Picture Editing Quarterly Clip Contest - 4th Quarter 2003

Judges' Comments

News Page

Judged at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill by Patrick Davison, Assistant Professor of Visual Communication, Rich Beckman, Professor of Visual Communication, and Brian Cassella, Photo Editor, The Daily Tar Heel. Judged in Davison's "Documentary Photojournalism" class

1) "Schwarzenegger" The San Francisco Chronicle, Oct 8, 2003

Excellent variety of related elements on front page, clean design, terrific display of lead art, page gives the historic story the weight it deserves by devoting the entire front page to the story (one of biggest California stories in recent years). Art is predictable, but relevant and important considering event.

2) "Iranian City in Ruins" Hartford Courant, Dec 27, 2003

Paper had a lot of courage for running this graphic photo with storytelling elements. Gravity of story is portrayed extremely well. It was the only paper in contest running such a photo. Layout is a little grey, but it is clean and effective overall. There is no secondary art competing with impact of lead photo.

3) "Boxing Lessons"Commercial Appeal, Nov 15, 2003

Two strong local news photographs from separate stories presented well. Rather unique front page layout with white space used to set the lead story and photo apart graphically above the fold giving it the impact that it deserved, while not overly weakening the second photo and story below the fold.

HM)"Arguing His Own Case" Virginian Pilot, Oct 21, 2003

This paper's treatment of the DC Sniper trial was bold and adds impact to a rather ordinary courtroom photo. The presentation, including a quote from Muhammad above the fold, helps show the importance of this international story.

HM) "The Real Cost" Palm Beach Post, Dec 9, 2003

The page has a very clean layout with strong storytelling photos. The type, white space, and use of spot color contribute to clean, effective readability of page. Judges were somewhat uneasy about its competition against front page news pages because it was a special section, and therefore perhaps had a little more freedom. Overall, it was an excellent treatment of an important story.

Sports Page

1)"Out and Over" Palm Beach Post, Oct 5, 2003

Great storytelling moment, well-displayed. The headline screams as loud as the photo about the climactic play which ended the series between the Marlins and the Giants. There were several versions of this play in the category, but this one was super sharp and perfect. Great reproduction, incredible impact (pardon the pun). Simple, clean effective design using local art.

2) "Awesome Day" The Raleigh News & Observer, Nov 9, 2003

Page is busy on top, but on a college football day, this is normal. Strong moment with excellent news value for the paper's readership. The image is well-displayed and the secondary art doesn't hurt, though it doesn't help that much. The main action is above fold. Good use of local art. Design is as clean as it could be with so many elements on page.

3) "It's Now Sudden Death" Palm Beach Post, Oct 12, 2003

Excellent design. Great use of strong vertical photograph, letting the layout enhance the impact of the moment captured in the photo. The moment was subtle but important for the story and for the readers. The quality of image (strong, but not spectacular) was not quite as strong as some others in the contest, but the quality of design elevated it to third place. No competing elements.

HM) "Wrigley Bash" South Florida Sun Sentinel, Oct 9, 2003

Nice photo played well with a strong headline. Tells the story of the game well. However, not very strong above the fold.

HM) "Landstown's Dream Denied" Virginian-Pilot, Dec 14, 2003

The strength of the emotion in the lead photo carries the page farther than some competitors. Headline and design above the fold compliment the image in telling the story. The rest of the images on the page are just so-so, however.

Feature Page

1)"Year in Review" Palm Beach Post, Dec 28, 2003

Wonderful layout and presentation of photos of the year's top stories. Rapping the section, using both the front and the back of the section is a clever and effective design. The panoramic crop on the four images allows the page to be viewed as a whole or as independent front or back cover, engaging clean and interesting , good example of strong picture editing and design, enhancing the message of strong photojournalism. This was far and away the most innovative use of photography in the entire category.

2)"The Admiral and the Sailor" Hartford Courant, Dec 7, 2003

A wonderful portrait that shows the dignity of the subject is enhanced by the size and the simplicity of the layout. Typography is used effectively and refers are handled in a way that does not distract.

3)"Use and Abused" Palm Beach Post, Dec 7, 2003

One of very few documentary pages in the category. The design enhances the storytelling quality of the photography. The headlines also strengthen the message in the photographs. A good example of pictures and words working together.

HM)"The Other Fall Fruit" Hartford Courant, Oct 23, 2003

Simple and beautiful photo illustration with painterly quality. The design is simple and elegant. The symmetry enhances the overall strength of the page. The photo was simple, but beautiful with its use of shallow depth of field and the muted pastel palette.

HM)"Pampering Pets" Rocky Mountain News, Dec 15, 2003

Nice use of color, type and empty space to enhance the humorous illustration. Good job of clearing the section front to enhance the photo.

Picture Page

Judged at the Washington Times by J. Ross Baughman, Director of Photography, Robert Houlihan, Deputy Director, and Jay Premack, Photo Editor.

1) "Connected to the Community" St Louis Dispatch, Nov 30, 2003. Photos and story by David Carson; editing by Sid Hastings

Baughman: Only four photos long, but the content of each one is of top quality. Carson chose his subject wisely because the viewer can instantly empathize with what this police officer is up against and what he is trying to accomplish. This page was just part of a sweeping survey of 150 area police personnel. I hope in the future, this same photographer and editor will apply themselves and this kind of access to a real news peg, something along the lines of "Crimes rates dip, felonies solved when community rapport put to the test." Then we'd have something other than a Day in the Life short-sightedness; and a tangible proof of whether or not ordinary neighborhoods trust their police.
Houlihan: Great moments. Really gave me a feel for the life of a cop on the beat.
Premack: Character driven page with emotion and sensitivity. Images hold attention and offer depth to explore.

2) "A Race Like No Other" San Jose Mercury Oct 5, 2003. Photos by Dai Sugano; Editing by Geri Migielicz

Baughman: Watching politicans squirming under the microscope provides a fresher insight into a life of public service than we usually see. The photo of a waiting microphone, as ordinary as the elements might be, suggests how intimidating it might be to stand up in front of pack of hungry journalists. We see the throats go dry and sweat begin to shine on their skins. This story required the photojournalist, and the viewer, to step into shoes that very few have the opportunity to try or to come to regret. Having a clear perspective in mind made all of the difference in the world to the success of this piece.
Houlihan: Good behind the scenes look at The political machine. It's nice to see something other than the standard pols at podiums. The lead photo could have been scaled down a bit though.
Premack: Visually there is little to explain the headline - rather it looks like 'a race like most others' the 9 or so column image of Bustamante garners some attention but it's size does not improve its quality. The other images surrounding it are not perticulary strong on their own excluding Davis and Arnold (which might have done better bigger).

3) "Slides, Squabbles and Smoke" The Palm Beach Post Oct 5, 2003. Photos by Allen Eyestone; Editing by Mark Edelson

Baughman: This page was plucked out of a much longer recap of the Marlins winning season. Although each picture is appealing, and the design is clean and worthy of admiration, the whole page is little more than a grab-bag. Because of its fractured 'reason-for-being' this one came in a distant third in my mind behind first and second place.
Houlihan: Nice mix of moments, action and emotion. Something not usually seen on most sports pages.
Premack: Castillo smoking caries the page, but the other images offer little except the umpire shot below. The page is a mix of so-so images caried by the dominant.

Multi-Page Picture Story

Judged at the Washington Times by J. Ross Baughman, Director of Photography, Robert Houlihan, Deputy Director, and Jay Premack, Photo Editor.

1)"Jeffrey Titus Went to War: The Iraq War in the Words of the Soldiers Who Captured Baghdad" Hartford Courant Nov 9, 2003. Photos by various wires; Editing by Bruce Moyer

Baughman: : If an editor can draw on the best work turned in from a dramatic subject by hundreds of photographers, we would hope that it could always be this good. For this effort, the Courant far outshined what Time or Newsweek ever managed to assemble. I wish the same real estate and ambition had been invested in the efforts of two or three well-focused, embedded Courant staffers.
Houlihan: Good flow. Very strong group of images that took me somewhere. My only complaint was the opening image. Not nearly as strong as the rest of the group.
Premack: Well tied together...selection of strong stand alone images combined to make a powerful presentation. Nice balance of color and B&W. Weak opening image hurts the package. Maybe the idea was to show a fresh soldier headed to war but it just doesn't seem to work.

2)"The Sacrifice of Ganansol" Hartford Courant Dec 7, 2003. Photos by Bradley E. Clift; Editing by John Scanlan

Baughman: The premise of this beautiful special section is how a small village in Ecuador has begun to empty out and head for Connecticut. The inside lead photo of a boy leaping from one bench to another works so well for this subliminal theme that it certainly should have been more important that the few columns of width that it got. The most important verbs and moods must describe departure, desertion, In fact it should have been the cover image. The first 26 pages out of the 32-page section linger in the home village, and so often zero-in on people that a strong sense of place, literally the personality and soul of the place, has been editted out. The people show strong, heartfelt expressions, but what was really needed was the bond of people to roots .
Houlihan: Very nice set of photos that hooked me in the beginning and kept me interested until the end. Thirty-two pages is very long though. Could have been just a little tighter.
Premack: Strong selection of images make for a great package.

3)"Haiti: The Eroding Nation" Sun Sentinel Dec 7, 2003. Photos by Mike Stocker; Editing by Tim Rasmussen

Baughman: Very beautiful pictures have been designed into a quilt that takes no responsibility for narration or flow. The pictures could, and seem to, come in any, random order. This could just have readily been a four-page, or eight-page or book-length project, although the redundancy was clearly becoming troublesome.
Houlihan: Graphic, powerful images, but with some repetition. Nice body of work.
Premack: Pretty pictures...at times, struggle to tell the story of this "eroding nation." The images are beautiful but do not fully tell the story on their own.