I want to take a minute to discuss my favorite winners overall. I absolutely love the 1st place series for the Picture Story/Sports category, "Blood in the Water, Tentacles." I often photograph/document the fishing trips I take with friends and family of the coast off North Carolina and South Carolina and this series reminded me of that. There is so much action to photograph and fish, ironically, or pretty photogenic and gorgeous creatures. The underwater photos are gorgeous but my favorite is looking down into the open mouth of the fish. This series is spectacular!
I spent a few minutes looking at the second and third place winners in this category and they are fabulous too. The second place winner, "No Arms. No Legs. Huge Heart" is incredibly moving. My favorite aspect is that most of the photos are taken from the eye level of the subject, which contributes to the story and helps the viewer relate. The third place winner, "Fighting Chance" really pulls on my senses. The beads of sweat. The fact that they are all shot in black and white. It's a very compelling series.
I don't really care for the photos of politicians. I think it's mostly because there are a million photo ops for public figures like the president and others on Capitol Hill. I also think that taking compelling photographs of warfare or disasters is "easy" in some ways (I am very hesitant to use the word "easy" because I don't want to diminish the challenges faced by these photographers!) I recognize the importance of what these photographers do. They tell the stories of war and disaster through the eyes of the people who experience them on the ground, a different view from the one we get on the 6 o'clock news. However, I think those photos are compelling in and of themselves. It's not hard to make a phenomenal story. The story is there. The creativity exists mostly in how you tell it but you don't have to find it.
The rules for the contest are interesting. I actually like how strict the rules are on altering the photographs. While retouching, cropping, and normal color adjustments were acceptable, drastic alterations were not.
"No element should be digitally added to or subtracted from any photograph and the image must be a truthful representation of whatever happened in front of the camera during exposure." (WHNPA Contest website).
While I agree that the rule is important and necessary, I find it a little ironic because so many publications we see everyday include images that are changed excessively. I once saw a magazine cover featuring President Obama in a bathing suit (shirtless) and his skin color was lightened significantly. I don't like the impact these changes can have on how an image or story is interpreted.
The judging wrapped up several hours earlier than the suggested time on the WHNPA website. As such, I arrived at the tail end. However, I would like to spend a moment on the final session: Political Photo of the Year. I like the choice they made. I think the image says a lot about where our country stands at this moment in history. This was a pivotal moment on Capitol Hill and it is one that may define us as a nation. I found it ironic that the other photo in the top two was one of Rand Paul, someone who represents the Tea Party movement, which opposes the very objectives being celebrated in the winning photograph (health care reform). I don't know that I would have chosen either, to be honest. But as far as storytelling goes, I think the winning photo is appropriate.
I thoroughly enjoyed looking through the WHNPA Eyes of History 2010 book of last year's winners. I absolutely love photography and had hoped I would have the opportunity to strengthen those skills, along with my writing, while in graduate school at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism. (Thank goodness for Slice, are there really no other photojournalism classes available to me?!).
Despite my love of photography I had an epiphany as I flipped through last year's winners. I actually relived a little history. I remembered the familiar events some of the photos portrayed more vividly than if I had read a description. For the first time, I realized the actual power of photography. It is so much greater than a gorgeous photo. A compelling photo. An interesting photo. Somehow I never really understood how important photographs are in storytelling, on their own. Without words.
I am excited to have the opportunity to sharpen my own photography skills but I admit that I'm anxious to see how our photos will be judged! I hope there is more clarity in the explanation for what deserves an A (first place, if you will) and what doesn't.
Caption: Me outside the National Geographic Building holding the WHNPA Eyes of History 2010 book. Picture taken by classmate, Ashley S. Westerman, Sunday February 27, 2011.
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