Kenny Reynolds

1) A Typical Kentucky Election

This story was quite clever. It had all the elements of a good story - nat sound, good interviews, as well as great moments - solid photography. The reporter & photog worked well as a team, revealing the fact that the candidates for mayor were barnyard animals at just the right moment. This was a fun story that translated well to the small screen.

2) Hope

This was a great photo essay. There was great nat sound throughout. The photographer made a commitment to tell this story, and he/she followed through. It wouldn't surprise me if it was done on his/her own time. The day/night transitions were flawless. I felt like I was there for the walk. Brilliant storytelling.

3) The Birds

This was a very unique story. The photog did an excellent job of staying with the action, as well as providing a variety of shots. There were great natural moments with the interview subjects and their reaction to the birds. A great effort.

Honorable Mention - Waddling Out

This photo essay provided the perfect balance of nat sound and interviews. This was a heart-warming story about a local landmark about to close it's doors for the last time. The photographer exhibited great hustle in gathering all of the elements necessary to make this story stand out.

Scott Hedeen

Quick down and dirty, the feature story done with deadline in mind.

The first place was a home grown political sidebar. Paced and well executed, this piece's characters came to life. I had a laugh and to my surprise... a thought.

The second place got better on a second play. A lot of effort and and a real folo thru with apparent effort.

The third was moments. It happened and the photog got it. The birds flying in and out was well sequenced and it showed.

The HM was a real slice of life. What hurt it in my mind was that the edits were too rapid fire... I felt like I was watching it in fast forward. I wanted it the breathe.

Richard Essex

Typical Kentucky Election...Get moments, well thought out approach to the story. The reporter and photographer did an excellent job pulling this story together..

Hope..this could have been a straight vo..but the photographer stayed up and chased down a great story..I loved the transitional dissolve it matched perfect...

Birds..we have all seen birds in the big box retail store..now we know how they got in..

Waddle Out..pacing is a little quick, but an excellent job of going after a story few people would have the patience to get....

Katrina (Brown) McCann

#1 A typical Kentucky election

This story was all around a great story. It is the definition of what teamwork is all about. The reporter and the photographer worked so well together to tell this story. Without the moments the photographer got, the story wouldn't have been the same. The story was hilarious, and it wouldn't have been as funny without the photographer getting the moments they needed. The photographer waited for the moments, and didn't make them happen. This is a story anyone would want to watch over and over again.

#2 Hope

This story really moved me. The photographer's commitment and perseverance was well evident. They took a story that happens every year, and made it stand out. I loved the fact that they followed through with the story, and put so many people's stories in the package. They did a great job showing that everyone's story was important, not just one person. The use of lighting and close-ups were amazing. This story was not only shot well, but it was shot in a well that really honored the lives of the people in the story.

#3 The Birds

This was a very well shot story. I liked the moments that the photographer got during the interviews. The photographer also took their time to get the birds flying through the door and feeding the baby birds. It was a very entertaining story with great reactions from the people.

Hm Waddling Out

The photographer did an excellent job telling this story in a creative way. You really felt like you were spending the last day with these people. The photographer's commitment to this story was evident. They stayed at the story from the beginning to the end. There was a lot of action, and they shot every piece of it. There were great close ups, and moments with the patrons. It was enjoyable to watch, and it was the complete package.

Kurt Austin

One of my stories was entered in this category. I had entered it prior to be selected as a Best of Photojournalism judge. It put me and the other judges in quite an awkward situation. I excused myself from judging of the finalists and was not told the results and will not know until Friday, March 18th.