BetterBNC

Place Name: First Place
Contestant Name: Occidental College
Entry Title: OSAC ‘We Demand More’ demonstration and teach-in address sexual assault on campus
Entry Credit: Grace Meadows
Judge Comment: A faceless image. Hmm. But when I look at the one holding the sign, who do I see? Any girlfriend, or any other person in a position of needing help. The uplifted arms and pink sign in the midst of a march, allow her to represent so many. This frame is a key part of the three images used in the story. It could have been a stand-alone or a larger primary image on the page, but it works well exactly where you have it. Your three images of the moment are surrounded by headlines and text that add even more strength. Words adding strength to images, images adding strength to text -- that's exactly how it works. A faceless image? Not really.

Place Name: Second Place
Contestant Name: Humboldt State - El Lenador
Entry Title: Justice for Josiah: Four years later, the fight continues
Entry Credit: Lupita Rivera
Judge Comment: Giving the audience the opportunity to feel like they were there is a trait of our best images. You're submitted image, as well as the smaller photograph used in the story, does just that. You succeeded in placing the camera in a strategic perspective (again, in both images) that allows the audience to be right in the midst of a very important moment. This is also a time when we are reminded that images support text, and text supports images. In this case, the images are made even stronger by the headline and story. And one more thing -- it's also an example of a writer/photographer team working together. The specific nature of the images could not have happened without communication between those two strategic staff members. Excellent work, Jasmine (and Lupita).

Place Name: Third Place
Contestant Name: California Lutheran University
Entry Title: Chris Leveque remembered by Cal Lutheran community
Entry Credit: Isabella Breda
Judge Comment: This is a strong, emotion-packed image. There are two things I wish were a little different. First, I wish the person speaking were looking up so we could look into his eyes. And, if you could have moved to your left (or possibly to the extreme right allowing the one with his hand to his face be the primary subject) it would bring the two subjects closer together. There's just a little too much space being wasted in the middle of the composition. Camera position and moment are huge ingredients in an excellent, storytelling image. Pay close attention to the details of the composition, and watch carefully for the moment. Both take time.

Competition Comment: Unlike so many of the images we see every day, news photography is about capturing a moment within a scene that is changing every second. Somehow, in the midst of all of this constant movement, the photographer has to find a strong perspective and moment that will be truthful, and at the same time, capture the attention of the audience -- a not-so-easy task. The top three images in this segment of the competition gave the viewers a chance to be at the scene, and feel what was happening. A hand over a face, runners committed to a cause, a pink sign held high - all were ingredients of solid storytelling.

Best News Photograph ( Less than 15,000 Students)Back