National Press Photographers Association

Best Use of Photography: 3rd Quarter 2010 Results

2010 3rd Quarter BUP Results

Second quarter entries were judged at The Hartford Courant by photography director John Scanlan, picture editor Sherry Peters and photographers Steve Dunn, Bettina Hansen, Rich Messina, Mark Mirko, Cloe Poisson, Patrick Raycraft, and John Woike.

 

NEWS:

1st: The Palm Beach Post, August 1
“Surge in troops, deaths”
Mark Edelson, Rebecca Vaughan and Brennan King with photos by Ricardo Garcia Vilanova and The Associated Press.
Judges’ comments: Everything works on this page – the strong photos, dramatic layout, and the graphics – all contributed to the storytelling power of the page. The photos from three different photographers work well together, anchored by the powerful lead – it was engaging and emotional. Unusual sizing and shape of supporting photos added graphic interest.

2nd: Los Angeles Times, September 10
“Explosion rocks S.F. suburb”
Rob St. John, Calvin Hom and Mark Yemma.
Judges’ comments: Very strong editing and picture usage on this page makes it a winner. The temptation might have been to squeeze in more photos, but less is more here. Each photo puts the reader right at the scene – you can almost feel the heat from the fires. The lead photo is dynamic and dramatic, given appropriate size. The layout works well, with each photo used to tell a part of the story. This entry had several first-place votes, but just missed.

3rd: The Virginian-Pilot, July 11
“The Army broke my son.”
The Pham, Ross Taylor and the design team.
Judges’ comments: This page delivered a powerful statement very simply. The grief of the mother whose son suffers from PTSD after serving in Iraq is palpable. The beautifully lit photograph grabs you with those haunting, sad eyes. The strong quote used for the headline adds impact. Great, simple storytelling.

H.M.: Los Angeles Times, September 11
“Federal officials studying site”
Rob St. John, Don Bartletti, Rob Gauthier, Kelli Sullivan and Mike McKay.
Judges’ comments: The Los Angeles Times follow-up to the natural gas explosion in San Bruno uses dramatic layout and strong photos to tell the story of the aftermath of the disaster. This entry might have scored better if not for the aerial map of the homes that were destroyed. We didn’t like the placement of the aerial and wondered whether it might have been used elsewhere or not at all. It weakened the whole page, in our opinion. We also questioned the use of the clothes-sorting photo. We don’t think it added much and it detracted from the other photos.

 

 

FEATURE:

Judges’ overall comments: Each of the three finalists had strong emotional components expressed through their complementary use of picture presentation and page design.

1st: Los Angeles Times, August 1
“Four Walls and a Bed”
Mary Vignoles, Genaro Molina and Kelli Sullivan.
Judges’ comments: Strong layout, a variety of presentations in size. Loved the tight shots at right – all beautifully shot, story-telling moments. Very compelling package on all fronts.

2nd: The St. Petersburg Times, August 22
“On the Edge of Grand”
Scott Keeler and Holly Braford.
Judges’ comments: Wow! Perfect use of the double truck, unlike anything we’ve seen before. What better subject matter than the Grand Canyon. Awesome presentation.

3rd: The Virginian Pilot, August 22
“Chosen Ones”
Preston Gannaway, Bill Kelley III and Luis Vilches.
Judges’ comments: Eye-catching photos, simple layout makes this one a winner.

 

Honorable Mentions:

The Oregonian, July 23
“Cowboy Dreams”
Jamie Francis, Rob Finch, Randy Cox and Fran Genovese.
Judges’ comments: Eye-catching photo, simple layout makes this one a winner.

Los Angeles Times, August 15
“Accordion puts a spring in their step”
Rob St. John, Mary Vignoles, Mel Melcon and Lorraine Wang.
Judges’ comments: Great use and sizing of photos. Loved the secondary photo.

The Virginian Pilot, July 4
“Where the sea meets the shore”
Ross Taylor, Bill Kelley III and Louis Vilches.
Judges’ comments: Simple, elegant presentation. Wonderful photos with echos of red, blue and yellow in each.

 

 

PICTURE PAGE:

1st: The Virginian-Pilot, August 29
“Pakistan still waits for a helping hand”
Martin Smith-Rodden and the design team with photos by The Associated Press and AFP/Getty Images.
Judges’ comments: Incredible collection of strong photos displayed using a powerful layout and simple graphics. The small text block and concise captions kept the page uncluttered and let the photos tell the story.

2nd: The Virginian-Pilot, August 22
“Youth Olympic Games 2010”
Martin Smith-Rodden and the design team with photos by The Associated Press and Getty Images.
Judges’ comments: Another winner from the VP’s eyewitness photo page. We loved all the photos, especially the fabulous lead. Again, the simplicity of these pages make them a joy to read. Only reason it was trumped by the Pakistan page was the subject matter.

3rd: Los Angeles Times, July 26
“Penny Candy Prayers”
Colin Crawford, Steve Stroud, Carolyn Cole and Kelli Sullivan.
Judges’ comments: This is an absolutely gorgeous presentation of strong photos from a Haitian tent camp. Simple graphics and headline and the repetitive tonality of the photos made it a powerful package. The only weakness was that the two images at the bottom of the page of the girl holding the tent pole felt somewhat redundant.

H.M.: The Virginian-Pilot, July 25
“Heroism in China”
Martin Smith-Rodden and the design team with Associated Press photos.
Judges’ comments: The drama of these photos was powerful and the simple layout let their power speak. This is another strong Eyewitness photo page.

 

 

 

SPORTS:

1st: The Palm Beach Post / La Palma, July 16
“Un pulpo, vuvuzelas y una Espana victoriosa”
Mark Edelson with photos by Getty Images and The Associated Press.
Judges’ comments: Well done page, unconventional. We like the way the lead photo was divided over two pages. Excellent photos. All very strong and used appropriately. Captures the drama of the Spanish victory.

2nd: The Palm Beach Post / La Palma, July 2
“Llegan los cuartos, es tiempo de descuento”
Mark Edelson with photos by Getty Images and The Associated Press.
Judges’ comments: Good story-telling by the selection and usage of the photos.

3rd: Denver Post, September 20
“Flying High”
Reza Marvashti and Joe Amon.
Judges’ comments: Nicely designed. Good use of white space on the page to display the photo well. The graphic elements don’t detract from the photo.

 

 

 

 

 

MULTIPLE PAGE:

1st: Los Angeles Times, August 1 – August 8
“Four Walls and a Bed”
Mary Vignoles, Genaro Molina and Kelli Sullivan.
Judges’ comments: Wonderful photos, incredible photojournalism, packed with emotion and dignity. The lead photos were all strong and the layouts flowed well. Simple graphics gave the photos more power. Great story-telling well presented.

2nd: The Virginian-Pilot, August 22
“Chosen Ones”
Preston Gannaway, Bill Kelley III and Luis Vilches.
Judges’ comments: Great photos, unusual subject, tight effective edit, great layout. We wished, though, that there was a little bit more about the parents relationship to the boys. Otherwise, a very strong entry.

3rd: Los Angeles Times, May 30 – September 6
“Haiti: Living in Limbo”
Colin Crawford, Steve Stroud, Carolyn Cole and Kelli Sullivan.
Judges’ comments: Amazing coverage of the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake presented a series of stories that inform the reader in a comprehensive way. We were divided on whether the same layout for each story helped or hindered the overall package and think a couple of the pages needed tighter editing.

Honorable mentions:

The Oregonian, July 23
“Cowboy Dreams”
Jamie Francis, Rob Finch, Randy Cox, Fran Genovese.
Judges’ comments: We liked this picture essay and loved the cover photo and several inside, but wished there was a kick-ass rodeo photo to anchor the whole idea. Nice portraits, and loved the graphic treatment with the black lines. Nicely done, but where’s the beef?

The Denver Post, August 15
“The New Settlers”
Ken Lyons and Judy DeHass.
Judges’ comments: Great photos and good picture placement. The photos had a other-worldly feeling throughout. We were in love with the photo of the boy getting the pigeon to fly. Wonderful! We wanted to see more. The design was okay, not great.

 

 

 

Comments? Corrections? More information? Next quarter's deadline? Contact BUP contest chair Mark Edelson at medelson@pbpost.com.

 

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