Lisa Dejong
While the final top ten standings were dominated with names of photographers from The Columbus Dispatch (six) it was Lisa DeJong from The Plain Dealer who came out on top to win the ONPA 2012 Clip Contest Photographer of the Year title.
DeJong trailed Kyle Robertson from The Columbus Disptach by ten points in the final month, but out scored Robertson by 40 points to win the title. Eric Albrecht from The Dispatch placed third in the competition. A model of consistency, Albrecht has placed in the top ten for nine consecutive years, and was clip POY twice previous to his top ten run.
The clip title is the first for DeJong in Ohio, who won portfolio POY titles in 2008, 2010 and 2011. Only five other photographers have won POY titles in both contests. Others to do so are Chris Russell and Eric Albrecht from The Columbus Dispatch, former Plain Dealer photographer Dale Omori, Ed Suba Jr. from the Akron Beacon Jounral and former Blade photographer Alan Detrich.
2012 Top ten standings
1st – Lisa DeJong, The Plain Dealer – 1124
2nd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch – 1194
3rd – Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch – 964
4th – Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch -824
5th – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun – 754
6th – Scott Heckel, The Repository – 664
7th – Barbara Perenic, Springfield News-Sun – 654
8th – Fred Squillante, The Columbus Dispatch – 614
9th – Chris Russell, The Columbus Dispatch – 562
10th – Eamon Queeney, The Columbus Dispatch – 482
Complete standings are under the Still Clip Contest tab on the ONPA website.
One item entrants need reminded of is that although clips are now entered electronically the photos must have been published in the publication’s print edition or official website, of which there can only be one. Personal blogs and Facebook postings do not constitute as being published for the purposes of this contest. Questions concerning the electronic clip contest can be directed to contest chairmen Adam Cairns or Kyle Robertson.