2017 ONPA Pictures of the Year

First Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Liz Moughon, / Ohio University

First Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Erin Clark / Ohio University

iNova Holland, left, and her sister Hana of Los Angeles, CA celebrate the fourth of July on Children’s Beach in Chautauqua, New York,

First Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Erin Clark / Ohio University

Jim Wert takes part in a shamanic journey during a shamanistic ritual performed by Reverend Kate Rodger at Blueberry Gardens in Ashton, Maryland.

First Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Erin Clark / Ohio University

Bud Horne, 92, finishes The Old First Night Run on Saturday, July 31, 2017. Horne has been running in the race since it first started, over 40 years ago.

First Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Erin Clark / Ohio University

Cassie plays with her cousin during her 5th birthday party in Parkersburg, West Virginia. The birthday was important for the Jordan family as it marked Cassie's first year cancer free.

First Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Erin Clark / Ohio University

Protestor in support of pro-life, Mark Wolf (left), argues with a pro-choice march participant at the WMW Ohio Sister March in Columbus, Ohio. More march participants soon joined by blocking the signs of the protestors so they could not be seen.

First Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Erin Clark / Ohio University

Suzanne Grief, owner of River Road Rabbit Rescue, cleans rabbit cages in her home in Athens, Ohio.

First Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Erin Clark / Ohio University

Claire, center, holds onto Mala’s hands while riding back to the gardens to harvest potatoes. Both women live at Twin Oaks Community, a commune in Louisa, Virginia. Founded in 1967, Twin Oaks is the longest-enduring and largest secular intentional community in North America.

Let me take you to Emerald City. Where the conversations center on mass consumerism and witches gather at night. Where parenting, meals and income are shared and tofu is eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Although not Oz, Twin Oaks, in Louisa, Virginia, would be described by some as a Utopia. Twin Oaks Community is and ecovillage and intentional community of about one hundred people on 450-acres of rural land. Founded in 1967, it is one of the longest-enduring and largest secular intentional communities in North America.

First Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Erin Clark / Ohio University

Freshly planted seedlings soak up the afternoon light.

First Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Erin Clark / Ohio University

Belle, who changed her name from Erika after her first two weeks as a member, steadies crates of potatoes in the back of a pickup truck en route to the cellar. Belle helped to harvest 132 crates of potatoes – enough to feed the community until next spring.

First Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Erin Clark / Ohio University

Finely checks the ripeness of a persimmon after dinner.Finely checks the ripeness of a persimmon after dinner.

First Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Erin Clark / Ohio University

River Oneida poses for a portrait in the community's seed garden. A portion of Twin Oak's income is generated from seeds that they sell to wholesale companies.

First Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Erin Clark / Ohio University

Zadek poses for a portrait in the soft glow of evening light. Zadek is 12-years-old and has spent his entire life living at Twin Oaks.

First Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Erin Clark / Ohio University

Arlo measures the milk after the morning milking of the community’s four current dairy cows.

First Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Erin Clark / Ohio University

Linus, 5, plays with a homemade anemometer he created to measure the wind speed.

First Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Erin Clark / Ohio University

Jeli scrapes hair off of a cow hide after soaking the skin in a chemical cream. Jeli plans to use the hide to create shoes for community members.

First Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Erin Clark / Ohio University

Hildegard Ott, the community's herbalist, poses for a portrait in her herb garden. Ott has been living in Twin Oaks for over 30 years.

First Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Erin Clark / Ohio University

Claire kisses her daughter, four-year-old Grace, at Twin Oaks Community. Grace recently dyed her hair blue after her friend Franky, also four, dyed her hair earlier in the week.

First Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Erin Clark / Ohio University

Paper cranes hang in the living room of Hildegard, Twin Oak's herbalist.

First Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Erin Clark / Ohio University

Mary Jonas enjoys an evening on her stoop with granddaughter Emily (5, far left) and friend Emma (4). The two sisters, along with the Jonas’ grandchildren, often spend weekends with Mary and her husband, Mike. The children enjoy the freedom and independence that the Jonas’ give them to explore around the farm and their ability to learn and be involved with the Jonas’ herd of over 50 boar goats.

The Story of Torch is a documentary essay on a small Southeastern Ohio town. For 10 weeks, I immersed myself, quickly befriending a farmer, who introduced me to three people, who introduced me to four more and the cycle continued. Through the community's genuine kindness and earned trust, I strived to create an archive that represented the town, its people and their love their community.

First Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Erin Clark / Ohio University

John Murphy, owner of Murphy's farms, pauses to pet Red, one of his 32 beef cattle. Murphy loves his cows so dearly that he names every single one and is quick to list off his favorite personality traits for each cow. In the spring, he expects the cattle to begin to give birth. He says that often, the baby calves arrive on full moons or new moons, "I'm ready!" He says, although voicing a reoccurring nervousness for each birthing season.

First Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Erin Clark / Ohio University

Ethan Chapman, a senior at Heritage Christian School, has his test answers reviewed by Danielle Midkiff, in charge of teaching the high school students. The school is comprised of one kindergartner teacher, one grade school teacher, one high school teacher and the principal. They operate under a system similar to a one room school house and uses curriculum traditionally used in a homeschool setting.

First Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Erin Clark / Ohio University

Brian Hopkins pauses to embrace his horse while he completes his regular, early morning feeding at Double C Ranch. Brian has been the ranch manager for over 30 years and in his opinion, prefers the company of his horses to people.

First Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Erin Clark / Ohio University

Asunta Damron, a retired nun, shows off her antique pop gun after discussing her right to bear arms.

First Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Erin Clark / Ohio University

The Eagles, basketball team for the Heritage Christian School take a break to boost team spirit at their final basketball game of the season. Pastor Hubbard (far right) yells at children to get off the court in the few seconds the game has paused. The basketball team struggles to find opponents, as they only play against other Christian high schools. For this particular game, they travelled to a gym in Midland, Ohio and played against a school based in Charleston, West Virginia.

First Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Erin Clark / Ohio University

Emily (5) gets help aiming her bow from mom, Sally Jonas, and grandfather, Mike Jonas. Bow hunting is a family affair in the Jonas family, and although not always used for hunting, the Jonas’ believe in the importance of imparting the skill of bow and arrows to the entire family.

First Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Erin Clark / Ohio University

Mason Phillips, left, and Alex Caldwell play a game of basketball outside of the Torch Baptist Church. The church is the original place of worship in Torch and is part of the reason why the town received its name. In the late 1800's, residents would carry torches with them to guide their way to church. What used to be a one room log cabin, the church has grown to be a community hub to about 40-50 members from different communities.

First Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Erin Clark / Ohio University

John Murphy sits on the porch of his farmhouse after feeding his cows. The Murphy farm has been in the family since the 1950's.

First Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Erin Clark / Ohio University

Rita Marie Von Berg, a 94-year-old retired nun, prepares tripe for her two german shepherds. Rita is 94-years-old and lives with two other retired nuns who she met while working as the director for Saint Joseph’s hospital.

First Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Erin Clark / Ohio University

The road to the Sacred Heart Retreat Center, a community center operated by the St. Ambrose Parish, glows in the evening light.

Second Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Erin Clark / Ohio University

Second Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Liz Moughon / Ohio University

Micheshia Norment, left, holds onto friend Christopher 2X as she prepares to release balloons into the sky in memorial of her son, Dequante Hobbs Jr., 7, who was shot by a stray bullet through their kitchen window in the west end of Louisville, KY. Dequante was eating first grade graduation cake when he was accidentally shot by neighbors who were fighting.

Second Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Liz Moughon / Ohio University

Micheshia tattooed her arm with her son's face and reminds the Louisville community of her loss by diligently painting her car windows in memory of him.

Second Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Liz Moughon / Ohio University

Pallbearers wore superhero shirts and "Lil DQ" gloves in honor of Dequante at his funeral.

Second Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Liz Moughon / Ohio University

"When I go in that house it's evil," Micheshia says as she packs up her old house where Dequante was shot. "I feel it should be nobody else moving in that house. It's a danger hazard, especially if a person has children."

Second Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Liz Moughon / Ohio University

Micheshia sips a drink in Master P's bus on the way to his concert in New Orleans, LA. A photo of Dequante was displayed for thousands to see while Master P sang "I Miss My Homies."

Second Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Liz Moughon / Ohio University

Zanique Norment, 3, Micheshia's only other child, wraps her arm around her mother's leg at a family barbecue. "What do you tell to a three-year-old that's been with her brother for three years?" Micheshia says. "He's gone to another life. We may not see him, but he sees us. That's the only way I can explain it to my daughter."

Second Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Liz Moughon / Ohio University

Micheshia rests on her mother, Priscilla's, lap. Family is still Micheshia's life blood.

Second Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Liz Moughon / Ohio University

Micheshia visits Dequante's grave but hasn't raised enough money for a headstone yet. "I like to talk to my son face to face. Talking to a ground aint my thing but I don't have a choice." Several other family members who are buried in this cemetery met their fate under similar circumstances.

Second Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Liz Moughon / Ohio University

In Micheshia's new home she plays with Dequante's old bike and scooter. Her new home is in a much safer area of Louisville even though it's only 10 minutes away from the west end.

Second Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Liz Moughon / Ohio University

Over a month after Dequante's funeral, deflated Paw Patrol balloons blow into the street after barely holding onto his front porch rail. These were his favorite cartoon characters.

Second Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Liz Moughon / Ohio University

"Hearing the water, the waves, come up was so relaxing," Micheshia says, soaking in an opportunity to decompress at the beach for her first time.

Second Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Liz Moughon / Ohio University

Micheshia hugs her cousin, Neca Jones.

Second Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Liz Moughon / Ohio University

A family relaxes on a Tel Aviv beach.

Second Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Liz Moughon / Ohio University

Second Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Liz Moughon / Ohio University

Wheels for Kenya, an offshoot of the ministry, Joni and Friends, traveled to Kenya with a team of physical therapists and mechanics to fit disabled locals with personal wheelchairs. Here Hamden lifts Jacob into his first wheelchair in Chebosi.

Second Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Liz Moughon / Ohio University

A couple embraces in Paris.

Second Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Liz Moughon / Ohio University

Cousins Logan McWhorter, left, and Ethen Holliger, right, battle it out by dumping cold water on each other to cool off on a summer afternoon at their grandparents' house in Louisville, KY.

Second Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Liz Moughon / Ohio University

A lady watches the waves crash against the shore at Bat Yam beach, south of Tel Aviv.

Second Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Liz Moughon / Ohio University

Zo White holds onto a balloon to release in memorial of Dequante Hobbs Jr., 7, who was tragically shot by a stray bullet through his kitchen window while eating cake for his first grade graduation.

Second Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Liz Moughon / Ohio University

Fans connect while watching the Red Hot Chili Peppers perform at the KFC Yum Center.

Second Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Liz Moughon / Ohio University

During the Women's March on Washington protestors in front of the White House destroyed the fence barricading the central green space while one person ran around waving the American flag. Seconds later, people pulled the fence back up, pleading for others to keep this protest peaceful.

Second Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Liz Moughon / Ohio University

Youth enjoy Forecastle's Party Cove in Louisville, KY.

Second Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Liz Moughon / Ohio University

Donna Sloan wears a Sassy Millinery hat from Australia on Kentucky Oaks Day.

Second Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Liz Moughon / Ohio University

Farzad Soleimani of Iran, gazes out over Copenhagen, Denmark, where he has come for a new life and education.

Second Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Liz Moughon / Ohio University

Weezer closes out Forecastle Music Festival in Louisville, KY.

Second Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Liz Moughon / Ohio University

Sam Walker attempts to hit the ball during polo practice. Walker started playing with his father two years, and polo has become a way for them to bond. At 25 he can be on equal footing with his father, 54, and they both have the same passion for the sport.

Third Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Emma Howells / Ohio University

Third Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Emma Howells / Ohio University

Firefighter Jason Bew takes a quiet moment during a prescribed burn in the Wayne National Forest. Bew is the "Burn Boss," on the fire, meaning that it is his responsibility to plan, direct and oversee every aspect of the fire.

Third Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Emma Howells / Ohio University

A race car is covered by a bag in advance of an impending thunderstorm at the Monticello Raceway in Monticello, New York on October 8, 2017.

Third Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Emma Howells / Ohio University

Protestors gather near the National Mall in Washington, DC the day after the inauguration for the Women's March on January 21, 2017.

Third Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - EMMA HOWELLS / Ohio University

A new alumnus of Union High School graduation ceremony celebrates her graduation on Wednesday, May 10, 2017 at the Mabee Center in Tulsa.

Third Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - EMMA HOWELLS / Ohio University

Patrons spend the day at the newly-opened River Spirit Casino Resort Pool in Tulsa, OK on Monday, May 29, 2017.

Third Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - EMMA HOWELLS / Ohio University

Julius Preston poses for a portrait while waiting for his ride after the first Tulsa Midnight Basketball event at the Spirit Life Church in Tulsa, OK on Friday, June 16, 2017.

Third Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Emma Howells / Ohio University

Bodybuilders Will Harris and the recently-deceased Dallas McCarver wait to be called onstage at the Arnold Classic bodybuilding competition in Columbus, Ohio. Due to the individual and demanding nature of the sport, bodybuilders can be very introverted people.

Third Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Emma Howells / Ohio University

Firefighters, blanketed in smoke from the structural fire, spray water on the Carriage Hill Apartments in Athens, OH after the building caught fire and quickly spread to 30 consecutive units on February 26, 2016.

Third Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - EMMA HOWELLS / Ohio University

A man holds a smoke bomb on the Fourth of July in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Third Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Emma Howells / Ohio University

A referee stretches before a high school football game between the Marion-Franklin Red Devils and Beechcroft Cougars on Friday, September 1, 2017 in Columbus, Ohio.

Third Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - EMMA HOWELLS / Ohio University

Deaf-blind specialist and rehabilitation teacher Jeri Cooper, who herself is deaf-blind, feels the fingers of deaf-blind client Mary "Sunshine" Edwards as she signs at Edwards' house in Choctaw, Oklahoma. Edwards has Usher syndrome, an incurable genetic condition that is one of the leading causes of deaf-blindness, and is learning how to sign at 39.

Third Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Emma Howells / Ohio University

Jeri guides client Mary "Sunshine" Edwards' fingers over Sunshine's Braille workbook during one of their weekly lessons. Jeri fears that without daily practice, Sunshine will be slow to pick up the new language.

Third Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Emma Howells / Ohio University

Roger, one of Jeri's regular support service providers (SSP) looks for a particular pack of cookies while shopping for groceries in Walmart with Jeri. The role of an SSP is to assist the deaf-blind person with visual cues they are unable to see but not to rob them of their independence.

Third Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Emma Howells / Ohio University

Roger compares an image he took of Jeri's air freshener as they figure out whether or not it is the same scent.

Third Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Emma Howells / Ohio University

Jeri throws a bowling ball alongside other bowlers at Andy B's lanes in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She founded a bowling league for blind bowlers. The rail assists her in keeping a straight path to the lane.

Third Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Emma Howells / Ohio University

Bill Self, Jeri and David Cooper, Jeri's ex-husband, all visually impaired, try to track a competitors' frame.

Third Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Emma Howells / Ohio University

Lisa, one of Jeri's frequent SSPs, introduces Jeri to Lisa's friend Denise. In a noisy environment like a bowling alley, tactile contact is crucial for Jeri to participate in the conversation.

Third Place, Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year - Emma Howells / Ohio University

Jeri signs, "Thank you," to Tulsa Drillers' announcer Dennis Higgins after he invited her to sit in on his live broadcast of the game. Jeri listens to Drillers' games on the radio and wanted to how communicate the importance of radio announcers' importance to the blind community.