March 2018 clip contest results

Winning images

Spot News
1st – Patricia Schaeffer, The (Lisbon) Morning Journal, “Head-on Crash”
2nd – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “White Water”
3rd – Patrica Schaeffer, The (Lisbon) Morning Journal, “Down the Flue”

Judge’s comments: For a few of the photos the captions really hurt the photos. The were back into and seemed to be editorialized.

General News
1st – Shane Flanigan, ThisWeek Community News, “Vigil”
2nd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Shots”
3rd – Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, “Gun Rally”
HM – Lisa Scalfaro, Record-Courier, “Walk Out Day”

Judge’s comments: Captions hurt a few of the photos. Either backing into them or batch captions that does not explain the action in photo. Two of them would have placed if they had better captions.

Feature
1st – Joshua A. Bickel, The Columbus Dispatch, “Polar Bear”
2nd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Mural”
3rd – Fred Squillante, The Columbus Dispatch, “Vernal Pools”
HM – Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, “St. Patrick’s Day”

Sports Action
1st – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Broken Up”
2nd – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Rebound”
3rd – Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, “Hustle”
HM – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “Diver”
HM – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Save”

Judge’s comments: There was a lot of good action in this series. One or two photos should have been placed in Sports Feature.

Sports Feature
1st – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “Arnold Classic”
2nd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Champ”
3rd – Sam Greene, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Early Lead”
HM – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Victory”
HM – Sam Greene, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Upset”

Judge’s comments:

Portrait
1st – Joshua A. Bickel, The Columbus Dispatch, “Interplay”
2nd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Pipe and Drums”
3rd – Scott Heckel, The Canton Repository, “Pirates”
HM – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Wrestler”
HM – Lisa Scalfaro, Record-Courier, “Vintage Metalworks”

Judge’s comments: By the definition some of the photo did not fall under portraits. Captions also hurt the them, they seemed to captioned for a package and not for a stand alone photos.

Story/Essay
1st – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Kyle Snyder”
2nd – Alexandria Skowronski, Ohio University, “Cavers”
3rd – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “Final Four”
HM – Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, “March For Our Lives”
HM – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “NCAA Wrestling”

Judge’s comments: There were a lot of great stories in this section, what hurt a few of them were there was not a lot of visual variety. Many of the photos said the same things.

Illustration
1st – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Matt the Miller’s Tavern”
2nd – Sam Greene/The Enquirer, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Revvolution Rotisserie”
3rd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Andes Bar & Grill”
HM – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Ten Pn Alley”
HM – Leah Klafczynski, Akron Beacon Journal, “Wise Guys”

Judge’s comments: Excellent use of light, very strong category. It was very hard to separate 1-5. When you can control the whole scene, composition and light are so important to support your preconceived idea.

Judged by Tommy Gilligan, freelance photographer  for USA Today Baltimore DC area

April 2018 clip contest result

Winning images

Spot News
1st – Patricia Schaeffer, The (Lisbon) Morning Journal, “Lightning Sparks Fire”
2nd – Patricia Schaeffer, The (Lisbon) Morning Journal, “Second Home Lost “
3rd – Joshua Morrison, Freelance, “Overturned Car”

Judge’s comments: Good to see that spot news is still being covered. Some solid entries but always tough for a category that is based on something you can’t predict.

General News
1st – Joshua Morrison, Freelance, “Sentencing”
2nd – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “One Night Columbus”
3rd – Joshua Morrison, Freelance, “Prescribed Burn”

Judge’s comments: Really strong first place photo. The body language is subtle but powerful.

Feature
1st – Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, “Doll Museum”
2nd – Leah Klafczynski, Akron Beacon Journal, “Drag Show”
3rd – Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, “Irish Dancer”
HM – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Welder”

Judge’s comments: Some quieter moments but the photographers are working their surroundings in smart ways.

Sports Action
1st – Leah Klafczynski, Akron Beacon Journal, “Flagrant Foul”
2nd – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Dive”
3rd – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Collision Avoided”
HM – Erik Schelkun, Elsestar Images, “Rebound”

Judge’s comments: Ah yes, what I’ve come to expect from ONPA members, great sports! Great entries here and glad to see long glass still gets used in the right way.

Sports Feature
1st – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Walk-off Homer”
2nd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Overtime Goal”
3rd – Leah Klafczynski, Akron Beacon Journal, “Opening Day Win”

Judge’s comments: Solid category but would love to see more sports feature that’s not react and more about the human condition.

Portrait
1st – Fred Squillante, The Columbus Dispatch, “Projectionist”
2nd – Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, “Opera Columbus”
3rd – Chris Crook, Zanesville Times Recorder, “Blacksmith”

Judge’s comments: Well executed but was expecting more intimacy and less acknowledgement from the subject that they are being photographed.

Story/Essay
1st – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “NHL Playoffs”
2nd – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “Final Four”
3rd – Leah Klafczynski, Akron Beacon Journal, “New Life”
HM – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Blue Jackets Playoffs”

Judge’s comments: Lots to unpack here:  

Don’t put x number of images in a category because that’s the max for number of image entries. Edit to the photography and not to the news angle of the event. 

I thought the first place NHL was a good variety of storytelling and moments from the game. The other NHL entry didn’t rise quite to the level and depending more on what happened on the ice. 

The NCAA Final Four could have lost the first 2 images and told the story a little more concise about Notre Dame.

The new life story had some very intimate and tender moments. But the sequencing threw me off twice. Regardless, I hope the photographer continued to follow this story as I think it’ll do this issue and this family more justice in a longer-term form.

Judged by Kevin Martin/The State, Columbia, SC

May 2018 clip contest results

Winning images

Spot News
1st – Chris Crook, Zanesville Times Recorder, “Dog Saved”
2nd – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “House Fire”
3rd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Fire”

Judge’s comments: First, good moment and emotion, would’ve had more impact with a tighter crop.

General News
1st – Joshua A. Bickel, The Columbus Dispatch, “Acupuncture Therapy”
2nd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Graduation”
3rd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Flags”
HM – Sam Greene, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Mr. Bob”
HM – Fred Squillante, The Columbus Dispatch, “Day of Prayer”

Judge’s comments: First, lovely moment and frame. Clean background with great expressions that draw you in. Second, great angle, unique view of a typical situation. Third, strong graphic composition. HM – fun moment and expression. HM -lLots of great faces…drop the mic

Feature
1st – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Star Wars”
2nd – Leah Klafczynski, Akron Beacon Journal, “Sour Santa”
3rd – Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, “Market Mask”
HM – Joshua A. Bickel, The Columbus Dispatch, “Dragon Boat Races”

Judge’s comments: First, the photographer found something out of nothing. Good seeing, nice moment. Second, the guy’s beard and expression. Clean, tells you all you need to know. Third, great idea but not perfect, perhaps shot with more depth of field, or maybe wait for a cleaner background to play with the juxtaposition. HM, looks a bit soft, might’ve worked better in Sports. It’s a good attempt that just didn’t quite come together.

Sports Action
1st – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Drop”
2nd – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Scissor Kick”
3rd – Kurt Steiss, The Blade, “Missed Catch”
HM – Scott Heckel, The Canton Repository, “Sliding Catch”
HM – Joshua A. Bickel, The Columbus Dispatch, “Stolen Base”

Judge’s comments: First, pretty much perfect composition and moment. Second, such an enviably clean background! Good timing. Third, most of the time we’re fighting ads in backgrounds, in this case you made it into something unexpected and interesting. Nice seeing. HM, great expression and good moment, crop seems a little awkward.

Sports Feature
1st – Sam Greene, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Finale”
2nd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Walkoff”
3rd – Sam Greene, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Fist Bump”
HM – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “On Deck”
HM – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Bubble Gum”

Judge’s comments: First, a beautiful, quiet moment with nice composition. Great shot. Second, unusual celebration shot. Crop the white trousers out of the bottom and you’ve got a winner. Third, good spontaneous moment. HM, been done but still very nice. Maybe cooler with a superwide lens. HM – fun moment.

Portrait
1st – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “Field of Heroes”
2nd – Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, “Lacrosse”
3rd – Brooke LaValley, The Columbus Dispatch, “Mother”

Judge’s comments: First, clean portrait and cool glasses. You get a sense of the personality here. Second, nicely set up portrait with good use of foreground and light. Third, clean and well lit portrait.

Story/Essay
1st – Joshua A. Bickel, The Columbus Dispatch, “OSU Graduation”
2nd – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “Hat Day”
3rd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Mothers Day”

Judge’s comments: First, strong collection of images that give sense of occasion and place, but could’ve use a tighter edit. Second, fun and unique event that would’ve worked better as a portrait series. Also can really use a much tighter edit.Third, some nice moments in here, doesn’t feel like much of a story.

Judges: Dan Cepeda from the Oil City News and Josh Galemore of the Casper Star-Tribune

June 2018 clip contest results

Winning images

Spot News
1st – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “Drowning”
2nd – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Crash”
3rd – Karen Schiely, Akron Beacon Journal, “Hosed Down”

Judge’s comments” No question that this drowning photo took first place. It’s a compelling image of friends/family looking for a person in the water. Even though I can’t see their faces, I can feel the sense of urgency. 

General News
1st  – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Vigil”
2nd – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Rescue Center”
3rd – Lisa Scalfaro, Record-Courier, “Kindergarten”

Judge’s comments” You can see the raw emotion on every single person’s face captured in this first place photo. 

Feature
1st – Karen Schiely, Akron Beacon Journal, “Catfish”
2nd – Kurt Steiss, The Blade, “Bubbles”
3rd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Splash Pad”
HM – Scott Heckel, The Canton Repository, “SingStark!”
HM – Leah Klafczynski, Akron Beacon Journal, “Yoga”

Judge’s comments” Love the expressions on the children’s faces in this first place photo. 

Sports Action
1st  – Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, “Lacrossed”
2nd – Leah Klafczynski, Akron Beacon Journal, “Tumble”
3rd – Patricia Schaeffer, The (Lisbon) Morning Journal, “Tagged”

Judge’s comments” “Lacrossed” topped this category. Great moment of a player hitting the ground just as he’s losing his helmet and ball. The photographer of “tumble” looks like he or she captured the deciding moment of who was going to win this race. Great get for both of these photographers. 

Sports Feature
1st – Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, “State Champs”
2nd – Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, “Dove”
3rd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Boxer”

Judge’s comments” Some of the best images in this category were of action which should have been placed in the sports action category. “Statechamps” captured a great celebration. 

Portrait
1st – Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, “Inventor”
2nd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Entrepreneur”
3rd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Mud Hens Usher”
HM – Brooke LaValley, The Columbus Dispatch, “Storm Damage”

Judge’s comments” Lots of posed and candid portraits to decide from in this category. I would love to know more about Jeff who was featured in this third place photo. 

Story/Essay
1st – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “Drowning”
2nd – Joshua A. Bickel, The Columbus Dispatch, “Pride Parade”
3rd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Memorial”
HM – Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, “Strawberries”

Judge’s comments” The photos submitted seemed to fit more of a photo series rather than storytelling. That said, there were some strong photo series that were submitted. The first place “drowning” series was strong but could have been edited tighter. The “pride” photos definitely showed the spirit of the day. 

Quarterly Illustration
1st – Leah Klafczynski, Akron Beacon Journal, “Snapper”
2nd – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Octopus”
3rd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Brunch”

Judge’s comments” All but one photo submitted was of plated food. Instead of judging this as a photo illustration category, it was judged as a photo food category. 

Judged by Merrily Cassidy from the Cape Cod Times

July 2018 clip contest results

Winning images

Spot News
1st – Kurt Steiss, The Blade, “Shooting”
2nd – Patricia Schaeffer, The (Lisbon) Morning Journal, “Standoff”
3rd – Scott Heckel, The Canton Repository, “Flash Flood”

Judge’s comments: First place (woman confronts cops) rose to the top quickly because of the confrontation between subjects. 2nd and 3rd are good daily breaking news photos. Several photos (RadioHead, rally) are miscategorized.

General News
1st – Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, “Protestor”
2nd – Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, “Sentencing”
3rd – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “Re, Whitte and Boom”
HM – Brooke LaValley, The Columbus Dispatch, “Drum Major”
HM – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Baby Tour”

Judge’s comments: First place (guy with pole) is framed well and very unusual. Second place of the courtroom scene is a quiet, reflective moment. Third is interesting and has great light. Lots of interest in the two HMs. Many miscategorized images.

Feature
1st – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “State Fair”
2nd – Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, “Hammock”
3rd – Fred Squillante, The Columbus Dispatch, “Panties”

Judge’s comments: First place (fair swings) was the clear winner; beautifully composed with great content. Second place (father/baby in hammock) was a unique slice-of-life image. Third (old lady panties) was funny and a nice catch, with nice details.

Sports Action
1st – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Punched”
2nd – Kurt Steiss, The Blade, “Catch”
3rd – Kurt Steiss, The Blade, “Collision”
HM – Shane Flanigan, ThisWeek Community News, “Backstroke”

Judge’s comments: First place (soccer punch) was the clear winner. We really liked the smart shooting that produced second place (baseball catch silouette) but were a bit hung up by the advertisment in the lower left corner. The third place photo (also baseball) was unique. Nice light and composition on the HM, but we would have liked to see an arm, or something else.

Sports Feature
1st – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Dugout”
2nd – Shane Flanigan, ThisWeek Community News, “Smile”
3rd – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “World Cup”
HM – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Game Winner”

Judge’s comments: First place (player in dugout) was probably our pick for Best of Show. The composition and lighting/exposure were near perfect. The player looks like one of those statues you see in front of baseball stadiums. Second (swimmers playing) was a unique get. Third was a nice look at fans reaction to a sporting event. The HM needed the help of the caption, but was a nice story-teller.

Portrait
1st – Lisa Scalfaro, Record-Courier, “Makenzie”
2nd – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “Demo Derby”
3rd – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “Roboarm”
HM – Kurt Steiss, The Blade, “Major”

Judge’s comments: First place (scar on skull) was nicely composed and not overly-lit. Second (smoker guy in demo derby car) was a unique, funny image that was lit well. Third (robo arm) was lit and framed well, with interesting content. The HM (dog in truck) had a similar feel to several other winners, but was still unique.

Story/Essay
1st – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “Demo Derby”
2nd – Brooke LaValley, The Columbus Dispatch, “Hardy Center”
3rd – Joshua A. Bickel, The Columbus Dispatch, “Minor League All-Star Game”

Judge’s comments: First place (demolition derby) was the clear winner, with several great, story-telling images. Second place (community center) included some really nice images, and looked great in black-and-white. Third place (minor league baseball all-star game) was well-done also.

Judges: From the Erie Times-News: Christopher Millette, photography supervisor, Greg Wohlford & Jack Hanrahan, staff photographers

August 2018 clip contest results

Winning images

Spot News
1st – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Rollover”
2nd – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Holdup”
3rd – Kurt Steiss, The Blade, “Crash”

Judge’s Comments: This category only had a handful of entries. That seems to be the norm with spot news categories these days. The first place image included many layers of information in the frame, which allowed us to understand what was happening at the scene right away. We also liked the third place winner’s birds eye view, it allowed us to see how expansive the crash was.
 
General News
1st – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Polar Bears”
2nd – Scott Heckel, The Canton Repository, “Memorial Checkpoint”
3rd – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “Refugee Arrival”
 
Judge’s Comments: We loved the composition and graphic nature of the first place polar bear photograph. The swimming polar bear makes the frame feel active and drew us in immediately. The second place photo captured emotion well, but could benefit from a tighter crop to declutter and lead our eyes straight to the moment in the center of the frame. We liked the moment in third place, but wished there was more light reflected in the woman’s eyes.
 
Feature
1st – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Gamers”
2nd – Shane Flanigan, ThisWeek Community News, “Young Firefighter”
3rd – Shane Flanigan, ThisWeek Community News, “Dinosaur Crossing”
HM – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Mulch” 

Judge’s Comments: We loved the intimacy of the first place photo. It also made us smile, which is always a plus. We liked the composition in the second place photo. There was a lot of humor in the third place win. The background was very cluttered though. The HM would have placed higher if the little boy in the photo was identified. We liked the creativity, but thought it would have been better with a complete caption.

Sports Action
1st – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “High Kick”
2nd – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Break Up”
3rd – Scott Heckel, The Canton Repository, “Cross Country”
 
Judge’s Comments: The first place win was clean and crisp. It rose above the rest, quickly. The player in the background added information and didn’t clutter or distract. The second place winner was cropped well. We liked that we could see the concentrated expressions on the players faces. The third place winner could benefit from a crop from the left side and bottom up to the runner’s shorts. The water droplets add nice texture.
 
Sports Feature
1st – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Rain Practice”
2nd – Scott Heckel, The Canton Repository, “Enshrinement”
3rd – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Stalled Drive”
 
Judge’s Comments: The first place image felt like a nice, quiet moment. We liked that we could see the rain beating down on the player. The second place image is a much more active and light-hearted moment that we enjoyed. The third place winner was crisp and well-balanced compositionally.
 
Portrait
1st – Sam Greene, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Commuter”
2nd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Pasquale”
3rd – Joshua A. Bickel, The Columbus Dispatch, “Market Beef Champion”

Judge’s Comments: The bike rider in the first place image was lit nicely and stuck out well in front of the intersection behind him. The white car in the background added an extra layer of information, instead of being a distraction which was a nice touch. The portrait of the shoe repairman captured the essence of his character and his shop. However, the white light from a window or door at the top of the frame was slightly distracting. The third picture had nice light, but the background on the right side was too distracting. We felt like we would have either wanted to see more or less information from the right side instead of what we see now.
 
Story/Essay
1st – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Miss Maehem”
2nd – Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, “Tomato Guy”
3rd – Joshua A. Bickel, The Columbus Dispatch, “Trump” 

Judge’s Comments: There were only three entries to judge in this category, so each of them placed. Overall each of these entries would have benefited from tighter edits. First place had the best character, which made it quickly rise to the top. There were some great individual images in there. We would have loved to read more quotes from and about Miss Mae Hem in the captions as the story progressed, not just in the story summary. 

Judged by Sam Owens and Denny Simmons from the Evansville (IN) Courier & Press

September 2018 clip contest results

Winning images

Spot News
1st – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Shooting”
2nd – Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, “Tornado”
3rd – Joshua Morrison, Mount Vernon News, “Perp Walk”

Judge’s Comments: The first photo is by far the strongest. Emotion is so raw. The second photo is a unique moment of a kid playing in a downed tree and the third is a typical perp walk.

General News
1st – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “Assault Victim”
2nd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Day of Service”
3rd – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “Sexual Assault Awareness”
HM – Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, “Legoland”

Judge’s Comments: The moment in the first photo is very strong. The photographer hurts it for me, but I like the balance of the frame. The second one has wonderful light and angle. I enjoyed its technique quite a bit. The third is a decent rally shot, but in the end focuses heavily on the signs. The HM photograph has a genuine funny reaction.

Feature
1st – Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, “Unity”
2nd – Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, “Final Days”
3rd – Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, “Walk”
HM – Kurt Steiss, The Blade, “Humnoid”

Judge’s Comments: I choose very visual frames and think this was one of the stronger categories. The first photo is a unique angle and the following two are beautiful shots when paired next to each other. Great horizon with a central focus and super clean. The last photo is one that is both odd and interesting.

Sports Action
1ST – Scott Heckel, The Canton Repository, “Tackle”
2nd – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “Game Winner”
3rd – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Stiff Arm”
HM – Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, “Touchdown”
HM – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Pass”

Judge’s Comments:Easily one of the deepest categories judged. Great frames all around. Really dug the winning shots great grab and the helmet already gone. Overall, great action, it was some tough choices all around. Probably two or three more that were in contention.

Sports Feature
1st – Sam Greene, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Touchdown”
2nd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Jug”
3rd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Little Brown Jug”
HM – Joshua A. Bickel, The Columbus Dispatch, “Locker Room View”

Judge’s Comments: Think the first frame is just so unusual and unique. The second and third show a great understanding of composition and a push for something new and the HM frame was one I thought was a decent moment.

Portrait
1st – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Caleb Ramirez”
2nd – Sam Greene, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Senior Kicker”
3rd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Sam Bennett”

Judge’s Comments: First shot is super clean. Great use of light and moment. The second is a great angle and framing and the last one has a beautiful reflection. At one point I had each of these in first place, but decided on this finally because of the execution being so clean and well done in the first frame.

Story/Essay
1st – Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, “Marco”
2nd – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “County Commissioner Todd Portune”
3rd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Little Brown Jug”

Judge’s Comments: These were all very strong. There are some beautiful frames in each, but the Marco story is just above the rest. Great variety in the story. Fantastic work.

Illustration
1st – Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, “Latte”
2nd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Pecan Penny”
3rd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Cigar Lounge”

Judge’s Comments: By far the weakest category. The first and second place are great food photos, but the third is lacking.

Judged by Patrick Breen from The Arizona Republic

October 2018 2018 clip contest results

Winning images

Spot News
1st – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Flames”
2nd – Molly Corfman, The News-Messenger, “Rescue”
3rd – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Fiery Crash”

Comments: The first-place winner jumped out at me on the first run through. With such a quick and fluid situation it’s nice to see this photographer think about shooting tight for greater visual impact. The 2nd and 3rd  I liked as well and their pictures make me study what they shot and tells the story well even from a distance.

General News
1st – Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, “Vigil”
2nd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Celebrity Waiter”
3rd – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Highway Hikers”
HM, Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Tased”

Comments: Powerful and emotional moment with good framing to it. The picture made feel something especially when reading the caption that this young girl was found murdered and burned. Second and third were fun moments that would have made a good front page picture showing community journalism.  The HM that I gave could have been so much better had it been cropped or better yet shot much tighter. It’s that face of the woman and her reaction that make it so visually take us into that for better visual impact.

Feature
1st – Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, “Unicorn”
2nd – Kurt Steiss, The Blade, “Captain America”
3rd – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Heritage of Flight”
HM – Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, “Pumpkin Farm”
HM – Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, “BMX Tricks”

Comments:  A really strong category here! Other than sports, I spent more time looking at these set of feature images. First and second place was so close, both so good but there was something about the quality of light on that little girl’s face with her binky in her mouth and the good choice of shallow depth of field that make it just right. Still loved the second place one as well especially with the little kid’s body language from his hands to his feet and face looking up to a hero. Fun and precious moment for sure. That third place one of the airplanes being towed down Main Street was an eye opener never seeing anything like that before and bravo to the photographer for getting into a good position.

Sports Action
1st – Joshua Morrison, Freelance, “Touchdown Stretch”
2nd – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Touchdown Catch”
3rd – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Helmet”
HM – Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, “Interference”
HM – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Touchdown Catch”

Comments: First lace I love for the moment and concentration of the kid scoring and the defender on his back trying to pull him down. Second place just had that impactful “that had to hurt” feel to it. Third place is nice as well with the Cincinnati player caught in midair crossing the goal line for a TD.

Sports Feature
1st – Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, “High High Fives”
2nd – Shane Flanigan, ThisWeek Community News, “Celebration”
3rd – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “Taking the Ice”

Comments: First place is something you don’t see often, a college football player going above and beyond to reach a fan. I enjoyed the photographer sticking with the situation and capitalizing on the perfect moment. Second place has that nice quality of team and the intensity of it all was nice to see. Third place at first, I had in 1^st place because of the quality of light, the little kid reaching out to the goalie but moved it down only because this kind of moment I’m sure happens at the beginning of every Blue Jackets hockey game like it does here in Detroit. It’s something that being repetitive you can plan for. Still a really nice frame however.

Portrait
1st – Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, “Down Syndrome”
2nd – Lisa Scalfaro, Record-Courier , “Domestic Violence”
3rd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Eagle Candies”

Comments: First place is one anyone would be proud to have shot. The feeling of this picture is everything and really shows the love this mom has for her son with Down Syndrome. I also love the quality of light from the window light on them to the warmth of the yellow of the lamp. Second place I thought this photographer handled the anonymity of this domestic violence very well, the only suggestion I would have made is with this portrait, since you’re in control of the visuals, watch the white of that baseboard heater on the bottom of the frame. It’s me being nitpicky but it just helps clean up what is a nice portrait. Third  place has a nice quality to it and makes for a nice environmental portrait. The good use of depth of field and light was nice to see. A very pleasing portrait that would work great as a business portrait of this woman and her candy business.

Story/Essay
1st – Kyle Robertson, Kyle Robertson, “Save the Crew”
2nd – Kyle Robertson, Kyle Robertson, “Homeless”
3rd – Jonathan Quilter, Photo by Jonathan Quilter, “Farm Market”

Comments: The problem I had with this category was each story seemed like a series of singles from an assignment shot in one day. I just didn’t feel a connection or a deep dive into the owners of the market closing soon, the homeless shelter or with MLS soccer the passion of the fans to keep the team in Columbus. Not sure if the photographers of these stories could not invest time with their stories but the power of visual storytelling always has to have a strong personal connection, emotional hook and as a reader or view make me either understand or make me want to care about what is going on or what you are trying to tell me.

Judged by Eric Seals from the Detroit Free Press

November 2018 clip contest results

Winning images

Spot News
1st – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Billowing Smoke”
2nd – Joshua Morrison, Freelance, “Mount Vernon Fire”
3rd – Joshua Morrison, Freelance, “Van Into House”

Comments: This category was SUPER weak. First place jumped out because it managed to combine a spot news event with human emotion, which is really the minimum you should be looking for at a spot news event. Just showing up holding up a camera at the thing that’s happening and pushing a button is something anyone can do. You’re there to tell a story, and that involves capturing the human condition. Second place offered nice juxtaposition between the flames and smoke with the otherwise suburban stereotypical basketball hope standing by. It was a good catch. Third place, I give the photographer credit for hunting for the angle here, but it’s a tough frame to look at with the noise and super crop.

General News
1st – Kurt Steiss, The Blade, “Voting”
2nd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Celebration”
3rd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “DeWine”

Comments: Even back when I ran the NPPA’s Monthly News Clip Contest, this category routinely had images entered that made no sense for the category. It’s a planned event, guys. I always appreciate finding features at these events as a way to tell the story, but you HAVE to use the caption to explain the relevance. There were a couple pretty frames entered in this category, but they didn’t include any information that tied them to a planned event. Captions matter!

Feature
1st – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Native American Art”
2nd – Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, “Cold Light”
3rd – Shane Flanigan, ThisWeek Community News, “Trick or Treat”

Comments: First and second jumped out really quick. Great use of light, color and shapes to build beautiful images. Third took a little time, but there’s an image in side that third place frame. Work that crop a little more, come in from the left and use the balance and swirl from the fog to bring the viewer’s eye around the frame more. You were close on this one!

Sports Action
1st – Sports – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Diving Catch”
2nd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “4th Down”
3rd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Save”
HM – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Deep Ball”

Comments: As a Ravens fan, it pained me to award that honorable mention, but as someone who covered the NFL for 10 years I know how nice it is to get that frame. That’s also why I was very happy to award first place what it got. That’s a helluva grab both by Auden Tate and the photographer. I can count the number of frames I made like that on one hand. Catching the moment the ball hit his hands, the feet in the air AND his face is sharp? Nice. Shame it wasn’t a catch, but that’s not your fault and it’s why no one has ever heard of Auden Tate. Second place – I’ve seen this photo a million times (especially in these entries) and AGAIN it pains me to see this as a Maryland native, but what set this ahead of the other stiff arms – you caught Egbuaba’s eye! Work on that toning though, this is a bit flat. Third place, I really like this image, but the crop needs a ton of work. Mostly because there doesn’t appear to be one. 

Sports Feature
1st – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Defeat”
2nd – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Fumble Recovert”
3rd – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “Goal”
HM – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Parris Campbell”

Comments: I went back and forth a lot on whether I liked first place more because it was in black and white, and then I determined I didn’t and I gave it first place. Yes, I’ve seen it a bazillion times, but it’s a great frame when done well and this is done well. Second place and third place were close because both could benefit from tighter crops. Second felt a bit more special in the jube though so it edged out. But maybe bring me in from the right to just the two kids. And on the hockey shot, I don’t need the ref. Sometimes squares are good. HM, I debated it. Intro photos are kind of fish in a barrel if you get the access, but this is still a nice quiet moment in a non-quiet place. I dig it.

Portrait
1st – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Day of Dead”
2nd – Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, “Steven Van Zandt”
3rd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Oliver Shindler”

Comments: Ok, first – even though it’s second – whoever got to shoot Steven Van Zandt, I hate you. I’m super jealous and I’ll never forgive you for getting to photograph a personal hero. That’s why you’re second and not first. I’m just kidding, it’s not why. Or is it? You’ll never really know. But first place, I really dig the whimsical bit of this lighting and background choice that made everything from the makeup to the background flow with each other. It popped. Third place – you lit this well, subject could use either more intensity or no intensity but he’s presently giving you boredom. Take a bit more control there and get more out of him. At the same time, crop in from the right a bit more or reposition him, you gave up on your own lighting.

Story/Essay
1st Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, “Woodworker”
2nd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “State Champs”
3rd – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “Crew Playoffs”

Comments: First place is where it is because it’s the only thing here that’s got a bit of a narrative arc to it. Second place jumped over the Crew because the visual variety was a bit better. Crew had a couple good frames but some really rough ones and unfortunately, the bad frames always outweigh the good.

Judged by Kyle Grantham, The News Journal in Wilmington, Del.

December 2018 clip contest results

Winning images 

 Spot News
1st place, Amy E. Voigt, The Blade, “Shooting”
2nd place, Patricia Schaeffer, The (Lisbon) Morning Journal, “ATV Crash”
3rd place, Patricia Schaeffer, The (Lisbon) Morning Journal, “Barn Fire”

Comments: First place photo is a nice peak moment. Second place photo has a very moody vibe we liked. The other photos are lacking in technical excellence, but we think the third place did the best job of telling the story in one photo.

General News
1st place, Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “Baby Heads For Home”
2nd place, Kurt Steiss, The Blade, “Terror Suspect”
3rd place, Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Swearing In”

Comments: First place photo evoked an emotional response, has a nice mood and good coloring. Second place photo is composed well with a striking moment. Third place is an unusual, funny moment.

Feature
1st place, Amy E. Voigt, The Blade, “Archbishop”
2nd place, Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Skate”
3rd place, Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Dancers”
HM, Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Holiday Lights”

Comments: We like the nice moment in the first place photo. The sense of place and moment of action immediately got our attention in the second place photo. Third place features a funny kid moment.

Sports Action
1st place, Shane Flanigan, ThisWeek Community News, “Difving”
2nd place, Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Possession”
3rd place, Sam Greene, The Cijncinnati Enquirer, “Quarterback Scores”
HM, Kurt Steiss/The Blade, The Blade, “Mat Lamp”
HM, Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Pass Deflection”

Comments: This was the strongest category with several nice images with interesting perspectives in this set, but a lot of them would be elevated with tighter crops. First place photo features a peak moment and other storytelling elements. Second and third place photos stood out among the rest of football and basketball images.

Sports Feature
1st place, Sam Greene, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Defensive Stop”
2nd place, Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Coach”
3rd place, Erik Schelkun, Elsestar Images, “Fould Reaction”

Comments: First place photo was an immediate “in” for us. The expression of the player makes the photo. Second place photo made us laugh. Third place photo has a lot of energy

Portrait
1st place, Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Zach Harrison”
2nd place, Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Kwanza”
3rd place, Lisa Scalfaro, Record-Courier, “Accident Victim”

Comments: First place photo was our immediate winner for great use of light and mood. Second place photo has layers and creates intrigue. Third place photo features a nice moment, but we would like more information in the caption.

Story/Essay
1st place, Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Recruit”
2nd place, Patricia Schaeffer, The (Lisbon) Morning Journal, “Christmas Eve at Catalpa Grove”

Comments: First place story takes you on a journey and features strong moments that are toned well. We like seeing the subject in different environments, but a tighter edit could make the story stronger. Second place story was lacking in technical quality and a story arc. 

Quarterly Illustration
1st place, Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Vodka”
2nd place, Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Forno Restaurant”
3rd place, Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Spicy Miso”

Comments: First place photo was our immediate winner for great use of light. Second place photo is visually interesting. Third place photo creates a bit of mystery for what’s in the dish, and we like the detail of the steam rising. 

Judged by Leah Voss and Xavier Mascareñas from Treasure Coast Newspapers/TCPalm.com