MNPA - Clip Contest - Third Quarter Results

Minnesota News Photographers Association

Clip Contest

2001 Third Quarter Results
3rd Quarter clips were judged by the staff of The State, Columbia, SC, daily circulation 120,000. Judges: Greg Peters, Director of Photography, Chuck Dye, Joey Richardson, Picture Editors, Tracy Glantz and Takaaki Iwabu, Staff Photographers.
NEWS - (10 entries)

Elizabeth Nida, Rochester Post-Bulletin, "Closed in Mourning"
Brian Basham, Becker County Record, "Relay for Life"
Matt Miller, "Tribute"

Judges' Comments: We kind of felt like you had first place and all the rest in this category. Nice use of light and composition in the first-place photo. Second was a fun moment for a news photo. Third was a good localization of a national story.
FEATURE - (17 entries)

Matt Miller, Rochester Post-Bulletin, "First Day of School"
Christina Paolucci, Rochester Post-Bulletin, "Foam Hands"
Matt Miller, "Deck Ropes"
HM, Jeff Mulfinger, In The Goat Barn"
HM, Derek Neas, Duluth News Tribune, "Wagons Ho"

Judges' Comments: First was just a good "moment" from an every day assignment. The category generally lacked a lot of moments so this one truly stood out. The judges liked the sense of energy in the second-place winner but perhaps a higher angle that would have shown the subject's face might have helped elevate the picture a bit. Third place won on its graphic nature alone. Even a looser cropping might have made this picture stand out much more. The HM picture in this category was the right situation but the wrong frame. The photographer needed to wait for more of a moment to occur.

Sports Action - (11 entries)

Matt Miller, "BMX"
Christina Paolucci, "Volleyball"
Christina Paolucci, "Motorcross"
HM, Jeff Thompson, "Soccer"

Judges' Comments: First was a good execution of a different kind of sport. The use of motion and flash work well. Second, just a classic volleyball moment. You've seen it before but this one was done well. The graphic nature of this photo and the repetition of form gave this one life for third place.
SPORTS FEATURE - (8 entries)

Clint Wood, Brainerd Daily Dispatch, "The Whipple Wave"
Jeff Thompson, "Getting Ready to Hit"
Matt Miller, "Wheelchair Racer"

Judges' Comments: First used motion blur to bring action and art together for a compelling picture. Second was probably even more striking in color. Third was a good moment although there needed to be more elements to the picture to give it the depth that would have made it a winner in this category.
PORTRAIT & PERSONALITY - (8 entries)

Christina Paolucci, (no caption information)
Jeff Thompson, "Ballet"
Jeff Thompson, " Diary"
HM, Matt Miller, "Huff and Puff"

Judges' Comments: The first place winner can thank her lucky stars we rallied this one out of the feature category and into portraits (although a cutline in either case would have been helpful). Beautiful moment. Excellent appreciation for light and composition. Second place was again a nice study in light and attention to detail throughout the frame. Third was a nice look at an every day assignment.
ILLUSTRATION - (3)
All illustration entries will be judged together in the 4th quarter clip contest.
PICTORIAL - (3 entries)

Jeff Thompson, Mankato Free Press, "A Jump on Summer"
Matt Miller, "Cowboys"

Judges' Comments: First place really stood out in this category. In fact, it was one of the best pictures in the contest. Lots of good things going on in terms of composition, layering use of color. Second had all the right elements, we just weren't sure they were put together as well as they could have been. Again, waiting for the right moment and the foreground and background to work together is very important.
PHOTO PACKAGE - (9 entries)

Jeff Thompson, "The Winding Way"
Matt Miller, "Ironwood"
Jeff Thompson, "Off the Road"

Judges' Comments: We like the idea of this category a lot. It's a good opportunity for pictures that go together but maybe don't have the depth that a picture story might. Lots of back and forth among the judges on this but first seemed the most complete. The judges were split on whether the final picture was effective or not. Some liked the image, others were distracted by the bright spectral light in the middle of the frame. Second had two good images but the close-up of the competitor's face was too large for that small a package. Also a detail picture (trophies, wheels, hands, something away from the action) would have brought this package right along. Third was almost there. Too many images. Things were a little too neat and clean. It was awfully clean mud race.

PHOTO STORY - (3 entries)

Christina Paolucci, "Boxer"
Christina Paolucci, "Lupus"
Jeff Thompson, "Rite of Passage"

Judges' Comments: The boxer story was very well done. The thing that really holds it back is the lack of a great fight picture. It seemed like this may have been laid out by a sports desk that absolutely had to have an "action" picture as the lead. We tore the pages apart and switched the order and the package seemed to have a lot more depth with the second page first. You might give that a look. There were some really nice
behind-the-scene moments. Second was a solid treatment of a familiar story. Third was another familiar story. Too many images that said the same thing. Less, as the cliché goes, is more.