2017 ONPA  Annual Contest Winners

George A. Smallsreed, Jr. Photographer of the Year (Small Market)
1st – Jessica Phelps, Newark Advocate
2nd – Lorrie Cecil, ThisWeek Newspapers
3rd – Erin McLaughlin, Sandusky Register

1st – Joshua A. Bickel, The Columbus Dispatch
2nd – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch
3rd – Katie Rausch, The Blade

Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year Award
1st – Erin Clark, Ohio University
2nd – Liz Moughon, Ohio University
3rd – Emma Howells, Ohio University

Larry Fullerton Scholarship
Alexandria Skowronski, Ohio University

James R. Gordon Ohio Understanding Award
Erin Clark, Ohio University, “The Story of Torch”

Best of Show
Liz Moughon, Ohio University, “Micheshia”

Monthly Clip Contest Photographer of the Year
1st – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch
2nd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade
3rd – Barbara Perenic, The Columbus Dispatch

Photography Staff of the Year (Large Market)
1st – The Columbus Dispatch
2nd – The Cincinnati Enquirer
3rd – The Blade

Photography Staff of the Year (Small Market)
1st – Newark Advocate
2nd – The (Lisbon) Morning Journal

Feature
1st – Madeleine Hordinski, Ohio University, “The Veil”
2nd – Erin Clark, Ohio University, “The Story of Torch”
3rd – Lisa DeJong, The Plain Dealer, “Bubbly Birthday”
Award of Excellence – Jessica Phelps, Newark Advocate, “Butterfly Kisses”
Award of Excellence – Jessica Phelps, Newark Advocate, “Getting an EEG”
Award of Excellence – Andy Morrison, The Blade, “Bad Haircut”
Award of Excellence – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Steps “

Feature Picture Story
1st – Liz Moughon, Ohio University, “Micheshia”
2nd – Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, “Logan Cole”
3rd – Jessica Phelps, Newark Advocate, “Being Dad”
Award of Excellence – Erin Clark, Ohio University, “The Story of Torch”
Award of Excellence – Aaron Self, Kent State University, “Monigolds”
Award of Excellence – Jessica Phelps, Newark Advocate, “Free To Be Home”
Award of Excellence – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Carly”

General News
1st – Meg Vogel, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Drug Court”
2nd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Invasion”
3rd – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “Sanctuary”
Award of Excellence – Amy E. Voigt, The Blade, “Mother’s Grief”
Award of Excellence – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Ray Tensing”
Award of Excellence – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Flag Raising”
Award of Excellence – Leah Klafczynski, Akron Beacon Journal, “Fentanyl Fight”
Award of Excellence – Meg Vogel, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Adoption”

News Picture Story
1st – Katie Rausch, The Blade, “Legacy of Lead”
2nd – Andy Morrison, The Blade, “Green Water Blues”
3rd – Patricia Schaeffer, The (Lisbon) Morning Journal, “Bomb Squad”
Award of Excellence – Aaron Self, Kent State Univeristy, “Picking Up the Pieces”

Pictorial
1st – Kurt Steiss, The Blade, “Hungry Mural”
2nd – Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, “Happenstance”
3rd – Emma Howells, Ohio University, “Shattered”
Award of Excellence – Fred Squillante, The Columbus Dispatch, “Bottoms Up”
Award of Excellence – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Sunset”
Award of Excellence – Emma Howells, Ohio University, “Legs”

Portrait Personality
1st – Joshua A. Bickel, The Columbus Dispatch, “Protecting the Dreamers”
2nd – Meg Vogel, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Mothers Against Gun Violence”
3rd – Meg Vogel, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Jen”
Award of Excellence – Nate Manley, Kent State University, “Lass”
Award of Excellence – Liz Moughon, Ohio University, “Farzad Soleimani”

Product Illustration
1st – Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, “Pea Soup”
2nd – Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, “Garlic”
3rd – Fred Squillante, The Columbus Dispatch, “Mother’s Day”

Ron Kuntz Sports Photographer of the Year
1st – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch
2nd – Katie Rausch, The Blade
3rd – Barbara J. Perenic, The Columbus Dispatch
Award of Excellence – Sam Greene, The Cincinnati Enquirer

Sports Action
1st – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Face Mask”
2nd – Barbara J. Perenic, The Columbus Dispatch, “Over the Line”
3rd – Scott Heckel, The Canton Repository, “Reaching For the Throw”
Award of Excellence – Shane Flanigan, ThisWeek Community News, “Twisted Dive”
Award of Excellence – Joshua A. Bickel, The Columbus Dispatch, “Giving Up the Goal”
Award of Excellence – Brooke LaValley, The Columbus Dispatch, “Stretch”
Award of Excellence – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Goal Line Dive”

Sports Feature
1st – Jessica Phelps, Newark Advocate, “Championship Lost”
2nd – Nate Manley, Kent State University, “Champs”
3rd – Fred Squillante, The Columbus Dispatch, “Dodge Ball”
Award of Excellence – Fred Squillante, The Columbus Dispatch, “Dejected”
Award of Excellence – Erin McLaughlin, Sandusky Register, “Unexpected Defeat”
Award of Excellence – Brooke LaValley, The Columbus Dispatch, “Backstage”
Award of Excellence – Katie Rausch, The Blade, “Champions “
Award of Excellence – Lorrie Cecil, ThisWeek Community News, “Victory”
Award of Excellence – Sam Greene, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Victory Bell”

Sports Picture Story
1st – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Juan Morel”
2nd – Leah Klafczynski, Akron Beacon Journal, “Going Pro”
3rd – Katie Rausch, The Blade, “Twin Oaks”

Spot News
1st – Dave Zapotosky, The Blade, “Dog Safe After Fire”
2nd – Sam Greene, The Enquirer, “DACA”
3rd – Katie Rausch, The Blade, Katie Rausch, “Pick Up Game”
Award of Excellence – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “Pepper Spray”
Award of Excellence – Patricia Schaeffer, Morning Journal-Lisbon, “Salem Grange Road Crash”
Award of Excellence – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade, “Smoke”
Award of Excellence – Katie Rausch, The Blade, Katie Rausch, “Fatal Shooting”

Team Picture Story
No award given

In the dark: Sexual Assault on College Campuses from Meg Vogel on Vimeo.

News Video
1st – Meg Vogel, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Sexual Assault on College Campuses”
2nd – Courtney Hergesheimer, The Columbus Dispatch, “Solar Eclipse NASA Kids”
3rd – Courtney Hergesheimer, The Columbus Dispatch, “Flanders Fields”

Judge’s comments: First place – This was a very topical piece. Well composed interview and good storyline, development. For a piece where you have little broll to work with, this was well done. Having access to her in a dorm room combined with a nice video portrait was a strong way to go. Second place: Good overall coverage of the solar eclipse. There was an underlying story, which made it that much more interesting. Good use of natural sound. I think the shots during the actual solar eclipse could have been stronger and maybe more planned out. I felt like most of that section was shot from a somewhat awkward low angle. Overall, good subject and good editing. Third place: This is a unique take on a Veterans parade. There was a nice variety of shots, natural sound was used well and I liked the use of the poem at the end. I would have liked the shots of the two of them on the street in the beginning to be a bit stronger. They were at times a little unstable and shaky.  Well done.

Sports Video
1st – Courtney Hergesheimer, The Columbus Dispatch, ”Teen Crossfit”
2nd – Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “The Run For the Roses”
3rd – Sam Greene, Cincinnati Enquirer, “Michael Lorenzen “In the Name of the Father”

Judge’s comments: First place – You had a really nice subject here, she was a very enthusiastic and compelling interview. Overall I thought the video was well done. I would have liked some of the shots to be more stable. I could tell you were trying for some creative angles which was good, but sometimes they weren’t properly executed. And the length was a little long for me. But overall, good interview, good storyline and a well composed edit. Second place – Really interesting topic. I would have liked more clarity on the topic sooner in the video. At first I was unsure why the roses were being assembled. If possible I would have also like to have seen the sash being awarded to the jockey and horse. Overall, clean shots, good access and a interesting way to tell that story. Third place – I see a lot of potential in this video. You had a very strong beginning. The shots were well composed and had nice use of light as well as good use of audio. However, about halfway through I was confused and felt like the storyline did a large and unexpected shift. Overall I felt like where it started and where it ended were two very different places. It was a good topic and you had good access, I think the order in which it was put together just needed some reworking.

Saving a species one cheetah at a time

Feature Video
1st – Meg Vogel, Cincinnati Enquirer, “Saving a Species”
2nd – Meg Vogel, Cincinnati Enquirer, “Beverly Hills Supper Club Fire”
3rd – Courtney Hergesheimer, The Columbus Dispatch, “Logan”

Judge’s comments: First place – You had me in the first :07. I looked up and 9 minutes had passed. I was really impressed with your pacing, use of archival footage and the effort it took to tell this story over a course of months. The videographer did an EXCELLENT job weaving in the narrative voices while keeping the viewer visually engaged with her subject. Audio editing is an often overlooked and extremely important part of what we do and I found the videographers attention to detail refreshing. THANK YOU for maintaining high visual journalist standards while also telling a dynamic, fun story. Frames were clean and tact sharp. The videographers attention to detail is appreciated. The misconception that audiences won’t watch long form video is mistaken, especially when the subject, videographer gives us a payoff at the end. Starting with CAThyrn’s (such an appropriate name) quote about what it takes to raise a cheetah and ending with her answering the question about if her work is in vein, tied a pretty little bow on this fantastic story. Such an awesome piece. Really, really great job. Second place – The videographer did an excellent job finding the right people to tell this story. Often times in newsrooms we rush to point our cameras instead of asking who should be telling the story and WHY should they be telling it. In a lot of ways, this piece feels reverse engineered. As if the videographer found a great piece of footage of this horrific incident and then contacted the folks who made appearances in the original reporting. The result is an intricately painted portrait of a tragedy. The videographer displays a mastery in composition and sound editing. I am thankful for her tone of this piece. It’s not sensationalized and doesn’t try to steer clear of the uncomfortable nature of the story while also remaining emotional and connected. This is a tough task to accomplish. It is even more difficult to tell a story which happened in the past. This is an incredible example of how to do both. Technically, there are a few editing choices that struck me as odd (jump cuts, audio transitions, etc.) that bumped it slightly out of first place. Overall, really beautiful (and tragic piece of storytelling). Third place – What this piece lacks in technical excellence it makes up for in story. The effort it takes to film within a school is a tall task. Permissions from the district, students, faculty, etc. I applaud the videographers effort to partner with all the players involved to tell this story. What I thought was going to be a slow narrative, built up into an impactful piece of visual journalism. I felt myself rooting for Logan as he was telling his story. Bottom line, you made us care in a time where most of America is going numb in the aftermath of school shootings. That being said, some transitions, audio levels, focus pulling kept the story from being visually great.

Team Video
1st – Enquirer staff, Cincinnati Enquirer, “Seven Days of Heroin”
2nd – Carrie Cochran & Cara Owsley, Cincinnati Enquirer, “Pete Rose Takes Flight”
3rd – Enquirer staff, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Judge Declares Second Mistrial”

Judge’s comments: First place – This video was very well done. First, the day by day time clock and death, overdoes count was a very strong storyline, timeline and transition piece. I felt as though the audio was very smooth and well edited. It was stronger in the first 15 minutes, but was also pretty well maintained throughout. You all had some very personal, emotional moments. They were captured very well and showed how much time and attention went into this project. Good use of narration. The voice was strong, but not overbearing and maintained a strong and stable storyline throughout. The beginning and ending narration was also a very cohesive touch. The access to people and authorities was great and well utilized. Again you can tell there was a lot of time and energy spent cultivating those relationships and putting this whole project together. On the very small negative side, some of the broll shots seem to be wobbly. While the shots were good, the stabilization effect made them, at times, too warped and distracting. Try to maybe slow down the shot slightly instead of using the stabilization. I also noticed a couple jump cuts in the second have that could have been avoided with some broll. The length at first seemed like it would be too long, but it was very compelling and I wanted to keep watching it. Lastly, great use of information and facts. Second place – This was very well shot. The interviews had great light. The broll was very detailed and meticulous. And the storyline, edit was very well done. The idea of starting with just the artist and then slowly meshing in the science was also very well done. In contrast, there were a few audio bumps and may have been a little long, but overall kept interest . Also the reporters voice at the end was not completely necessary and I think it took away from the strong ending of the piece. Maybe consider leaving that out? Overall, very nicely done video. Third place – This video was very straight forward on a topic that is really anything but. The facts and testimony of the case definitely drove this video, which was good and bad. The courtroom edits were well done, however, it would have been nice to hear some outside voices or at least here some of the natural sound from the broll in the middle. While topical and overall good coverage, it would have been nice to see more depth here. Overall, solid video.

Judges – News, Sports and Team videos: Jessie Wardarski, multimedia journalist at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, www.jkwardarski.com
Feature videos: Jarrad Henderson, multimedia producer, USA Today, http:, , www.jarradhenderson.com

Still categories judged by Former Pictures of the Year International Photographer of the Year Nancy Andrews, Sarah Ann Jump currently working as a staff photographer at The (Jasper, IN) Herald and Ohio University graduate Patrick Tehan who recently retired from the San Jose Mercury News.