July – Story – 1st place – Valley City Frog Jump Director Dave Raco searches for frogs on a private pond in Valley City. Raco says nightfall is the prime time to catch frogs on the banks of ponds. (Jeff Lange / Akron Beacon Journal)
Monthly Clip Contest
Clip contest results from both July and August are in. Jonathan Aguilar was the top point producer in August with 192 points. Jeff Lange took top honors in July with 282 points. Full results and galleries
Point Standings
1st – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade – 1336
2nd – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal – 1116
3rd – Rebecca Benson, The Blade – 936
4th – Andrew Dolph, The Times Reporter – 880
5th – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun – 826
6th – Kurt Steiss, The Blade – 806
7th – Jonathan Aguilar, The Blade – 484
8th – Erik Schelkun, Elsestar Images – 258
9th – Brooke LaValley, The Columbus Dispatch – 230
10th – Isaac Ritchey, The Blade – 92
11th – Lisa Scalfaro, Akron Beacon Journal – 54
12th – Sam Greene, Cincinnati Enquirer – 44
Photo community mourns the loss of Ron Schwane
The photo community in Ohio awoke Sunday to hear the shocking news that longtime Cleveland sports photographer Ron Schwane had passed away suddenly. Schwane had worked for many years at the Medina Gazette and freelanced for AP, Getty and a host of other clients.
Many of us worked alongside Schwane at Cleveland professional sporting events, a place where many friendships had formed over the years. Schwane was the sort of individual that easily made friends and the reason many are mourning his loss today.
One of those is Aaron Josefczyk who posted on social media – Ron was my very first friend when I moved to Medina 31 years ago, he helped me figure my way around and learn the photography job as we were both rookies at the time. Ron brought me into the Medina Gazette as a sports photographer in 1999 and we were both there until this day. Ron also gave me my connection with Reuters and the late legend Ron Kuntz, without Ron’s help it is hard to tell where my career would have taken me. I am tore up, we lost an amazing photographer and friend yesterday.
Schwane’s passing has left Medina County high schools in shock as well. Many of us saw his images from professional sports assignments, but there were many more high school and equestrian events that he covered over the years.
There are no calling hours or funeral service, but a celebration of life, probably in late June, is in the works.
The Cleveland Guardians had a scoreboard tribute and a moment of silence prior to the team’s game Monday agains the New York Mets in his honor.
Link to a tribute column in the Medina Gaztee by Rick Nolan
Ron Schwane
The Cleveland Guardians had a scoreboard tribute and a moment of silence prior to the team’s game Monday agains the New York Mets in his honor. (Curtis Danburg)
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.
Social media:
Instagram: Zoe Cranfill | Charlie Nick | Megan VanVlack | Ben Pennington
Lori King: Website
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Shoot Lori King an email at lorikingblog@gmail.com
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 – 1336
2nd – Jeff Lange – 1116
3rd – Rebecca Benson – 936
4th – Andrew Dolph – 880
5th – Bill Lackey – 826
6th – Kurt Steiss – 806
7th – Jonathan Aguilar – 484
8th – Erik Schelkun – 258
9th – Brooke LaValley – 230
10th – Isaac Ritchey – 92
Kimberly Barth
Board Chair
Andrew Dolph
President
Kristin Bauer
Treasurer
Sam Greene
Still Vice President
Chris Reece
Television Vice President
Lisa Scalfaro
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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