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.
The last photographer from The Blade to win the portfolio competition was Katie Rausch in 2013. You need to go back to 1983 since the Times Reporter had a POY winner and that was the first of several titles won by Eric Albrecht.
Erik Schelkun of Elsestar Images won the Ron Kuntz Sports Photographer of the Year award.
Brooke LaValley from The Columbus Dispatch finished second in the large market POY and Adam Cairns from The Columbus Dispatch placed third. Bill Lackey from the Springfield News-Sun won an Award of Excellence in the small market POY division.
Loriene Perera from Ohio University won the Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year Award.
Twenty-one visual journalists from across the state submitted 307 entries in the 73rd annual news photography contest.
Judging the still competition were: Craig Ruttle, an independent photojournalist based in NYC, Kevin Clark, staff photographer at The Seattle Times, and Kelly Jordan, a Video Production Specialist for the US Navy. Denny Simmons, Deputy Director of Photography at The Tennessean, judged the multimedia entries.
The still contest judging was recorded and can be viewed on the ONPA YouTube channel.
Multimedia results will be posted as soon as they are available.
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.
Large Market Photographer of the Year – Jeremy Wadsworth/ The Blade
Chris McCrea and his wife Michelle McCrea of Adrian, Michigan, explore the Toledo Tattoo Festival at the Glass City Convention Center in Toledo.
And the winners are:
George A. Smallsreed, Jr. Photographer of the Year (Small Market)
1st – Andrew Dolph, The Times Reporter
Award of Excellence – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun
George A. Smallsreed, Jr. Photographer of the Year (Large Market)
1st – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade
2nd – Brooke LaValley, The Columbus Dispatch
3rd – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch
Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year Award
1st – Loriene Perera, Ohio University
Larry Fullerton Photojournalism Scholarship
1st – Zoe Cranfill, Ohio University
2nd – Olivia Lutz, Ohio University
James R. Gordon Ohio Understanding Award
No entries
Best of Show
Andrew Dolph, The Times Reporter, “Junior Hog Showmanship”
Monthly Clip Contest Photographer of the Year
1st – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade
2nd – Brooke LaValley, The Columbus Dispatch
3rd – Rebecca Benson, The Blade
Feature
1st – Andrew Dolph, The Times Reporter, “Junior Hog Showmanship”
2nd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Horse”
3rd – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “Pickleball”
Award of Excellence – Liz Dufour, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Fritz Preens”
Award of Excellence – Loriene Perera, Ohio University, “Holi”
Award of Excellence – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Baby Races”
Feature Picture Story
1st – Michael Blackshire, Ohio University, “Tablertown Psalms”
2nd – Michael Blackshire, Ohio University, “See You When I See You”
3rd – Loriene Perera, Ohio University, “Symphony of Soil”
General News
1st – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Flag Retirement”
2nd – Brooke LaValley, The Columbus Dispatch, “Redistricting Commission”
3rd – Rebecca Benson , The Blade, “Vigil”
Award of Excellence – Adam Cairns , The Columbus Dispatch, “Issue 1”
Award of Excellence – Andrew Dolph, The Times Reporter, “A Statement of Remorse”
Award of Excellence – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Regal Theater Development”
Illustration
1st – Brooke LaValley, The Columbus Dispatch, “Polpo”
2nd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Sandwich”
3rd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Pumpkin Seeds”
Award of Excellence – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Mocktail”
News Picture Story
1st – Andrew Dolph, The Times Reporter, “Tuscarawas Valley Bus Tragedy”
2nd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “UAW Strike”
3rd – Jonathan Aguilar, The Blade, “Tornado”
Pictorial
1st – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “Impound Lot”
2nd – Adam Cairns , The Columbus Dispatch, “Sturgeon Supermoon”
3rd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Mills Race”
Award of Excellence – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Barn Shadows”
Award of Excellence – Kurt Steiss, The Blade, “Toledo Hedges”
Portrait Personality
1st – Andrew Dolph, The Times Reporter, “‘Sugar Dre’ Donovan”
2nd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Tattoos”
3rd – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Ted Gantz”
Award of Excellence – Isaac Ritchey, The Blade, “Holi Toledo”
Award of Excellence – Brooke LaValley, The Columbus Dispatch, “Fireworks Aftermath”
Award of Excellence – Brooke LaValley, The Columbus Dispatch, “Emergency Benefits End”
Ron Kuntz Sports Photographer of the Year
1st – Erik Schelkun, Elsestar Images
2nd – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch
3rd – Isaac Ritchey, The Blade
Award of Excellence – Rebecca Benson, The Blade
Sports Action
1st – Sam Greene, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Dragged”
2nd – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “Safe at Second”
3rd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Hair”
Award of Excellence – Isaac Ritchey, The Blade, “Takedown”
Award of Excellence – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “Outfield Collsion”
Award of Excellence – Sam Greene, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “For The Win”
Sports Feature
1st – Andrew Dolph, The Times Reporter, “State Champs”
2nd – Erik Schelkun, Elsestar Images, “Warmups”
3rd – Kurt Steiss, The Blade, “Anthony Wayne Band”
Award of Excellence – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Taking the Field”
Award of Excellence – Rebecca Benson, The Blade, “Goal”
Award of Excellence – Sam Greene, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Damar Hamlin”
Sports Picture Story
1st – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “Ryder Cup”
2nd – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “Girls State Wrestling”
3rd – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “Marvin Harrison Jr.”
Spot News
1st – Marshall Gorby , Dayton Daily News, “Storm Drain Capture”
2nd – Adam Cairns , The Columbus Dispatch, “SWAT”
3rd – Adam Cairns , The Columbus Dispatch, “Shell Casings”
Award of Excellence – Andrew Dolph , The Times Reporter, “Brush Fire”
Award of Excellence – Marshall Gorby , Dayton Daily News, “Piglets”
Feature Video
1st – Doral Chenoweth, The Columbus Dispatch, “Gender Affirming Surgery at Age 79”
Judge’s comments: Found this to be the most intriguing video in the category. The character’s story is fascinating and a little heartbreaking. The access was impressive, but the video work was a little jerky. Journalists are tired of hearing it, but it could have used a tighter edit.
Sports Video
1st – Doral Chenoweth, The Columbus Dispatch, “Old Fashioned Burnout Party”
Judge’s comments: This video was fun. Some solid characters. The editing was a little choppy and maybe some of the sequences were too long, but overall it was a good time.
Documentary Video
1st – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “Jack Hanna’s Long Goodbye”
Judge’s comments: Nice story on a local (and national) treasure. Allowing his wife to narrate the story was a good choice and you could experience a lot of what she was going through. It wasn’t just a story about him. The amazing still images of Hanna interspersed throughout the story really were the cherry on top.
Team Video
1st – The Columbus Dispatch, “80 Hours of Gun Violence”
Judge’s comments: Although a bit long, entry had some good storytelling. The access granted was commendable as was the use of video from other sources.
Chuck Scott Student Photogrpaher of the Year – Loriene Perera/ Ohio University
Seed farmer Lindsay A. Klaunig, 39, of Toledo points out Abe Lincoln tomato seeds while sorting out a pail of rotten tomatoes at Trouvaille Farm in the unincorporated community of Shade, Ohio. According to Klaunig, the seeds are for an eight pound order for seed company Baker Creek that is based in Missouri. “They were the first company I contracted with 5 years ago. I’ve been growing for them since, especially during the pandemic. The contract sizes got bigger but the prices did not,” Klaunig elaborated.
1st place News Picture Story – Andrew Dolph / The Times Reporter
Parents and students embrace outside the vestibule at Tuscarawas Valley Middle-High School in Zoarville, Ohio, after learning that three of the school’s marching band members as well as a teacher, and 2 chaparones died in a fiery bus crash on Interstate 70, in Licking County – about an hour from the school. The crash was a multi-vehilce, chain reaction crash.
Ron Kuntz Sports Photoographer of the Year – Erik Shelkun / Elsestar Images
Cincinnati’s Max Scharping walks to the field for warmups prior to the Bengals game against the Indianapolis Colts.
1st place Spot News – Marshall Gorby / Dayton Daily News
A man with a gun who ran from a traffic stop Tuesday, March 14, 2023, was caught hiding in a storm drain on Kathleen Avenue in Dayton not far from East Siebenthaler Avenue and Riverside Drive.
1st place General News – Bill Lackey / Springfield News-Sun
Lance James, a member of the American Legion Post 286 in New Carlisle, turns his face away from the heat as he uses a crutch to light 13,000 flags on fire during a Veterans Day Flag Retirement Ceremony.
1st place Sports Picture Story – Adam Cairns / The Columbus Dispatch
Team Europe golfer Shane Lowry and Team Europe celebrates with the Ryder Cup trophy after beating Team USA during the final day of the 44th Ryder Cup golf competition at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club.