigan, Zanesville Times Recorder, "Cancer"
2nd - Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, "Snowman"
3rd - Chris Russell, The Columbus Dispatch , "Warm Spell"
HM - Joshua A. Bickel, ThisWeek Community News, "Hoop"
HM - Fred Squillante, The Columbus Dispatch, "Tour"

Judges comments: 1st place- we really enjoyed the simplicity of this image, while keeping that subtle moment. 2nd place- How often do you see a snowman that big and a man standing on someone's back?  Image is clean and simple, well done! 3rd place- The climber is positioned really well and draws you in, we think the snow is a bit distracting since it is so hot.  HM 1- We like the simplicity and colors of this image, the moment is not quite there though. HM 2- We enjoyed the idea of this photo, but things did not line up as perfectly as we wanted.

Sports Action
1st - Erik Schelkun, Elsestar Images, "Splash"
2nd - Eamon Queeney, The Columbus Dispatch, "Flipped"
3rd - Jeremy Wadsworth, The (Toledo) Blade, "Scramble"
HM - Andy Morrison, The (Toledo) Blade, "Blinded"
HM - Barbara J. Perenic, The Columbus Dispatch, "State Wrestling

Judges comments: 1st place - This image stuck out to us the most. It has a great moment that is clean and simple.  2nd place- Captured an interesting moment, giving a feel of the game and the atmosphere.  3rd place- Tight, clean, and emotion of both players.  HM 1 - This moment caught our attention right away, we just wish the image was a lot tighter.  HM 2- You can really feel the struggle on the wrestler's face.

Sports Feature
1st - Barbara J. Perenic, The Columbus Dispatch, "Buzzer"
2nd - Brooke LaValley, The Columbus Dispatch, "Arnold Fest"
3rd - Angela Wilhelm, Sandusky Register, "State Title"
HM - Jessica Phelps, Newark Advocate, "Triumph"
HM - Erik Schelkun, Elsestar Images, "Dejection"

Judges comments: First off we thought this was the best of the 8 categories. 1st place- This image immediately jumped out as unique while showing strong player emotion. 2nd place- How often do you see dozens of body builders riding an escalator? Great color and simplicity. 3rd place- The viewer can really feel the emotion of both coaches.  HM 1- This one jumped out because wrestlers do not typically react the way this kid did. HM 2- We liked the moment showing both the winners and the losers, but we agreed that the image should be toned down some.

Portrait
1st - Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, "Metal Artist"
2nd - Tom Dodge, The Columbus Dispatch, "Artist"
3rd - Tom Dodge, The Columbus Dispatch, "Stairs"
HM - Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, "Segregation"

Judges comments: We were torn between first and second place.  They are both artists, one sitting in an ordered chaos and the other standing in a simple and clean image.  After a lengthy debate we decided to go with the simple image because of his expression and how his arm creates movement in the piece. 3rd place- We thought this was a nice approach to a business portrait, clean, simple, and interesting. HM 1 - Nice quality of light on the woman's face.  Tough topic to show in terms of a portrait and we believe they had a great solution.

Story/Essay
1st - Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, "NCAA Wrestling"
2nd - Eamon Queeney, The Columbus Dispatch, "Arnold"
3rd - Andy Morrison, The (Toledo) Blade, "Aquarium"
HM - Jessica Phelps, Newark Advocate, "Making Ends Meet"
HM - Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, "Big Ten Wrestling"

Judges comments: 1st place-  We thought this was the best story in terms of sequence and image quality.  It took us into the life of a wrestler during the NCAA championship. 2nd place- We thought these were the best photos in the story category. Our set back was the order of the story was a bit confusing.  3rd place - This story had some nice moments throughout, just wish there was a behind the scenes photo as well. HM 1-  There was some nice images in this story, the thing that jumped out to us as a negative was it mainly revolved around food and didn't take us inside their life enough. HM 2- Good series of photos showing the atmosphere.  We thought the other wrestling photos were better because of lighting and different perspectives.

Illustration
1st - Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, "Champs"
2nd - Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, "Baked Farro"
3rd - Isaac Hale, Ohio University, "Classroom Anxiety"
HM - Andy Morrison, The (Toledo) Blade, "Syllabub"

Judges comments: 1st place we thought the image suited the text well.  It was simple to the point and easy for an reader to get the message.  2nd place- we thought the image was clean, simple, with nice popping reds.  3rd place- We really enjoyed this image just think it is a little to hot. HM 1- we loved the idea, but we think it could have been executed a little better, possibly getting the label sharp so people know exactly what it is.

Judges: Joel Bissell and Andrea Croft from the Muskegon (MI) Chronicle and Cory Mrose from The Grand Rapids (MI) Press.

April 2015 clip contest results

Winning images

Spot News
1st - Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, "Shooting"
2nd - Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, "Head-on Collission"
3rd - Patricia Schaeffer, The (Lisbon) Morning Journal, "Trailer Fire"

Judges comments: Spot news can usually be a weak category in most contests. That is not the case here. Some solid moments, and drive to get close to people in duress. First place is right there. Emotional impact is high, and you did well to highlight that. Second place is a good example of stepping back to show full impact of carnage in a fatal accident. Also, to be on scene quickly enough to get the fire is impressive. Layers of smoke and the size of the firefighters comparatively to the charred vehicle add to the overall impact of this frame. Third place is a solid frame with full color that silhouettes the firefighters nicely.

General News
1st - Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, "Cemetery"
2nd - Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, "Lincoln"
3rd - Eamon Queeney, The Columbus Dispatch, "Club Move"

Judges comments: Some nice seeing in this category. First place caught us with the beauty of life going on. Second place is wonderfully composed, toned and just a beautiful frame from the event, especially with a spot of humor with the dog. Third place is just a great example of clean layers adding context while honing a viewer's eye into a true moment.

Feature
1st - Andy Morrison, The (Toledo) Blade, "Medical Marijuana"
2nd - Andy Morrison, The (Toledo) Blade, "Foggy Fishermen"
3rd - Mitchell Pe Masilun, Bucyrus Telegraph Forum, "Wind"
HM - Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, "Shaved"
HM - Mitchell Pe Masilun, Mansfield News Journal, "Spring"

Judges comments: The winners on the whole show the full gamut of expectations you'd hope for in single feature pictures, ranging from graphically-pleasing pictures with vivid color and leading lines, as well as clean, beautiful moments. Compositionally, most of these frames were executed incredibly well. First place was wonderfully unique, with a nice composition and well-exposed differing light that drew us in. Second place is serene. A quiet scenic with such elegance in leading lines through the fisherman. Definitely a beautiful frame. Third place was a slightly humorous and unexpected scene. We appreciated it, because it was truly a fresh frame we don't see every day. The honorable mentions each share unique moments, one with a sense of character behind a head shaving, and the other with a compositionally complex frame that allows the eye to dance. Well done in this category. One of the contests best in this month.

Sports Action
1st - Joshua A. Bickel, ThisWeek Community News, "Out at Home"
2nd - Eamon Queeney, The Columbus Dispatch, "Goalie Mess"
3rd - Jeremy Wadsworth, The (Toledo) Blade, "Steal"
HM - Erik Schelkun, Elsestar Images , "Upended"

Judges comments: Wow, some solid sports action here. Applause to these photographers for capturing peak moments in both traditional, nitty-gritty in your face sports pictures, as well as seeking unique angles and approach. First place is tight, and truly peak. The moment between which will make or break the play. Second place is taking a chance and getting graphic, still telling the story in one image. The pick and the goalie's body language as he lays out for the save make this picture. Third place is classic action, and the runner expression does well to bring us in. Then, as we explore the frame the players making the play attempt are bringing focus back to the runner. We like that. Well done there. Honorable mention, simply put: You don't see the bag fly up at every game, and that's solid work. Right place, ready to shoot and you got the shot.

Sports Feature
1st - Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, "Strikeout"
2nd - Eamon Queeney, The Columbus Dispatch, "Last Game"
3rd - Jeremy Wadsworth, The (Toledo) Blade, "Goal Celebration"

Judges comments: Three clear winners for us here. First place is intense, and we can feel the intensity. The tight crop helps us feel the runner's animosity toward the umpire. Second place is wonderful use of available light and composition to bring us around the frame and visually please us. Well-exposed. Third place could be composed better, but the moment is pure from both players to show us a great combination frame that includes both jubilation and dejection.

Portrait
1st - Jeremy Wadsworth, The (Toledo) Blade, "Rev. Roberts"
2nd - Eamon Queeney, The Columbus Dispatch, "Prom Dress"
3rd - Jenna Watson, Kent State University, "Brianna"
HM - Scott Heckel, The (Canton) Repository, "2nd April Galerie"

Judges comments: A decent variety in portraiture here. Ultimately, what we appreciated throughout the category was clean imagery that draws us into the subject. Each of these did that in their own ways.

Story/Essay
1st - Barbara J. Perenic, The Columbus Dispatch, "Meat Judging"
2nd - Eamon Queeney, The Columbus Dispatch, "The Final Period"

Judges comments: This category was our weakest, but two stories rose to the top quickly. First place does a good job of a tight edit with great visual variety taking us through a unique topic. Second place could be edited down, as there are a few too many frames. Less is more for us going forward. That said, there are some nice individual frames in this essay that we enjoyed. Look to edit down to an 8 picture essay, and we could have seen this take on the top spot.

Judges: from The Flint Journal and MLive Media Group: Jake May, Christian Randolph and Danny Miller

May 2015 clip contest results

Winning images

Spot News
1st - Eamon Queeney, The Columbus Dispatch, "Homicide"
2nd - Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, "Car in Building"
3rd - Angela Wilhelm, Sandusky Register, "Car Fire"

Judges comments: Overall we felt this category had somewhat weak entries. We chose the 1st place image for its raw emotion and the effort made by the photographer to get close to capture a very trying moment.

General News
1st - Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, "Military Museum"
2nd - Jessica Phelps, Newark Advocate, "Arraignment"
3rd - Sam Greene, Cincinnati Enquirer, "Tribute Wall"
HM - Eamon Queeney, The Columbus Dispatch, "Hat Day"

Feature
1st - Jessica Phelps, Newark Advocate, "Bravo"
2nd - Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, "Field of Heroes"
3rd - Mitchell Pe Masilun, The (Mansfield) News Journal, "Dancing in the Street"

Sports Action
1st - Sam Greene, Cincinnati Enquirer, "Saved"
2nd - Sam Greene, Cincinnati Enquirer, "Bummed"
3rd - Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, "Softball Error"

Sports Feature
1st - Eamon Queeney, The Columbus Dispatch, "Dog Pile"
2nd - Shane Flanigan, Zanesville Times Recorder, "Injured Teammate"
3rd - Andy Morrison, The (Toledo) Blade, "Walk Off Win"
HM - Amanda Rossmann, Cincinnati Enquirer, “Hug”

Portraits
1st - Chris Crook, Zanesville Times Recorder, "Sebastian"
2nd - Tom Dodge, The Columbus Dispatch, "Lights"
3rd - Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, "Power Surge"
HM - Eamon Queeney, The columbus Dispatch, “Scooter Swap”

Judges comments: We really liked the un-posed moment captured in the 1st place photo. The candid joy resonated a lot with us. Also after seeing some the scholar athlete images, we thought photographers should more mindful props in their portraits. The 2nd place image made great use of props; the light bulbs brought out the subject’s personality without being too literal.

Story
1st - Mitchell Pe Masilun, The (Mansfield) News Journal, "Airstreams"
2nd - Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch , "Race for the Cure"
3rd - Andy Morrison, The (Toledo) Blade, "Second Language"

Judges comments: We really enjoyed the Airstream series. The photographer captured a really interesting subculture, focusing on composition more so then moments, and it came out really strong overall. We liked the Race 4 Cure series because each image was a good mix of photos that captured a single event. It covered the basics and then went deeper to capture really solid, expressive moments.  The singer could be a lot more powerful if the photographer takes more time and shows us where the subject comes from, like his home country or something that resonates where he is from, outside this single performance.

Judges: Mike Rivera from the Chicago Tribune and Thomas Levinson from the New York Daily News

June 2015 clip contest results

Winning images

Spot News
1st - Sam Greene, The Enquirer/Sam Greene, "Shooting Victim"
2nd - Patricia Schaeffer, The (Lisbon) Morning Journal, "Shadyside Home Destroyed"
3rd - Molly Corfman, The News-Messenger, "Arrested"

Judges comments: First - A really great moment of a terrible situation. There is clear emotion throughout the entire frame, and the urgency in the man's eyes is haunting. This was the clear #1 for spot news. Second - An interesting frame with a lot going on. We liked that our eyes really never stopped moving around the frame. Third - Way to be there to get the arrest after the accident. We thought the look on the guy's face added enough emotion to keep it from being an HM. HM - We argued over this one a bit, but in the end, we decided it was better off an HM since she didn't seem to really be struggling against the water. If there was a bit more "action" then I think this would have placed higher. Having the guy in the upper right was a nice touch though. HM - We liked the action of this photo, but in the end, it was a typical house fire photo. In comparison to the others, it really didn't stand out as a clear winner.

General News
1st - Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, "Vigil"
2nd - Chris Russell, The Columbus Dispatch, "Gay Marriage"
3rd - Shane Flanigan, Zanesville Times Recorder, "Flags of Honor"
HM - Chris Russell, The Columbus Dispatch, "Charleston Vigil"

Judges comments: First - Great moment with great emotion. We don't know who you paid for that light and the rainbow, but this was solid. Second - Out of all of the same-sex marriage photos, we thought this one had the most emotion and human interest. It clearly told the story of what was going on and provided enough context clues. Third - I (David) really liked the flags here, and the body language of the main player in the photo. Note: This could have been propelled up to #2 or #1 by getting in closer. We got a sense of hesitancy of approaching the situation. We like the frame, but get in there! According to the caption, he had his hand over his heart, but we couldn't tell based off this angle. HM - Its a nice frame but we both agreed that moving left or right to get the vertical line out of his head would have been more ideal. We really liked the idea, just wish the execution had been a bit different.

Feature
1st - Mitchell Pe Masilun, The (Mansfield) News Journal, "Safety Town"
2nd - Jenna Watson, Kent State University, "Flag Day"
3rd - Leah Klafczynski, The Columbus Dispatch, "Confederate Cemetery"
HM - Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, "Pop-Up Shower"
HM - Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, "St. Joseph Statue"

Judges comments: First - We both laughed pretty hard at this one. Each child has their own personality and is showing it off in this photo. The expressions made the photo. Second - A good frame. Conveys emotion. Color and cropping are really nice here. Third - We really liked the "timelessness" of this photograph. If this photo had been taken 10, 30, or 100 years ago, it still has an classic look to it that makes you ponder what is going on and it was hard to look away from. Wish list: some pop of color other than the grass. HM - The color coordination is what made this so close to a 3rd place. If only the umbrella was a tiny bit higher to get a glimpse of her face, then you would of had it. A very nice "found" photo though! HM - There was a slight humor in this photo that the bottom three didn't have. Yes it is a guy cleaning a statue, but it does look like he is trying to brush the statue's teeth, and for that, it gets an HM.

Overall, the definition of a "feature" tends to differ between publications and photographers. I (David) look at a feature from a human aspect. Does it create emotion? Does it make me laugh or cry? Is it unique? Jason tends to see features as "found" situations. We felt like we gave a few of each here, and there were some interesting photos in this category.

Sports Action
1st - Jenna Watson, Kent State University, "Interference"
2nd - Patricia Schaeffer, The (Lisbon) Morning Journal, "Stateline Football Classic”
3rd - Barbara J. Perenic, The Columbus Dispatch, "Run Down"
HM - Barbara J. Perenic, The Columbus Dispatch, "Out at Third"
HM - Barbara J. Perenic, The Columbus Dispatch, "Fly Ball"

Judges comments: First - Faces, check. Disk, Check. Guy about to belly flop onto the ground when landing, Check. Nice action frame! Nitpick from a sports photographer: It's obvious that the guy is nearly horizontal, watch cutting off limbs at weird places (ankles and toes). Second - Both players faces and eyes plus the ball got you second place. While it may have been after the ball hit the ground, we still liked the intensity of the photo. Third - A close second, but what made this third was the lack of eyes from the other players. Sometimes it is all about position. Still a solid frame and you don't see images of plays at home this close very often. We really liked this one. HM - More good action and emotion on the slide, but having #7 take up so much of the frame, we had to make this an HM. HM - Ball, eyes, hat flying. Nice action but it doesn't quite make the top 3. Nice frame though!

Sports Feature
1st - Scott Heckel, The (Canton) Repository, "State Champs"
2nd - Jenna Watson, Kent State University, "Colts Open House"
3rd - Sam Greene, Cincinnati Enquirer, "Crusader Celebration"
HM - Mitchell Pe Masilun, The (Mansfield) News Journal, "All-Star Classic"

Judges comments: First - Nice and clean winning frame. Glove in the air was a nice touch (and we know how much you had to do with that) Second - Hard to read at first, but liked the complexity to it. Note: I (David) flipped it around, and I think it still works well like that. We still liked the "hardness to read" upside down because it made it interesting. Third - Nice emotion and laying that lifted it above the other baseball celebration, dog pile photos. Nice job. HM - Our eyes bounced around the frame and we really liked the tone of this.

Portrait
1st - Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, "Bee Keeper"
2nd - Scott Heckel, The (Canton) Repository, "Seeking Shelter"
3rd - Tom Dodge, The Columbus Dispatch, "Peace Labyrinth"

Judges comments: First - Just a straight up clean portrait with off camera lighting. It is what made the photo. Second - Lines and the emotion on his face. Obviously something was seriously affecting him. Third - This was SO close to being named the winner, but without lighting it and with the extra crap at the top left part of the frame, we couldn't go any higher than 3rd. Note:  Maybe next time try lighting it and getting a bit higher to shoot down to clean up the background. We thought the emotion in this one was the best, as her facial expression was solid.

Story/Essay
1st - Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, "Surgeon"
2nd - Jessica Phelps, Newark Advocate, "Miss Ohio"
3rd - Barbara J. Perenic, The Columbus Dispatch, "Solemn Assembly of Prayer"
HM - Mitchell Pe Masilun, The (Mansfield) News Journal, "Searching"

Judges comments: First - A nice story with imagery that lead me though the entire process from start to end. What made this #1 was that the photographer didn't have any repeat photos. Every single frame was something new, something different. That propelled it to first place. Interesting story as well. Second - Again, another great photo essay that showed the entire process. This got second simply because we felt like the photos at the beginning seemed to repeat slightly as people getting ready/practicing in front of other contestants or people. If you had maybe done one of those opening photos, I think you had it. The visuals here were great. Third - A great story with good visuals. We liked that nothing really repeated in this story, but didn't think the frames were as strong as #2. Way to shoot really tight and give interesting angles on some of these. HM - A nice story but we really expected more emotion from something this big. We also felt like mostly everything was shot with a telephoto from a distance. Note: Don't be afraid to get in there and rub shoulders with these people. Sometimes that is where the best photos are made.

llustration
1st - Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, "Pecan Pie"
2nd - Kareem Elgazzar, Cincinnati Enquirer, "Salmon"
3rd - Mitchell Pe Masilun, The (Mansfield) News Journal, "Multiple Sports"
HM - Eamon Queeney, The Columbus Dispatch, "Three Bean Salad"

Judges comments: Just one overall comment for this category. The food shots were pretty solid, but considering the first place one actually illustrated something about the Kentucky Derby (or so we assume), that was the reasoning for it's position. Some people may question our choice of the football for #3, but at least the photographer tried something different and new. We wanted to honor that even though the photo may not have been as technically sound as the others. This category made us hungry.

Judges: David Welker and Jason Braverman from the Gwinnett Daily Post in Lawrenceville, GA.

July 2015 clip contest results

Winning images

Feature
1st - Leah Klafczynski, The Columbus Dispatch, "Fishing Pride”
2nd - Jeff Lange | The (Youngstown) Vi, The (Youngstown) Vindicator, "Sweet Pea Ta Party"
3rd - Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, "Dash"
HM - Barbara J. Perenic, The Columbus Dispatch, "Sprinkler"
HM - Leah Klafczynski, The Columbus Dispatch, "Aduly Farm Camp"

Judges comments: Great offering, all these photos could carry a daily front. What a great catch, pun intended, with the fish kiss, composition and lighting. The embrace is touching, wish I had more information on the woman and her condition. The dash is a great moment that sums up the weather conditions. Sprinkler is a great moment that puts a smile on your face. The old fall back silhouette, but with a great, graphic composure like this it’s more than a CYA shot.

General News
1st - Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, "Remains"
2nd - Tom Dodge, The Columbus Dispatch, "Lunch"
3rd - Mitchell Pe Masilun, The (Mansfield) News Journal, "Boom"
HM - Tom Dodge, The Columbus Dispatch, "Bridge"
HM - Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, "Guns"

Judges comments: Diverse group of photos. The remains shot turned out great and paid off.

Portrait
1st - Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, "Abusing Disabled"
2nd - Eamon Queeney, The Columbus Dispatch, "Foster Age"
3rd - Shane Flanigan, Zanesville Times Recorder, "Cabin"
HM - Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, "Abusing Disabled"
HM - Eamon Queeney, The Columbus Dispatch, "Wealth Contrasts"

Judges comments: Well composed portraits, with powerful stories behind them. Abusingdisabled1 comes is simple, nicely lit, the bunny and begs the question what’s the story. Once we read the cutlines, this became number one for creating a difficult portrait beautifully. Fosterage gives a great environment, light, composure and feeling. Cabin, the least depressing winner might we add, is a fun twist on what could’ve been a basic photo. Abusingdisabled2 is similar in composure but more distant and dark. Wealthcontrasts could give more contrast by showing more of the living conditions that make for such a contrast, but the flag insinuates that—life liberty, pursuit of happiness.

Sports Feature
1st - Eamon Queeney, The Columbus Dispatch, "Soccer Win"
2nd - Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, "Catch"
3rd - Scott Heckel, The (Canton) Repository, "Crazy Hat Day"
HM - Lisa Bernheim, The (Mansfield) News Journal, "Sweat"
HM - Jeff Lange, The (Youngstown) Vindicator, "Football Camp"

Judges comments: A solid crop of features. SoccerWin wins for emotion, framing and timing. Same for catch, just not as strongly composed. France makes you laugh and think. I wish there was a more angry face, straight on shot of the players with their hats, but that’s not entirely feasible. Sweat turns a basic moment into a good slice of life. Tackle has great emotion, that kid is a killer.

Spot News
1st - Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, "Rescue"
2nd - Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, "Drug Raid"
3rd - Lisa Bernheim, The (Mansfield) News Journal, "Accident"
HM - Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, "Body Found"

Sports
1st - Andy Morrison, The (Toledo) Blade, "Safe at the Plate"
2nd - Scott Heckel, The (Canton) Repository, "Pass Broekn Up"
3rd - Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, "Jump"
HM - Patricia Schaeffer, The (Lisbon) Morning Journal, "Hoppel's Rodeo"
HM - Leah Klafczynski, The Columbus Dispatch, "Safe at Home"

Judges comments: Four solid home plate action shots, decisions, decisions. Safe gave us peak action, suspense and the right angle. Home had great emotion and residual action. Safeathome gave the after action play and slide the pre-action.

Story
1st - Shane Flanigan, Zanesville Times Recorder, "Texting"
2nd - Andy Morrison, The (Toledo) Blade, "Marathon LPGA"
3rd - Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, "Car Show"
HM - Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, "Adam"

Judges comments” Texting showed some good commitment to the story with good storytelling. It needs to be tighter and more emotion, but still the top. MarathonLPGA is an essay like carshow, but both provide great moments, marathonLPGA more so. I appreciate Adam’s effort, but it felt like too much process, not enough moments, emotion.

Judges: Gavin Jackson/The Post and Courier and Kerry Maloney/Freelance

August 2015 clip contest results

Winning images

1st - Eamon Queeney, The Columbus Dispatch, "Jumper"
2nd - Tom Dodge, The Columbus Dispatch, "Dart"
3rd - Patricia Schaeffer, The (Lisbon) Morning Journal, "Flame

Judges comments: First was the newsiest of all the entries and good composition.

General News
1st - Shane Flanigan, Zanesville Times Recorder, "Fair Auction"
2nd - Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, "Reunion"
3rd - Eamon Queeney, The Columbus Dispatch, "Balloon Fest"
HM - Shane Flanigan, Zanesville Times Recorder, "Sheep Auction"

Judges comments: First was a really solid moment that was well composed. The wider angle was appreciated to show the environment and give context.

Feature
1st - Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, "Bataway"
2nd - Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, "Goat"
3rd - Molly Corfman, The (Fremont) News-Messenger, "Roper"

Judges comments: First was a fun view and moment we haven't seen before.

Sports Action
1st - Sam Greene, Cincinnati Enquirer, "Leap"
2nd - Andy Morrison, The (Toledo) Blade, "Stopped Shot"
3rd - Jeff Lange, The (Youngstown) Vindicator, "Mouthful"

Judges comments: First was a solid long lens sports action.

Sports Feature
1st - Leah Klafczynski, The Columbus Dispatch, "Pee Wee Boxing"
2nd - Erik Schelkun, Elsestar Images, "Triathlon Finish"
3rd - Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, "Pelotonia"

Judges comments: First was a good moment in an often unseen situation for us.

Portrait
1st - Tom Dodge, The Columbus Dispatch, "Staircase"
2nd - Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, "Typemaster"
3rd - Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, "Celebrating 70 Years"

Judges comments: We liked first because it used natural light well and showed us some environment as our eyes were led into the frame.

Story/Essay
1st - Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, "Bocce"
2nd - Chris Russell, The Columbus Dispatch , "Prosperity Summit"
3rd - Amanda Rossmann, Cincinnati Enquirer, "Black Lives Matter"

Judges comments: First had a great variety of moments with a great use of light.

Judges: from the Washington Post, Jabin Botsford, Marvin Joseph and Ricky Cariot 

Sept 2015 clip contest results

Winning images

Spot News
1st - Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, "Student Death"
2nd - Chris Crook, Zanesville Times Recorder, "Hotel Fire"

Judges comments: We only chose these two because we felt that the rest of the work within the category lacked the impact of spot news, with many compositions and edits quite loose.  We all agreed that this is one of the toughest categories within the news photography business.

General News
1st - Scott Heckel, The (Canton) Repository, "Vigil"
2nd - Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, "Coroner"
3rd - Shane Flanigan, Zanesville Times Recorder, "Kickball"

Judges comments: Overall strong body of work in the category.  We felt first place had lots of emotion, impact, and was straight to the point.  The use of depth of field and layering for Coroner was very creative and seductive to the viewer, and leaves the viewer curious and wanting to know/see more.  Tough call between 1st and 2nd, but in the interest of body/blood shots and the lede image, we went with Vigil.  For honorable mention, we agreed that the creative use of a slow shutter speed worked well in telling the "first day of school back in session" shot that we all, at some point in our career, had to make for the local news section.

Feature
1st - Patricia Schaeffer, The (Lorain) Morning Journal, "That's the Spirit"
2nd - Chris Russell, The Columbus Dispatch , "Climber"
3rd - Joshua A. Bickel, ThisWeek Community News, "Little Brown Jug"
HM - Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, "Singh Indian Dancers"

Judges comments: The little girl's face in Spirit PFS says it all.  Great job in seeing the moment.  2nd place was a really nice pictorial and use of silhouette against unique shapes of that jungle gym.  We've all had our fair share of silhouettes when out looking for wild art features, and this one, all the elements made for a nice photo.  3rd place Kent and Jamm in particular loved the use of framing and seeing, although the composition may have been a bit too loose for Eugene, and so in turn, loses impact and intimacy with the subject...but it's a horse! Honorable mention is a nice solid, bread and butter feature, great color, timing, and facial expression.

Sports Action
1st - Sam Greene, Cincinnati Enquirer, "Dalton Fumble"
2nd - Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, "Interference"
3rd - Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, "Field Hockey"
HM - Leah Klafczynski, The Columbus Dispatch, "Grand Prix"HM - Erik Schelkun, Elsestar Images, "Flyer 5K"

Judges comments: 1st place is all about the face.  We kept coming back to it and its impact never waned.  We agreed that a slightly tighter crop, perhaps 25-30% in, would make for a better edit.  2nd place had the crop we were looking for.  Tight, in your face, peak action.  3rd place was all about the perspective.  Nice low angle, clean shot, and the pebbles flying added drama to the shot.  HM to Grand Prix, and this also had a crop issue,  If it was a vertical all the way into the horse and equestrian, it would've placed up there.  Background was just too distracting, because the moment is there.  Almost on this.  2nd HM also props to perspective and getting down low for the cross country shot.  The looser composition really lends itself to layout and design.

Sports Feature
1st - Leah Klafczynski, The Columbus Dispatch, "Hockey Reflection"
2nd - Scott Heckel, The (Canton) Repository, "Double Duty"
3rd - Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, "Standing Room Only"
HM - Barbara J. Perenic, The Columbus Dispatch, "Turf"
HM - Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, "Hiding"

Judges comments: 1st place was just creative, tack sharp, and layered in its seeing--phenomenal image and great moment with the kid in the big hockey arena.  It was a hard pick between this and Jaxgo 02 SAH for 1st place, but we ultimately agreed the creativity that the photographer had to come up with in Hockey Reflection took precedence over the great moment in Jaxgo 02.  Nice use of depth of field and layers in Standing Room Only, very symmetrical and visually pleasing.  HM to Turf for a really light hearted moment in the mud and rain, great capture.  Hide also gave us a good laugh with a great moment captured.  Way to be alert and see what's going on outside the box.

Portrait
1st - Chris Russell, The Columbus Dispatch , "Newborn"
2nd - Andy Morrison, The (Toledo) Blade, "Brewmaster"
3rd - Chris Russell, The Columbus Dispatch , "Advocate"

Judges comments: 1st place was really about the moment.  Nice composition, and poignant frame captured of a mother and child.  Brewmaster was equally intimate and we agreed that the subject was captured very casually and comfortably within her element--great example of a successful environmental portrait.  Advocate is a nice, bread and butter example of daily work and lighting know-how.

Story/Essay
1st - Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, "Little Brown Jug"
2nd - Barbara J. Perenic, The Columbus Dispatch, "Pope's Visit"

Judges comments: For the two we selected to place, we all agreed that both had unique vision to see beyond what was in front of the photographer and they really had to "see."  Little brown jug was very intriguing and intimate to us and we felt like we were spending a day at the tracks with the subjects of the photog.  The edit needs to be tighter, though.  We tried to go through and cull a few of the images for a more impactful package.  For second place, we commended the photog for actually using just one image of the Pope, even though the assignment he/she was at was obviously news coverage of the Pontiff's visit.  Kudos for thinking outside the box.

Illustration
1st - Eamon Queeney, The Columbus Dispatch. “Converse Upgrade”
2nd - Chris Russell, The Columbus Dispatch, “Sweet Corn”

Judges comments: We weren't entirely sure of some of the entries in this category and whether they belonged within the category of Illustration, so we went with the newspaper mentality and judged based on that.  We liked Converse for its symmetry and well lit, colorful composition.  Could easily be the Feature cover lede shot if that was the story it was going along with.  Sweet corn is a clean, daily work food shot, but photographer needs be conscious of clean plateware.  We deduced that the soup was probably brought out by a server/manager, placed on the table, and in the ensuing walk there, it sloshed around a bit in its bowl, hence the soup "waterline" marks on the bowl.  All of us agreed that in food shots, details like that are just as important as the lighting and composition of the shot itself.  We also thought that the shot could use something green for color, perhaps chives or chopped parsley?  It was overall a bit too yellow for us, but hey, it's corn chowder!

Judges: Jamm Aquino, Honolulu Star-Advertiser and freelancers Kent Nishimura, Eugene Tanner

October 2015 clip contest results

Winning images

Spot News
1st - Patricia Schaeffer, The (Lisbon) Morning Journal, "Emergency Care"
2nd - Patricia Schaeffer, The (Lisbon) Morning Journal, "Evacuation"
3rd - Patricia Schaeffer, The (Lisbon) Morning Journal, "House Fire"

Judges comments: The first place photo was an odd composition and might have been improved with a tighter crop from the top. The second place photo was comical. Overall the category was pretty weak. 

General News
1st - Mitchell Pe Masilun, The (Mansfield) News Journal, "Ding"
2nd - Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, "Death Penalty"
3rd - Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, "Graveyard Bucks"

Judges comments: Another weak category. The first place photo was nice but seemed more suitable as a feature. We would have docked it points if there had been better competition. 

Feature
1st - Andy Morrison, The (Toledo) Blade, "Monarch Release"
2nd - Leah Klafczynski, The Columbus Dispatch, "Confetti"
3rd - Joshua A. Bickel, ThisWeek Community News, "Backstage"
HM - Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, “Skyway”

Judges comments: Nice moment captured in the first place photo. We're were curious if the second place photo could have benefitted from a vertical crop. The third place photo was carried by the girl's expression. The HM photo took a while to understand but we thought it was framed well.

Sports Action
1st - Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, "Uppercut"
2nd - Eamon Queeney, The Columbus Dispatch, "Leap"
3rd - Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, "Touchdown Catch"
HM - Mitchell Pe Masilun, The (Mansfield) News Journal, "Bump"

Judges comments: Great category. First and second places were obvious. Third place was close to being another great shot but the cutoff foot really hurts. The first HM was funny enough to earn it's spot. 

Sports Feature
1st - Erik Schelkun, Elsestar Images, "Victory Dance"
2nd - Andy Morrison, The (Toledo) Blade, "Bad Snap"
3rd - Erik Schelkun, Elsestar Images, "Rowing Practice"
HM - Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, "Marathon Cause"

Judges comments: The rain adds a really cool element to an otherwise standard celebration shot in the first place photo. The second place photo had a nice moment and was clean and easy to read. The third place photo is cool and the symmetry is nice. We did not like the square framing of it though. The HM photo would have done better in the feature category. The street light is a bit distracting and not necessary with a crop from the top.

Portrait
1st - Barbara J. Perenic, The Columbus Dispatch, "Artist"
2nd - Eamon Queeney, The Columbus Dispatch, "Buckeye Rappers"
3rd - Chris Russell, The Columbus Dispatch , "Blue Jackets Captain"
HM Shane Flanigan, Zanesville Times Recorder, "Corn Maze"
HM - Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, “Golfer”

Judges comments: This category did not have many entries but it was probably the most competitive. Great portraits. We are jealous that some papers out there still value this and give photographers time to make a great portrait. The first photo is fun to look at, creative and well done all around. The second place and third place photos are very clean and well done. The HM's were also well done. They just weren't as exciting as the first three.

Story/Essay
1st - Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Opening Night”

Judges comments: Only two entries. We fought with whether or not to even place one. The hockey story is the better of the two as it has some nice shots mixed into a pretty weak story.

Judges: Robert Franklin and Becky Malewitz from the South Bend Tribune

November 2015 clip contest results

Winning images

Spot News
1st - Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, "Truck Over Bridge"
2nd - Molly Corfman, The News-Messenger, "Firefighters"
3rd - Patricia Schaeffer, The (Lisbon) Morning Journal, "Tractor vs SUV"

Judges comments: overall category was sparse, winning image captured a dramatic spot news event. Second place showed creativity of a usual fire.

General News 
1st - Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, "Widow Mourning"
2nd - Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, "Holocaust Survivor Funeral"
3rd - Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, "Courtroom Drama"
HM - Andy Morrison, The (Toledo) Blade, "Candlelight Vigil"

Judges comments: Stronger category. First image shows a nice moment and good composition. Overall great light in the category and nice moments, like the tears at the trial.

Feature
1st - Leah Klafczynski, The Columbus Dispatch, "Princess Lola"
2nd - Barbara J. Perenic, The Columbus Dispatch, "Hanging in the Hammock"
3rd - Leah Klafczynski, The Columbus Dispatch, "Legos"
HM - Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, "Ohio Star Ball Reflections"
HM - Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, "Mirror Lake Swim"

Judges comments: Lots of good color and moments. Close choosing between first and second place. Decided to go with the light and the moment of the girl which feels nice and intimate. The third shot is funny and has a great composition. Both honorable mentions took unique photos of what could be simple situations.

Sports
1st - Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, "Ohio State Catch"
2nd - Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, "Hockey Celebration"
3rd - Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, "Bengals Leap"

Judges comments: First image is great, we would suggest a crop up from the bottom as it provides nothing extra to the frame. Get us to those eyes. The second photo tilt bothered us a bit at first, but the moment is too good to pass up. Third moment is great, nice catch.

Sports Feature
1st - Sam Greene, Cincinnati Enquirer, "Crashing Into Camera "
2nd - Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, "Big House Tunnel"
3rd - Sam Greene, Cincinnati Enquirer, "Xavier Reaction"
HM - Erik Schelkun, Elsestar Images, "Soccer Jubilation"
HM - Sam Greene, Cincinnati Enquirer, "Big Ben Sacked"

Judges comments: Intense different moment from the winner and nice images overall from this category. Second place makes you work for it, but feels different from the rest. Amazing photo to put on a wall large.

Portrait 
1st - Leah Klafczynski, The Columbus Dispatch, "Alexa Fisher"
2nd - Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, "Memoralizing Her Son"
3rd - Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, "FACE"

Judges comments: A weaker category with few entries. The photos we chose were incorporated nice light.

Story
1st - Eamon Queeney, The Columbus Dispatch, "Knights of Columbus"
2nd - Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, "Donald Trump"
3rd - Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, "The Game"

Judges comments: First place story was by far the strongest. Showed strong storytelling with very nice light and good moments. There was nice moments that were in each of the winning stories.

Judges: Rob Schumacher, Patrick Breen, Cheryl Evans, and David Wallace from the Arizona Republic photo staff

December 2015 clip contest results

Winning images

Spot News
1st - Angela Wilhelm, Sandusky Register, "Car vs Train"
2nd - Patricia Schaeffer, The (Lisbon) Morning Journal, "Carport Crash"
3rd - Mitchell Pe Masilun, The (Mansfield) News Journal, "Meth Lab Discovered"
HM - Angela Wilhelm, Sandusky Register, "Truck Fire"
HM - Tom Dodge, The Columbus Dispatch, "Christmas Shootings"

Judges comments: first place rose above others. Second place was a nice moment. Third place had nice lighting. 

General News
1st - Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, "Addiction"
2nd - Tom Dodge, The Columbus Dispatch, "Welcome Home"
3rd - Mitchell Pe Masilun, The (Mansfield) News Journal, "The Light"
HM - Tom Dodge, The Columbus Dispatch, "Hoarding"
HM - Mitchell Pe Masilun, The (Mansfield) News Journal, "Christmas Party"

Judges comments: First place was a wonderful and emotional photo. Welcome Home was a nice moment, well executed and third place The Light has nice lighting. HM Hoarding a great story, and nice moment, but the man is soft. 

Feature
1st - Molly Corfman, The News-Messenger, "Tree Lighting"
2nd - Andy Morrison, The (Toledo) Blade, "Swimming Santa"
3rd - Eamon Queeney, The Columbus Dispatch, "Moving"
HM - Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, "Photo Opp"
HM - Angela Wilhelm, Sandusky Register, "Angelman's Syndrome"

Judges comments: Foggy Tree Lighting is a beautiful photo, rose above the others. Second place Santa in the fishtank was a nice moment. Third place moving family photo also a nice moment. 

Sports Action
1st - Kareem Elgazzar, Cincinnati Enquirer, "Rebound"
2nd - Barbara J. Perenic, The Columbus Dispatch, "Facemask"
3rd - Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, "Foul"
HM - Chris Russell, The Columbus Dispatch, "Foul"
HM - Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, "Rebound"

Judges comments: Lots of great sports action. First was simply different than most basketball we see. Second and third were good moments, clean and sharp.

Sports Feature
1st - Barbara J. Perenic, The Columbus Dispatch, "Icey Splash"
2nd - Angela Wilhelm, Sandusky Register, "Takedown"
3rd - Andy Morrison, The (Toledo) Blade, "Stunner"
HM - Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, "Distraction"
HM - Andy Morrison, The (Toledo) Blade, "MAC Champs"

Judges comments: First and second place were different than standard sports features, easy to look at. 

Portrait
1st - Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, "Pear Harbor Veteran"
2nd - Eamon Queeney, The Columbus Dispatch, "Robbery"
3rd - Eamon Queeney, The Columbus Dispatch, "Hate Crime"
HM - Chris Russell, The Columbus Dispatch , "Globetrotter"
HM - Mitchell Pe Masilun, The (Mansfield) News Journal, "Horseman"

Judges comments: First place was technically wonderful. Portrait of guy robbed was stark and nicely lit. 

Story/Essay
1st - Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, "MLS Cup"
2nd - Mitchell Pe Masilun, The (Mansfield) News Journal, "Last Days"
3rd - Brooke LaValley, The Columbus Dispatch, "Dress Rehearsal"
HM - Eamon Queeney, The Columbus Dispatch, "MLS Cup"

Judges comments:  MLS had the best overall number of strong images, well rounded. Last days could have been first, but it had about four to five too many images. Lots of strong images toward the end, but too many filler images. 

Illustration
1st - Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, "Cheese Board"
2nd - Brooke LaValley, The Columbus Dispatch, "Luminaries"
3rd - Andy Morrison, The (Toledo) Blade, "Green Eggs & Ham"
HM - Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, "Basketball Section"
HM - Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, "Pickled Pears"

Judges comments: Cheese plate was nice, straight up illustration. Luminaries was the most original, could have been cropped tighter. 
 

Judges: From Anderson Independent Mail, S.C. - Ken Ruinard, Sefton Ipock, and Melissa Lewis

2015 Final Standings

1st - Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch - 1004
2nd - Eamon Queeney, The Columbus Dispatch - 964
3rd - Andy Morrison, The (Toledo) Blade - 822
4th - Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch - 804
5th - Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch - 794
6th - Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch - 564
7th - Barbara Perenic, The Columbus Dispatch - 534
8th - Chris Russell, The Columbus Dispatch - 504
       - Mitch Pe Masilun, The (Mansfield) News Journal - 504
10th - Patti Schaeffer, The (Lisbon) Morning Journal - 464
11th - Leah Klafczynski, The Columbus Dispatch - 398
12th - Shane Flanigan, Zanesville Times Recorder - 394
13th - Sam Greene, Cincinnati Enquirer - 388
14th - Scott Heckel, The Repository - 374         
15th - Tom Dodge, The Columbus Dispatch - 354
16th - Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun - 304
17th - Kareem Elgazzar, Cincinnati Enquirer - 258
18th - Erik Shelkun, Elsestar Images - 234
        - Jeremy Wadsworth, The (Toledo) Blade - 234
20th - Jessica Phelps,The (Newark) Advocate - 220         
        - Jenna Watson, Kent State University - 220
22nd - Brooke LaValley, The Columbus Dispatch - 204
23rd - Angela Wilhelm, Sandusky Register - 184
24th - Molly Corfman, The News Messenger - 168
25th - Joshua Bickel, ThisWeek Community News - 144
26th - Fred Squillante, The Columbus Dispatch - 114
27th - Chris Crook, Zanesville Times Recorder - 108
28th - Jeff Lange, The (Youngstown) Vindicator - 104  
29th - Lorrie Cecil, ThisWeek Newspapers - 74          
         - William West - 74
31st - Lisa Bernheim, The (Mansfield) News Journal - 64         
         - Katie Rausch, The (Toledo) Blade - 64
33rd -  Amanda Rossmann, Cincinnti Enquirer - 58
34th - Isaac Hale, Ohio University - 54