August IPPA Clip Contest Results

Clip results for August are in. Judges were Bangor Daily News Staff
Photographers Kevin Bennett, Bridget Brown and Kate Collins.

News-
1st-Eric Sumberg, Daily Chronicle, Monster Truck Demo Accident. 8/10/07
comments: The judges felt the photographer was Johnny on the spot, getting
to the scene and doing his best to document the news as it was unfolding
in front of him. The photo capturers the immediacy and gravity of the
scene. All the important elements are included in the frame.

2nd-Kendra Helmer, Kane County Chronicle. Flooding couple. 8/26/07
comments: the judges liked this photo because it delivered the news while
telling something about the couple and the mood of the scene. The photo
has all the essential layers–the water, the couple and the home.

3rd-Adam Gerik, The Journal Star. Fire Death Memorial. 8/14/07
comments: The judges loved the light and the subjects expressions in this
photo.
though it didn’t tell as much of the story as the other two photos, it was
a powerful shot which made us stop and look.

category comments: The judges were expecting more competition due to the
combined spot news and general news but found the category rather easy to
judge. The good stuff rose to the top and that’s what we chose to award.

Sports-
1st-Fred Zwicky, Journal Star, Hell Week Yawn . 8/9/07
comments: This photo captures the heat of August football practice in the
Midwest. The photographer framed the subject well and we feel his pain.

2nd-Ron Johnson, The Journal Star. Under the Weather. 8/24/07
comments: The photographer captured the mood of the event well using the
field lights mixing with the sky to add to the color palette. Some judges
felt the horizon shouldn’t have been tilted so extremely, but the majority
found it to be pleasing given the subject’s position in the cloud break.

3rd-David Zentz, The Journal Star. Illinois “State Football 8/20/07
comments: the photographer captured a moment of peak action with a sharp,
clean image which gives the viewer a sense of impact.

category comments: The judges felt the category was average overall. We
weren’t particularly wowed by anything, bur felt the images that won
offered a different perspective and thoughtful composition.

Feature-
1st-Tom Sistak, The Times. This Life. 8/29/07
comments: The photographer’ s patience and alertness allowed him to capture
the experience of a flood from a kid’s perspective. Waiting for this
moment paid off in the resulting image.

2nd-John Starks, The Daily Herald. Perspective on Woods Creek Lake. 8/21/07
comments: This photograph is a good feeling, but we wished the
photographer worked the angle more, getting lower and separating the
foreground from the background tree line. The photo is a unique look at
an early morning sporting event.

3rd-Lane Christiansen, The Journal Star. Pool of Legs 8/6/07
comments: The judges liked that the photographer saw this and it was
unusual for a kids and water shot. Some thought that the photo could be
cleaner, but the “drive by” angle offered context which pleased others.

HM- Ron Johnson, Journal Star. Little Atlas. 8/17/07.
comments: Kevin Bennett wanted to award this photo an honorable mention
even though it did nothing for the other judges. Bennett saw in this photo
the innocence of a little boy and the hope he holds for the world which is
in his hands.

category comments: It seemed the whole category was about water, kids and
heat. Despite this, it was by far the strongest category we judged which
elicited a great debate among the judges. In the end, the best composed
pictures with the strongest moments won.

Feature Multiple-
1st-Ron Johnson. “The Journal Star. Life in the Fast Lane. 8/26/07
comments: The photos in this story had snap and good variety. The
photographer put in time and got to know thier subjects and, as a result,
the photos fell spontaneous and not forced.

2nd-Beck Diefenbach, The Naperville Sun Tiny Angels. 8/17/07
comments: The judges felt the photographer had good access to a sensitive
subject which made for moving pictures. Thought he photos were most
likely all taken in a day, the photographer mixed up the scaling and
composition enough to make it feel complete.

3rd-Shannon Kirshner, The State Journal-Register. Gotta Dance. 8/3/07
comments: the judges granted this third place but felt that the photos
could have been better edited. The three, very different photos on the
front spread do a great job at telling most of the story. These three
pictures could have been the extent of the images, maybe with just a
detail shot added and forgetting about all of those on the back of the
spread.

category comments: The judges thought the category choices were slim. We
weren’t in love with anything, but the stories we chose featured intimate
moments that took time to gain the subjects trust, along with a variety of
images.

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