November 2020 clip contest results

Winning images

Spot News
1st – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Overturned”

Judge’s comments: In my opinion, spot news is one of the hardest categories in photo contests. Not only do you have to be in the right place at the right time, but working in a police/fire/ems environment presents an additional set of challenges.  

General News
1st – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Voting”
2nd – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “The Flash”
3rd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Balancing Act”

Judge’s comments: Glad to see voting images in this category. 

Feature
1st – Kurt Steiss, The Blade, “Movie”
2nd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Covid Santa”
3rd – Rebecca Benson, The Blade, “Dancing” 

Judge’s comments: Lots of great images, hard to decide on the best. 

Sports Action
1st – Shane Flanigan, ThisWeek Community News, “Won’t Go Down”
2nd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Stiff Arm”
3rd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Header”

Judge’s comments: Like spot news, sports action is a difficult category in photo contests. You either have the right moment, or you don’t. Lots of great entries, hard to pick the best. 

Sports Feature
1st – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Steam”
2nd – Kurt Steiss, The Blade, “Cardboard Fans”
3rd – Daniel Melograna, The Daily Standard, “Celebrate”
HM – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “State Champ”

Judge’s comments: Lots of great on field emotion in this category made it hard to choose. I love seeing the quieter moments on the sidelines, or in the stands that one may miss if they’re not paying close attention. 

Portrait
1st – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Bartender”
2nd – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Ryan Custer”
3rd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Mike Doss”

Story/Essay
1st -Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Trump Protest”
2nd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “OSU Basketball”

Judged by Tyler Barrick / Senior Photographer; Chevrolet Performance NASCAR 

October 2020 clip contest results

Winning images

Spot News
1st – Daniel Melograna, The Daily Standard, “Field Fire”
2nd – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “Wild Card Arrest”
3rd – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Plane Crash”
HM – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Bar Fire”

Judge’s comments:  The charred field fading into smoke behind the firefighter really set the first place image apart; my eyes happily moved around this image, discovering new details. 

General News
1st – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Toy Run”
2nd – Kurt Steiss, The Blade, “Jo Jorgensen”
3rd – Kurt Steiss, The Blade, “Early Voting”
HM – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Voters”

Judge’s comments:  The road in the first place image almost frames the waving family perfectly and leads the eye directly to them. Nice use of the foreground in the first and second place images. 

Feature
1st – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Quinterpino”
2nd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Cake the Rabbi”
3rd – Rebecca Benson, The Blade, “Tree Climber”
HM – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Fishing”
HM – Shane Flanigan, ThisWeek Community News, “Aqua Fit Class”

Judge’s comments:  The first place winner is so unique in subject; the second place image captures beautiful light and a different perspective than the usual pie to the face image; and the facial expression in the third place image is so full of wonder, looks like something out of a storybook. The honorable mentions are also nice captures: dreamy light and fantastic facial expression. 

Sports Action
1st – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Touchdown Catch”
2nd – Kurt Steiss, The Blade, “Stiff-arm”
3rd – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “Ball Kiss”
HM – Shane Flanigan, ThisWeek Community News, “Serve”
HM – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “Reception”

Judge’s comments:  This was by far the toughest category; there were at least three other images I wanted to include in the honorable mentions. In the end it came down to clean backgrounds, tight cropping and nice light. 

Sports Feature
1st – Shane Flanigan, ThisWeek Community News, “Missed Putt”
2nd – Rebecca Benson, The Blade, “Winners”
3rd – Rebecca Benson, The Blade, “Reflections”
HM – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “Touchdown”
HM – Rebecca Benson, The Blade, “Rowing”

Judge’s comments:  The first and second place images display a ton of emotion. The first place image is so storytelling, it’s easy to understand exactly what went wrong for the golfer. The reflection in the third place image is strong and colors really draw me in. Great facial expressions in both of the honorable mentions. 

Portrait
1st – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “Haunted Deliveries”
2nd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Chaplain”
3rd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Haunted House”
HM – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Maple Syrup”
HM – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Issa Tall”

Judge’s comments:  These portraits were so interesting and playful. The angle of the first place image is so appropriate for the subject as well as all the telling elements throughout the photo. The illumination of the subject’s face in the second place image and the almost heavenly light that frames him on the back walls is wonderful. The third place image is something from a nightmare; the darkness on half of the subject’s face is fitting and the one eye leaves me wondering who this person is without the mask. 

Story/Essay
1st – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Lighthouse”
2nd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Opening Game”
3rd – Daniel Melograna, The Daily Standard, “Field Fire”

Judge’s comments:  The first place story has a spectacular assortment of images in what could have made for a lackluster story. The variety in angles, framing, location and time of day made this story stand out. 

Judged by Tyler Schank / Duluth News Tribune 

Sept 2020 clip contest results

Winning images

Spot News
1st – Rebecca Benson, The Blade, “Body Found”
2nd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Fire”
3rd – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Avondale Triple Homicide”

Judge’s comments: First – Very powerful moment, well captured with the police in the background and all the people shows the chaotic scene. 

General News
1st – Kurt Steiss, The Blade, “Lunch Tables”
2nd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Debate Protest”
3rd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Testing Site”

Feature
1st – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Between Customers”
2nd – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Church Roof”
3rd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Kite”

Sports Action
1st – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “No Catch”
2nd – Daniel Melograna, The Daily Standard, “Goal Save”
3rd – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “Near Interception”
HM – Kurt Steiss, The Blade, “Airborne”

Judge’s comments: A lot of great peak action! 

Sports Feature
1st – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Last Game”
2nd – Scott Heckel, The Repository, “Virtual Hug”
3rd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Outdoor Locker Room”

Judge’s comments: First – I love the usage of the fence to really show the sign of the times of the fans being locked out of games. Second – Good moments another sign of the times with a air hug. Third – Great use of light 

Portrait
1st – Daniel Melograna, The Daily Standard, “Dripping Paint”
2nd – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Haunted House”
3rd – Scott Heckel, The Repository, “Sensory Path”

Judge’s comments: First –  the framing draws my eye in so much, it is beautiful. Second –  A little flash on the subjects face would have really improved this image but I do like the framing. 

Story/Essay
1st – Rebecca Benson, The Blade, “Braylen Noble”
2nd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Voter Registration Day”
3rd – Kurt Steiss, The Blade, “Trump Rally”

Judge’s comments: First – I could really see how much pain people were feeling, it impressive that you got access to the scene. I love image 6, it really broke my heart and it was good usage of motion blur. Second –  Loved the connection between the subjects, like in image 2, I do think this would have benefited with a wide shot to see the environment. Third – The Trump Rally story was covered well, lots of moments from different aspects of the event. I think the story would have been stronger if a few images were cut, like the two tight photos of trumps face I would narrow to just one, and I would probably cut 8, 10, 12, and choose between 1 and 5. 

Illustration
1st – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Rosemary Bread”
2nd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Cafe Au Lait Ice Cream”
3rd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Salad”

Judged by Samantha Madar – USA-Today Wisconsin 

August 2020 clip contest results

Winning images

Spot News
1st – Daniel Melograna, The Daily Standard, “Fatal Accident”

Judge’s comments:  Strong photo with a mangled mess of a car from the crash. Great job getting this type of access at a fatal crash.

General News
1st – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Grave”
2nd – Rebecca Benson, The Blade, “Election”
3rd – Kurt Steiss, The Blade, “Trump Flotilla”
HM – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “GroundWorks”

Judge’s comments:  A decent selection of photos to choose from, though some would be better fit in a different category than this one. Winner stood out as a photo with “sticking with the assignment” mentality.

Feature
1st  – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “The Greatest”
2nd – Scott Heckel, The Canton Repository, “Back To School”
3rd – Rebecca Benson, The Blade, “Monkey Music”
HM – Daniel Melograna, The Daily Standard, “Tongues”

Judge’s comments:  Winning photo is hilarious and lighthearted. Of course a FlexSeal boat will float.

Sports Action
1st – Rebecca Benson, The Blade, “Leap”
2nd – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “Catcher”
3rd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Sand Shot”

Judge’s comments:  Not as strong of a category as had hoped, but there’s some quality stuff in there. First place had the moment, sharpness and exposure. 

Sports Feature
1st – Erik Schelkun, Elsestar Images, “Dirt Jump”
2nd – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Rainbow”
3rd – Scott Heckel, The Canton Repository, “Team Minerva”
HM – Erik Schelkun, Elsestar Images, “Sunset”

Judge’s comments:  Strong, unique category. Great use of local vegetation and patience to execute the first place photo. Normally a team photo wouldn’t make the cut, but the different masks make for a unique take.

Portrait
1st  – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Mascots”
2nd – Shane Flanigan, ThisWeek Community News, “Pelotonia”
3rd – Scott Heckel, The Canton Repository, “Preserve Nature”

Judge’s comments:  These three stood out regarding the essence of each of the person’s character. First place is a unique perspective and use of foreground.

Story/Essay
1st – Rebecca Benson, The Blade, “Trump”
2nd – Rebecca Benson, The Blade, “USPS”
3rd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Sandusky County Fair”
HM – Daniel Melograna, The Daily Standard, “Accident”

Judge’s comments:  First and second places are great photo essays from general news assignments. There are photos from the fair and Accident stories that would have won in both feature and spot news singles categories. 

Judged by Mike Mulholland / MLive.com

July 2020 clip contest results

Winning images

 Spot News
1st  – Rebecca Benson, The Blade, “Pallet Fire”
2nd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Householder”
3rd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Officer Killed”

Judge’s comments: The fire photo immediately stood out as first place because of the photographer’s approach to telling the story through a layered, well-composed single image. The photographer of the second place winner captured a lot of information and emotion in a tight frame. The third place winner was a photo with raw emotion and good composition, but there were some technical issues that could have been tweaked in toning. 

General News
1st  – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Testing”
2nd – Rebecca Benson, The Blade, “Dia Vigil”
3rd – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “BLM Arguement”
HM – Rebecca Benson, The Blade, “Transit Union Rally”

Judge’s comments: The photographer of the first place photo did an excellent job of respecting the anonymity of the subjects while producing a visually interesting photo (and I didn’t have to look at a swab shoved up someone’s nose!). The second place photo is something I’ve seen many times before, but it is still a quiet, intimate moment captured beautifully by the photographer. While there’s a lot of emotion in the third place photo, it was the onlookers that elevated it to a winner.  

Feature
1st  – Rebecca Benson, The Blade, “Botanical Garden”
2nd – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Head-butt”
3rd – Shane Flanigan, ThisWeek Community News, “Skateboarder”
HM – Shane Flanigan, ThisWeek Community News, “Century Village”
HM – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Mask”

Judge’s comments:  This was the strongest category by far, with many outstanding photos. The simple gesture of the first place photo relates what the new inclusive garden means to a long overlooked community; it was refreshing to see the photographer take the time to approach the assignment this way. The second photo was a fun, refreshing moment and who doesn’t love those 4-H fair kids? The yellow shirt in the skateboard photo made the image pop. 

Sports Action
1st – Daniel Melograna, The Daily Standard, “Pole Vault”
2nd – Daniel Melograna, The Daily Standard, “Diving Tag”
3rd – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “Power Alley”

Judge’s comments:  The first place photo is both peak action and expression, and also technically sound. The second place photo was really a lucky grab, so good for the photographer for waiting it out until something interesting happened! The third place is nice peak action in the outfield, which can be difficult to capture this well.

Sports Feature
1st – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “Distant Fans”
2nd – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “Celebration”
3rd – Kurt Steiss, The Blade, “Fairway Walk”

Judge’s comments:  There weren’t many entries in the Sports Feature category and the first place photo illustrated why: not many people playing organized sports or attending them during a pandemic. The second place photo captures a lot of feeling in the frame, while the third place photo stood out for its composition of an overall scenic view of a sports event.

Portrait
1st – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Parker Hamilton”
2nd – Scott Heckel, The Canton Repository, “Move Over”
3rd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Shannon Hardin”

Judge’s comments:  The airborne soccer player immediately stood out at the first place winner in the Portrait category; nice to see the photographer take the time to execute such a well-lit action portrait. The photographer of the second place photo found a visually interesting solution to illustrate the story. The third place photo stood out for its intense colors and for utilizing the symmetry of the room.

Story/Essay
1st – Rebecca Benson, The Blade, “Dia Funeral”
2nd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Dia Funeral”
3rd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Junior Fair Show”

Judge’s comments:  While there were multiple “cop funeral” entries in the Story/Essay category, the first place winner was well-edited; each photo was strong on its own but presented together told the story without repetition. The second place winner also contained strong, emotional photos, but several images were repetitive. The third place winner had some strong photos, but overall the storytelling could have been stronger.   

Judged by Kate Collins from the Press & Sun-Bulletin, Binghamton, NY

June 2020 clip contest results

Winning images

Spot News
1st – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Standoff”
2nd – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “Hit and Run”
3rd – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Homicide”

Judge’s comments:  First place photo seemed like the photographer took
the time to follow the situation and positioned themselves in the right place to make a storytelling frame. Second place had high emotion and immediately gave us the feels. Third place was graphic, moody and mysterious.

General News
1st – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “BLM Protest”
2nd – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “George Floyd Protest”
3rd – Scott Heckel, The Canton Repository, “Police Dog”
HM – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “March”
HM – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Protest”

Judge’s comments:  We kept gravitating toward the first place image. We liked the moment and the clean composition. Second place is a powerful moment with a lot of energy. Third place is highly emotional. Some frames could benefit from better crops and one or two seemed to be in the wrong category.

Feature
1st – Rebecca Benson, The Blade, “Dairy Queen”
2nd – Daniel Melograna, The Daily Standard, “In the Face”
3rd – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Lincoln”
HM – Rebecca Benson, The Blade, “Fist Bump”
HM – Rebecca Benson, The Blade, “Hugs”

Judge’s comments:  First place had good layers and colors and is a true slice of life image. We would have cropped in on the right and bottom. Second place is representative of how 2020 feels. Photographer caught the peak action of what could have been another mundane kid-in-sprinkler image. Third place is quirky and is something you don’t see every day. It also shows effort in placing yourself at the right place at the same time.

Sports Action
1st – Daniel Melograna, The Daily Standard, “Saoftball Tag”
2nd – Rebecca Benson, The Blade, “Skateboarding”
3rd – Daniel Melograna, The Daily Standard, “Baseball” 

Judge’s comments:  Not many entries, which is understandable. First place image shows interesting body language. The second place photographer offered a good point of view, creating a clean composition.

Sports Feature
1st – Scott Heckel, The Canton Repository, “All-Star Game”
2nd – Kurt Steiss, The Blade, “Empty Stands”
3rd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Sprinter”

Judge’s comments:  First place shows emotion and is nicely exposed. Second place is telling of the times. Third place is graphic and interesting.

Portrait
1st – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “I Can’t Breathe”
2nd – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “Flag”
3rd – Shane Flanigan, ThisWeek Community News, “Sprinter”

Judge’s comments:  First place and second are a real sign of the times with heavy sentiment. Third place took effort with controlled lighting.  

Story/Essay
1st – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Trevell Adams”
2nd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Protest”
3rd – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “March”
HM – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “Vigil”
HM – Rebecca Benson, The Blade, “Monday Protest”

Judge’s comments:  A tighter edit would have made the story more impactful, but there were good moments and a complete story. In the second place story, the photographer found a story within a larger, national story. Other stories would benefit from tighter edits and thorough captions. Some stories left us needing to know more and some had strong singles that would be stronger on their own.  

Illustration
1st – Rick Osentoski, Freelance, “Covid Test”
2nd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “No Sports”
3rd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Hummus”

Judged by Leah Voss from TCPalm/Treasure Coast Newspapers and freelance photographer Crystal Vander.

May 2020 clip contest results

Winning images

Spot News
1st – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Grief”
2nd – Rebecca Benson, The Blade, “Tree Down”
3rd – Bill Lackey/Staff, Springfield News-Sun, “Drowning Search”
HM – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Arson”

Judge’s comments:  The first place image was elevated to that spot because of the context provided by the caption which gave it a lot of gravity, although it reads like only half of a complete caption. The second place image brings an interesting human element to what otherwise could have been a very static image. The third place image had a great crop and used the silhouettes to create interesting shapes with a nice overall balance to the frame. Other submissions were mostly just actions or lacked emotion, faces and humanity. Honorable mention was given to a photographer who was able to use a barrier which kept them at a distance to their advantage which nicely frames the action. 

 General News
1st – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Columbus Protest”
2nd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “BeYoutiful”
3rd – Kurt Steiss, The Blade, “Salute”
HM – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Pepper Spray”

Judge’s comments:  First place image was a clear winner with gorgeous, luscious light and although the subject’s eyes are obscured, the tilt of her head creates a powerful mood. The second place image was clean and had a very effective crop. It’s a nice graphic image with some great lines and repetitive elements. Third place was a nice quiet moment but would have benefited from better composition and a more intentional crop. The honorable mention almost placed but it was a difficult image to read. I was unsure of where to let my eye rest as there is a lot of tension between the left and right sides of the frame. 

 Feature
1st – Rebecca Benson, The Blade, “Swing”
2nd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Taps”
3rd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Graduate”

Judge’s comments:  First place image is a really beautiful moment with some great faces. The physical proximity helped bring the viewer into the scene. The second place image had killer light and really nice, strong composition. Third place image made good use of layers, composition and an interesting moment. Other submissions lacked emotion or were not physically close enough. 

Sports Action
1st – Scott Heckel, The Canton Repository, “Spring Valley Golf”

Judge’s comments:  Only one submission in this category. This photographer really could have used a better composition and focal length to play with the scale of the golfer and the course around them. 

 Sports Feature
1st – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Batting Cage”

Judge’s comments:  I’m not really sure I would call the sole submission in this category a sports feature. The only thing that distinguishes it from sports action is that it is during a practice and not a game. 

 Portrait
1st – Shane Flanigan, ThisWeek Community News, “Lacrosse”
2nd – Shane Flanigan, ThisWeek Community News, “Softball Pitcher”
3rd – Scott Heckel, The Canton Repository, “Rev. Bartow”

Judge’s comments:  First place portrait by far had the most interesting lighting and angle. The closeness of the second place image was nice although the lighting is a bit harsh. The subject ‘s pose in the third place image was interesting, however the photographer would have benefited from choosing a better time of day to make the portrait, or making use of strobes to better sculpt the light. 

Story/Essay
1st – Rebecca Benson, The Blade, “Minneapolis Protest”
2nd – Kurt Steiss, The Blade, “Toledo Protest”
3rd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Columbus Protest”

Judge’s comments:  The first place story was far and away the clear winner. There were a lot of very powerful moments, great emotion, gorgeous use of light and no perceived hesitation on the part of the photographer about zooming with their feet and getting close. I tried to avoid selecting all protest stories but they truly were the strongest submissions. Second and third places also had a strong selection of moments but not quite as much emotion as first place. The other submissions either were not really stories or lacked tangible emotion. 

Judged by Matt Burkhartt, Greenville (NC) News

April 2020 clip contest results

Winning images

Spot News
1st – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Fire”
2nd – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “Tornado Damage”
3rd – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Roll Over”
HM – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Fatal Fire”

Judge’s comments: First – I felt like I was looking into the home with her. Not a complicated image, but something people can step into their shoes for just a moment. Great job! Second – I love the scene set up here. This very beautiful home, but when you look closer it is surrounded by fallen trees. Different and interesting — Great shot.  Third – thinking outside the box. Love the creativity in this. Not the most amazing image in the world, but I applaud it because it is so different. 

 General News
1st – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Protest”
2nd – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “Funeral”
3rd – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Learning English”
HM – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Day of Distance Learning”
HM – Mike Cardew, Akron Beacon Journal, “Wedding”
HM – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Church”

Judge’s comments: First – This is such a cool image and the reflection was done perfectly. I have tried this a dozen times and never got it right. It turned out beautiful! Love it. Second – This assignment seems to have to many moving parts. I can’t image how hard it was to capture what you were seeing, but also following ethics of photographing the dead. Very well done. Such a strange, but powerful scene. Third – I like this portrait. I felt like I was sitting right next to him learning how to read. HM – all are very complicated images. Trying to stay socially distant, but also telling stories that have never really been told before. I think they were all handled beautifully. Right now, you do not have to make the most dynamic images we have ever seen. Now is the time to create images everyone can understand.

Feature
1st – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Fishing”
2nd – Shane Flanigan, ThisWeek Community News, “Runner”
3rd – Shane Flanigan, ThisWeek Community News, “Plague Doctor”
HM – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “Ghost Town”
HM – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “Nursing Home”

Judge’s comments: First – Okay, what an interesting scene this is! This is crazy! Nice shot! Second – beautifully scene and executed. Thought this was very different than anything else in the category. 
Third – Those masks are terrifying. Nice image! Good simple story telling — so important. HM –  Both images were lovely moments. The representation of a ghost town has very straight and clean lines. So hard to find anywhere. The moment outside the nursing home just brought me a lot of joy!

Sports Feature
1st – Shane Flanigan, ThisWeek Community News, “Training”
2nd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Season Over”
3rd – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “Opening Day”
HM – Kurt Steiss, The Blade, “Opening Day Catch”

Judge’s comments: Tough category for April with no sports. Did the best you could with what you had. Be proud of that. 

Portrait
1st – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Essential Worker”
2nd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “D’Jeana”
3rd – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “Bandit”
HM – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “Facemask”
HM – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Track Season Gone”

Judge’s comments: This was such a hard category to judge because I felt as though every story was important and they were all photographed so well. Though we were faced with so many difficult obstacles this month, each photographer did an amazing job telling these stories. Wonderful job everyone!
 
Story/Essay
1st – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Park & Pray”
2nd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Easter Service”
3rd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Open Ohio”
HM – Kyle Robertson, Kyle Robertson, “Spanish Service”

Judge’s comments: First – I like the first story. Black and white or not, I felt like these images were quirky enough that they worked together really well. That first photo draws you in and it was edited well to just 5 images. Second – I love the first photo again. The kids reaching their arms out the window is so good. Watch your editing. I think you could have tightened this down to about 5-6 photos. Third – This story is done pretty well. Protests are heard to cover especially when it’s during a pandemic. I think you could have narrowed this down to your 5 best images. Protests are hard but don’t be afraid to layer up images with signs and using buildings to frame up subjects and groups of people. Think outside the box and push some boundaries. HM – Editing was tight. There were a few images I thought you could have cut, but overall a complicated story in a beautiful place. Well done. 

Judged by Grace Hollars / Indianapolis Star

March 2020 clip contest results

Winning images

Spot News
1st – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Porsche in a Camper”
2nd – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Crash”
3rd – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Dumpster Fire”
HM – Shane Flanigan, ThisWeek Community News, “Car Crash”

Judge’s comments: There are a lot of auto accident images in this category, but I think what sets my first place selection apart is the layers of the vehicles involved. A Porsche caught between a camper and Jeep is pretty rare! There’s some cheeky irony given the Porsche’s social status compared to the others and the firefighter’s posture is an added bonus.

General News
1st – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “Temperature”
2nd – Kurt Steiss, The Blade, “Hand Sanitizer”
3rd – Daniel Melograna, The Daily Standard, “Bus Cleaning”
HM – Rebecca Benson, The Blade, “Playground”

Judge’s comments: I like the simplicity of the first place selection. COVID-19 is a common link with many of the photos, but they’re a bit busier to read or missing pieces. In general, it’s interesting looking at all the entries because our daily norms have been disrupted in such a way that makes the simpler remnants of normalcy seem much more heightened.

Feature
1st – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “Body Painting”
2nd – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Online Church”
3rd – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Bobsled Races”
HM -Shane Flanigan, ThisWeek Community News, “Obstacle Course”
HM – Daniel Melograna, The Daily Standard, “St. Baldrick’s Fundraiser”

Judge’s comments: The light, colors and expressions all work so well together. I really liked the serendipity of seeing them come up the escalator. I wouldn’t be able to tell that this is from the Arnold Classic and that’s the cherry on top.

Sports Action
1st – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Cup Stacking”
2nd – Daniel Melograna, The Daily Standard, “Foul”
3rd – Erik Schelkun, Elsestar Images, “Slammed”
HM – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “Hockey Fight”

Judge’s comments: There’s a lot of basketball in this section and I like that the first place selection takes “sports” and turns it on its side. The difficulty with the basketball pictures is that a lot are pretty standard and expected in an edit. Aiden’s expression is fantastic and the tension shows how his sport is challenging. I want to add cup stacking to my bucket list now!

Sports Feature
1st – Erik Schelkun, Elsestar Images, “Confetti”
2nd – Kurt Steiss, The Blade, “Celebration”
3rd – Daniel Melograna, The Daily Standard, “Anguish”
HM – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “Celebration”
HM – Scott Heckel, The Canton Repository, “Regional Champs”

Judge’s comments: These are all pretty strong and similar with the emotional expression and gesturing. I like that the first place selection has such quick light fall off in the background because it makes everything else – the players, the shirts and confetti – pop.

Portrait
1st – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Coronavirus Translation”
2nd – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “Prom Dresses”
3rd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Lee and the Leopards”

Judge’s comments: I really enjoyed the diversity of these submissions. The first place selection, especially once you read the story behind it, is a nice environmental portrait example. It feels natural as if one is walking about looking for features, and Ms. Vilma’s stoic expression is awesome. Having her kids in the background adds another layer for why the story is so important.

Story/Essay
1st – Kurt Steiss, The Blade, “Takeout Popcorn”
2nd – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “Fake Paddys”
3rd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Senior Night”

Judge’s comments: The popcorn piece is only six images, but it has some great visual variety! The story behind it is simple yet multifaceted. You can see how popcorn is used as the common theme to talk about how COVID-19 affects three different stakeholders: the business, its owners and the community. I wish it had one or two more faces, but what we have is still really nice.

Quarterly Illustration
1st – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “The Wheel, 1/21/2020”
2nd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Brown Sugar Pie”
3rd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Hot Chicken”

Judge’s comments: I appreciate that the photographer stopped down for a wider depth of field. These are all lit really well, I just wish I had a bit more DOF to make the subtle details in the other submissions shine a bit more.

Judged by freelance photographer Tim Nwachukwu

February 2020 clip contest results

Winning images

Spot News
1st – Rebecca Benson, The Blade, “Loss”
2nd – Joshua Morrison, Mount Vernon News, “House Fire”
3rd – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “Nuisance”
HM – Daniel Melograna, The Daily Standard, “Apartment Fire”

Judge’s comments:  First – is a great image, it’s easy to see that someone has just found out they lost someone very near to them. I like the use of the crime scene as another element to the image. Second – I like the sense of direction the arm of the firefighter gives. I possibly would like to see more of the house itself. Third – the officer’s gaze and the person on the right of the image shows how tense of a moment this was.

General News
1st – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Funeral”
2nd – Aaron Self, The Canton Repository, “Dodgeball”
3rd – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “Kungle Canyon”
HM – Kurt Steiss, The Blade, “Snow”

Judge’s comments:  First – this is a very clean image, and the stark expressions on the faces of the guys show how much of a tense situation it is.  Second – good photo of peak action and the balls give this a nice pop of color that you otherwise wouldn’t notice if they were throwing the balls. Third – the sense of direction the guardrail gives takes you through the image to the guy standing at the edge.

Feature
1st – Rebecca Benson, The Blade, “Sledding”
2nd – Rebecca Benson, The Blade, “Gross”
3rd – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Circles”
HM – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “Gospel Rehearsal”
HM – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “Bubble”

Judge’s comments:  First – this is such a good image! 100 percent peak action, the kids faces in the background are great. Second – such a funny moment, the expression tells everything about this photo. Third – this is a nice angle of this image could’ve been just a very basic photo of a kid on the playground equipment.

Sports Action
1st – Erik Schelkun, Elsestar Images, “Windmill Dunk”
2nd – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “In the Crease”
3rd – Rick Osentoski, Freelance, “Michigan Basketball”
HM – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “Rebound”

Judge’s comments:  First – nice moment, the defenders both looking up at him leads your eyes to the player. Second – The shot from on top really shows how intense the situation of the try was.

Sports Feature
1st – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “Wrestling”
2nd – Scott Heckel, The Canton Repository, “Cutting the Net”
3rd – Erik Schelkun, Elsestar Images, “Late Basket”
HM – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “Swimming Celebration”
HM – Kurt Steiss, The Blade, “Basketball Celebration”

Judge’s comments:  Firsts – Nice use of the colors and flag, would have loved if it was possible to work the image a little more to have an image without the feet and top of the head in the bottom left. Second – Nice image of a big moment in a player’s career. The caption is missing information that would give readers details as to why she is cutting the net.

Portrait
1st – Daniel Melograna, The Daily Standard, “Firefighters”
2nd – Daniel Melograna, The Daily Standard, “Swimmer”
3rd – Shane Flanigan, ThisWeek Community News, “Priest in Training”
HM – Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, “Projectionist”

Judge’s comments:  First – great use of lighting to give this image another element instead of just a dull inside of an ambulance. Second –  creative use of the water to make this otherwise very standard portrait pop.

Story/Essay
1st – Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, “Hey, Hey, Hey”
2nd – Shane Flanigan, ThisWeek Community News, “State Swimming”
3rd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Wakanda”
HM – Aaron Self, The Canton Repository, “Science of Reading”

Judge’s comments:  Firsts – This story shows how much this person meant to his community. Second – solid all-around sports coverage with multiple angles.

Judged by Courtland Wells from The Vicksburg (MS) Post

January 2020 clip contest results

Winning images

Spot News
1st – Bill Lackey, Springfield New-Sun, “House Fire”
2nd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Harley Dilly”
3rd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Fire”

Judge’s comments: 1st place shows great emotion with plenty of extra detail to sift through the longer you look at the damage. 2nd place, again great capture of emotion. 3rd place, I appreciated the different perspective of fighting a fire.

General News
1st – Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, “Mill Closed”
2nd – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “Iran Protest”
3rd – Amy E. Voigt, The Blade, “Protest”
HM – Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, “Envision Hilltop”
HM – Aaron Self, The Canton Repository, “Thrift Shopping”

Judge’s comments: 1st place, provided a very intriguing visual making me want to read to the caption to find out more and the strong caption helped elevate it even more. 2nd place, great use of focus and leading line from the sign to the face filled with emotion. 3rd, the caption helped rise it to place with a semi-cluttered background in the picture.

Feature
1st – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Hydroponic Garden”
2nd – Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, “Plaque Doctors”
3rd – Shane Flanigan, ThisWeek Community News, “Speed Dating”
HM – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “Swing”

Judge’s comments: 1st place, fantastic symmetry and use of leading lines. 2nd, a surreal visual with a great caption explaining and telling the story. 3rd place, the cutout with a tie made me laugh at first look and the caption did an excellent job explaining the image.

Sports Action
1st – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “Eyeball”
2nd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Flip”
3rd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Post Move”
HM – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Loose Ball”
HM – Rick Osentoski, Freelance, “Grab”

Judge’s comments: 1st place, an amazing frame that is hard to capture in the fast paced action of a basketball game. 2nd place, one of the few wrestling photos in this catergory I feel that was cropped right as well as capturing a great moment. 3rd place, great unique angle and framing.

Sports Feature
1st – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Huddle”
2nd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Elvis”
3rd – Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal, “Elbow”
HM – Kurt Steiss, The Blade, “Goalie Water”
HM – Erik Schelkun, Elsestar Images, “Bench Reaction”

Judge’s comments: 1st place, great use of light. 2nd place, wonderful moment to capture between teammates. 3rd, unique image and good caption explaining.

Portrait
1st – Shane Flanigan, ThisWeek Community News, “Spicy Librarians”
2nd – Rebecca Benson, The Blade, “Hosuing Lawsuit”
3rd – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “The Wheel”

Judge’s comments: 1st place, wonderful moment that blends posing and getting a your subjects comfortable with you. 2nd place, wonderful use of light to protect the subject’s identity. 3rd place, great job getting a comfortable smile from your subject.

Story/Essay
1st – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Stone Family Restaurant”
2nd – Kurt Steiss, The Blade, “Homeless Count”
3rd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “White Coat Ceremony”

Judge’s comments: 1st place, wonderful visual telling of a family restaurant’s final day with strong captions for each photo. 2nd place, great images and captions to tell the story of the group’s homelessness count. 3rd place, strong images to tell the story of the event.

Judged by Quentin Winstine/The Jonesboro Sun