Best Of Photojournalism 2010 TV Spot News, Documentary, Winners Picked
ST. PETERSBURG, FL (February 28, 2010) – Judges today picked winners in the first two Television categories of the National Press Photographers Association's 2010 Best Of Photojournalism competition, and the winners in Spot News and Documentary categories have been announced.
First place in Spot News is Darren Durlach of WBFF-TV in Baltimore for "C'mon Son". Second place is Mark Neitro of KCNC-TV in Denver for "In Search of Cocoa", and third place is Andy Shilts of KMSP-TV in Minneapolis for "Yeah, A Big Ol' Dumptruck." Honorable mention was awarded to David Larson of WBFF-TV in Baltimore for "My License Plate Says Paddle."
Durlach's first place Spot News story is about a water main break on a steep street. "The story had amazing water video with lots of nats and an awesome shot variety. I loved the framing of the interviews and the way the story came together," judge Jake Carpenter said.
"I liked the second place spot because it was true breaking news with a huge sense of urgency. The photojournalist was able to connect with the family and allowed to ride with the mother and son as they drove around town pursuing leads on their runaway guide dog. The photojournalist had lots of action/reaction sequences and I was impressed by his or her ability to get shots outside of the car followed immediately by relevant clips with the mother inside the car. I would've liked steadier shots outside - use the world as your tripod!"
The third place story was "extremely well shot," judge Dave Delozier said. "Great detail shots and composition. Terrific sound from people involved that not only told the story, but created memorable moments in the story. "
"The winner was easily the best entry," judge Peter Ross said. "It was beautifully shot, with wonderful reactions. Like the best of NPPA stories, it's best shots held quickly, making you want more, and then quickly delivered more. It kept building - perfect composition and great natural soundbites."
* * *
In the Documentary category, first place is "China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province" by Jon Alpert and Matthew O'Neill for HBO.
Second place in Documentary is "Americana In Focus: Jobs That Last" by CNN's Bethany Swain, Chris Turner, Jeremy Moorhead, John Bena, Mike Miller, Eddie Cortes, John Torigoe, John Bodnar, Rod Griola, Jay McMichael, Joel De La Rosa, Jerry Simonson, and Bob Crowley.
Third place in Documentary is "The Inside Man" by Noah Skinner of KDVR-TV in Denver.
"The winners in this category had very well told stories, hands down," judge Carpenter said. "'The Inside Man' told a very thorough story about a serial killer’s spree, while maintaining high production value and a genuine journey throughout the piece. It was great because of the story, but it didn't have the moments and emotion the other winners had. The ‘Americana in Focus: Jobs that Last’ documentary had amazing stories that were well told and had great nats and lots of shot variety – including tons of tight shots."
Judge Delozier said that "China's Unnatural Disaster" was a "very difficult story to tell that was extremely well executed. Given the fact the story was entirely told in sub-titles, it was compelling and drew me the people involved. It was emotional from the first moment until the end and carried a range of emotions from sorrow to anger and conflict. Making the story even more challenging was telling the story in a country that isn't always open to the sharing of information."
Judge Steve Fedoriska said the story about the aftermath of China's earthquake was "the hands down winner for me. It hooked me in the first few seconds of the story. There were times through out the story that I was engaged to the point of worry for what was going to happen next. I felt like I lived through the lives of the central characters."
"There was definitely a lot of diversity in this category when it came to style and topic," judge Crystal Lauderdale said. "'The Inside Man,' for example, relied heavily on narration, illustration and moody graphics to tell the tale, while 'Family Torn Apart' was completely raw and done without a reporter. I believe our first place selection, the China story, did the best job of storytelling and using style as a highlighter rather than a crutch. It went beyond the facts and got to the real emotion of the story, establishing characters we could cling to and follow throughout. It showed us – rather than told us – their full range of emotions: grief, anger, confusion, resignation. And it posed compelling questions that kept me watching to the very end."
"'Americana in Focus' was wonderful - technically perfect with great moments," judge Ross said. "Less of a true documentary, but still wonderful television."
Finalists in Documentary were "A Season of the Band" by Michigan State University's Troy Hale, Jim Peck, Alberto Moreno, Kevin Epling, Anthony Sicilliano, and Brent Kryzstan; and "Veterans in Focus" by CNN's Bethany Swain, Floyd Yarmuth, John Torigoe, Tom Larson, Pelin Sidki, Deb Brunswsick, Eddie Cortes, Jeremy Moorhead, Oliver Janney, John Bodnar, David Ruff, Gabe Ramirez, Bob Crowley, William Walker, Gregg Canes, and Tim Garraty.
* * *
NPPA's 2010 Best of Photojournalism competition is sponsored this year by Apple, The Poynter Institute for Media Studies, ibilbio, Camera Bits, Ohio University, and the St. Petersburg Times.
Read an earlier story about this year's Best Of Photojournalism television category judges
NPPA Marketplace
- Insure Your Equipment
- You go where the action is….so should your insurance! Hays delivers comprehensive insurance for your gear - covering cameras, computers, editing equipment and rental.
- Join the NPPA
- NPPA members receive a wide range of benefits, from educational opportunities to mentoring, exclusive discounts, insurance options, business tips, and much more.