This edition of Photo of the Month was judged by Giordano Ciampini. Twitter / Website
FEATURE
1. FEAJanCGD03
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| (01/10/2017) TLAQUEPAQUE, Mex. - Martin, 23, takes a hit of crystal meth while waiting for customers. Martin washes cars at an intersection most days and is a small-time drug dealer on the side, in the slum of El Tapatio near Mexico's second biggest city, Guadalajara. Photo by Chris Donovan |
2. FEAJanCGD01
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| (01/8/2017) MANZANILLO, Mex. - Three fisherman cast their lines into the ocean in Manzanillo, a port city on Mexico’s west coast. Dozens of fisherman line the beach every morning and bring their hauls of fish to local restaurants and markets. Photo by Chris Donovan, Loyalist College |
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| (01/10/2017) GUADALAJARA, Mex. - Manuel works around the clock as a taxi driver in Guadalajara to support his daughter on meager wages. He has racked up close to a million kilometers on his cab. Photo by Chris Donovan. |
HM. FEAJanNP1
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| BELLEVILLE, Ont. (01/27/17) — Michael Alexander, an employee at La Cultura Salumi Inc., scrubbing the floor clean as Frank Abballe, the owner, waits to spray more water. La Cultura Salumi Inc., opened five years ago, is Belleville's only dry-aging meat plant. "We feed people. So it's important to keep this place clean," says Jane Abballe, Frank's wife and co-owner of the business. Since its opening it has been recognized by many popular restaurants in Toronto, such as Bar Isabel. Photo by Noah Park |
First place is unreal. The content being what it is, technically it’s a solid frame, tack sharp, and at a moment where the subject seems to be entirely oblivious or ambivalent about the photographer’s presence.
Second place is an aesthetically pleasing image, it’s something you’d see on the wire or in a paper as a weather feature, or as part of a picture story /essay as a frame you can add in to take a ‘breath’ from the main thrust of a story.
Third place has an interesting human subject (I have a soft spot for taxi drivers) in their natural environment, but it can be said to be picking from low-hanging fruit. This image would have benefitted from a bit lower shutter so we can see a bit more drama in the field of view beyond the driver in the rear view.
The HM is a great little slice of a workplace, it begs questions relating to what sort of factory this is. It didn’t place because although the moment has charm to it, it is on the wrong end of the centred subject. Would have liked to see a face.
Walk about lots, be out in the world with people, the moments are just waiting for us to witness them.
NPAC defines the feature category as: A single photograph of an unstaged situation that has a high human interest element and/or a fresh view of an everyday scene.
NEWS
1. NEWJanCAE2
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| BELLEVILLE, ONT. (01/12/2017) Prime Minster Justin Trudeau laughs at a joke a member of the crowd made about his father the late Pierre Trudeau’s time in office, during his cross country tour stop in Belleville. Photo by Colin Emerson, Loyalist College |
2. NEWJanVGT2
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| TORONTO, Ont. (21/01/17) - The Women's March on Washington, Toronto edition, brought about 60,000 bodies to Queen's Park on January 21, 2017. Men, women and children marched together down University Ave. to prove that we will continue to be united and push for equality, diversity and freedom, even in the face of a shifting America. Protests against Trump have become a fight for humanity worldwide. Photo by Vanessa Tignanelli, Loyalist College |
3. NEWJanYag1
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| Toronto, Ont (01/21/17) — Niki Nephin and her daughter Millie joined the estimated 60,000 protesters for the Women’s March on Washington in downtown Toronto. Photo by Yader Guzman. |
1 - CAE2
2 - VGT2
3 - YAG1
HMs - VGT1 & CGD03
Protest pictures can be compelling but they inherently can also drift into cliche. Many of these would have been helped by finding moments or graphical elements in the fore- and background to tell the story instead of focusing on people’s signs (although there *is* a time and place for that if the thrust of the story is signage). There was also a distinct lack of spot news, which is an essential skill set that needs to be developed in order to work the freelance circuit as well as for would-be staffers. When you learn the rhythm of a city, you get an idea of when trouble tends to start, and failing that, you can always listen to the scanner for a few hours.
First place is a great little moment to catch the PM in. He’s an inherently photogenic person, so grabbing photos of him during those in-between moments of composure is important to the news of the day, it’s how we show that those in power are human beings like the rest of us, in spite of the power they wield.
Second place is a really lovely little moment between mom and daughter. Be aware of including children in protest pictures, because largely they aren’t capable of giving consent and are brought along by more politically-minded parents. It’s important that we, as photojournalists don’t use the most vulnerable amongst us as props or political tools. This is one instance which protesters can be humanized without being exploitative.
Third place is very well composed and an aesthetically pleasing image to view, but it didn’t place higher due to the news value in the image. General news should be compelling and timely subject matter as well as technically adept and aesthetically pleasing, viewers need to actually see the news value in it without having to read the caption. I would have categorized this as a feature rather than news.
The HM is a great series of portraits, but needed to be labelled as a composite image, as it is a series of photos placed on a canvas. There is news value in streeters or portrait series, but make sure to posit them in a way where I can identify what the story is through the environment the subjects are located in. Kudos for a well shot and interesting set of pix, and especially for including a variety of colours and ages. All too often we prioritize the faces and voices of non-POCs (people of colour), and although over 70% of Canadians are either immigrants or children of immigrants, POCs are highly underrepresented in news photographs.
NPAC defines the news category as: A single photograph with serious content and strong human interest elements of a scheduled or organized news event (e.g. mourners at a funeral, protesters, press conferences or staged coverage opportunities). The association defines spot news as: A single photograph of an unscheduled news event for which no advance planning was possible.
HM. NEWJanCGD3
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| (01/05/2017) GUADALAJARA, Mex. - A worker dangles off the edge of a 30-storey building under construction in Guadalajara's Central Park. The office spaces in the new building will serve the city's fast growing ultra-wealthy business sector. The construction of the park was widely contested by locals who were displease with the fast growth and destruction of forest in their neighbourhood. Photo by Chris Donovan |
HM. NewJanVGT1
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| TORONTO, Ont. (24/01/17) - Thousands of women sported bright lipstick of all colours at the Women’s March on Washington in Toronto, Ont. on January 24, making a statement that celebrated femininity. 60,000 people of different age, race and culture showed their disappointment towards recent anti-abortion initiatives taken by the Trump administration, as well as their support for feminism and equality amongst humanity. Photo by Vanessa Tignanelli. |
1. SPTJanMBS2
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| BELLEVILLE, Ont. (28/01/17) – Joe Bresee and Dylan Hayes of the Loyalist Lancers attempt to block the spike by a La Cite Coyotes player during their game in Belleville on Saturday, January 28, 2017. The Lancers blew a 2-0 set lead and went on to lose 3-2. Photo by Bea Serdon, Loyalist College |
2. SPTJanJRL1
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| BELLEVILLE, Ont. (01/15/17) — Loyalist Lancer player, Chris Asomani pushes past Georgian Grizzlies player Aaron Sutton in an attempt to score a basket for his team. The Lancers go on to win the game 76:63. Photo by Jonathan Ludlow, Loyalist College |
3. SPTJanVGT1
HM. SPTJanMBS3
SPORTS
1 - MBS2
2 - JRL1
3 - VGT1
HM - MBS3
This category was marked by a failure to capture the peak action of the athletes, save for a couple of moments. I know it sounds harsh, and capturing sports isn’t easy, but there is room for improvement here. Several photos would have benefited from better crops, but I can see where they’re going.
First place had the action right there, the reaction on 13 is great, captured at the right moment, and almost at the right framing. While tight crops are preferred for most sports, there’s not enough of the ball in the upper third, would have liked to see it more clearly.
Second place is a photo you’d likely see from a Raps game, the moment when the driving player hits the defence. It’s a solid, serviceable basketball image, but would have benefitted from better toning and cropping.
Third place image has some great emotion in it, but it’s lost in the far end of the frame. Cropping this would have yielded a better visual solution, but the timing was pretty good. Crops are everything in sports images.
PORTRAIT
1. PRTJanCGD2
2.PRTJanNP3
3. PRTJanNP2
HM. PRTJanCGD3
2) MPXJanCGD01
3. MPXJanCGD02
MULTIPLE PICTURES
1 - CGD03
2 - CGD01
3 - CGD02
Only one photographer entered three sets into this category, I would strongly advise folks to reconsider what they believe a picture story/essay is, as you don’t always need foreign or controversial content to tell stories. There are stories all around, some big, some small. It’s our responsibility to tell them.
First place is a great “day in the life” feature of this woman Laura Avila. Living on a pile of refuse is not a life that many of us can recognize as being akin to our own, however the photographer assembled a solid edit of images which give the subject prominence in their daily activities, and gives them dignity in a situation many of us might want help out from. The subject is humanized through a series of images which take us from wide, giving context to the subject, through to tight-tight-tight to see hands that could easily be our grandmothers’ hands.
Second place is yet again a good “day in the life” feature of a group of fishermen. Technically perfect, lots of breathing room to take in the locale and context. Solidly composed and edited images, however it falls flat in that it doesn’t delve deeper. I would love to see where these men call home, if they go to the bodega and straight home, or if one of them heads to the bar. I want to know something about these people’s lives, and I don’t get that in this beyond their vocation.
Third place is a gritty street story that shows me a lot of drug use and not much else beyond. It tips its toe into a deeper underlying family issue, and the wider political context, but ultimately lacks direction and is focused on the direct subject matter of the petty drug trade rather than the human dimension of what happens to these young men after the sun falls.
Updated Points 1,845 - Chris Donovan 1,140 - Vanessa Tignanelli 545 - Andrew Ryan 520 - Noah Park 300 - Yader Guzman 220 - Bea Serdon 175 - Lori Christmas 100 - Colin Emerson 60 - Raven McCoy 50 - Jonny Ludlow 50 - Liam Smyth 25 - Curtis O’Connor 20 - Aman Parhar Past Points 1,385 - Chris Donovan (+460) 1,055 - Vanessa Tignanelli (+85) 545 - Andrew Ryan 435 - Noah Park (+85) 275 - Yader Guzman (+25) 175 - Lori Christmas 100 - Taylor Bertelink 100 - Bea Serdon (+110) 60 - Raven McCoy 50 - Liam Smyth 25 - Curtis O’Connor 10 - Aman Parhar (+10) 0 - Colin Emerson (+100) 0 - Jonny Ludlow (+50)
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| BELLEVILLE, Ont. (15/01/17) - Loyalist Lancer Jamal Okunbor (10) takes on the Georgian College Grizzlies in men's basketball on January 15, 2016 in Belleville, Ont. It was a rough match with lots of fouls from both teams, but the Lancers took the win 76-65. Photo by Vanessa Tignanelli, Loyalist College |
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| BELLEVILLE, Ont. (28/01/17) – Loyalist Lancers Women's Volleyball Team gathers in for a huddle during their game against the La Cite Coyotes. The Lancers ended up winning the game 3-0. Photo by Bea Serdon, Loyalist College |
1 - MBS2
2 - JRL1
3 - VGT1
HM - MBS3
This category was marked by a failure to capture the peak action of the athletes, save for a couple of moments. I know it sounds harsh, and capturing sports isn’t easy, but there is room for improvement here. Several photos would have benefited from better crops, but I can see where they’re going.
First place had the action right there, the reaction on 13 is great, captured at the right moment, and almost at the right framing. While tight crops are preferred for most sports, there’s not enough of the ball in the upper third, would have liked to see it more clearly.
Second place is a photo you’d likely see from a Raps game, the moment when the driving player hits the defence. It’s a solid, serviceable basketball image, but would have benefitted from better toning and cropping.
Third place image has some great emotion in it, but it’s lost in the far end of the frame. Cropping this would have yielded a better visual solution, but the timing was pretty good. Crops are everything in sports images.
PORTRAIT
1. PRTJanCGD2
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| (01/9/2017) GUADALAJARA, Mex. - Laura Avila, 64, lives on a pile of salvaged goods next to the train that runs through Guadalajara known as "the beast." Many migrants ride the beast from central America, especially Honduras and Guatemala in an effort to reach America. Guadalajara is a common pit-stop along the way. "Many poor people sell things here, and I just want to help them," she explained as she brought a shoe box which she salvaged from the trash to a man who sells shoes by the tracks. Photo by Chris Donovan |
2.PRTJanNP3
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| BELLEVILLE, Ont. (01/10/17) — Butch Lucas is a 75 year-old owner of a local business, Hillcrest Auto Wreckers Ltd., which was started in 1948 by his father and kept alive ever since. “I don’t know. You just keep on working I guess,” Lucas answers when asked about the secret to the longevity of his business. Photo by Noah Park |
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| BELLEVILLE, Ont. (01/17/17) — Ben Maracle, a 16 year-old high school quarterback, is chosen to represent U-18 Team Canada in a game against its U.S. counterpart in the North American Championship in Orlando, Florida. "I'm excited to share my story when I get back home and wearing the Canadian flag on my jersey is a huge part of it. It just shows me how far I've come." Photo by Noah Park. |
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| (01/8/2017) MANZANILLO, Mex. - A fisherman pulls up his net to see his catch before pulling the fish off the net in Manzanillo, a port city on Mexico’s west coast. Dozens of fisherman line the beach every morning and bring their hauls of fish to local restaurants and markets. Photo by Chris Donovan |
HM. PRTJanAP1
PORTRAITS Or, how I got a guy to pose nude with a banana.
Srsly guise, I need to hear the story about this one…
1 - CGD02
2 - NP03
3 - NP02
HMs - AP1 & CGD03
Overall, this category was fairly strong, with some great subjects and interesting graphic elements.
First place is a great frame. Beautiful colours, mysterious subject, very simple, direct, natural. This photo draws me in and makes me ask questions, but also gives me enough of the subject to understand a bit about her. I would have liked to see more of what looks like her sleeping area, to the left of the frame, but it provides me with a lot of data to read a story into and it’s aesthetically pleasing from a compositional point of view.
Second place is such a curmudgeonly image. Dude’s got so much character, but this didn’t place higher because of a lack visual dialogue with the photographer. Lighting and composition are spot on. I’d have loved to see what the shooter could’ve pulled out of this with a bit more time and conversation. Get him to take his jacket off, sit on the tires. Have him roll his shoulders before you take a photo so that his muscles can relax and he can grow comfortable with a camera in his face. Working folks are tough to photograph, but you pulled a solid image out of this.
Third place is almost-but-not-quite-there. The lighting scheme is solid for an athlete, but be aware of the lack of light you put on faces, as the shadows sink so deep in his eyes that I can’t see them. A well-placed reflector would have given the subject some catchlights in their eyes which would’ve given me more of a connection with him.
Honourable mention AP1 is a strong subject and technically solid, good lighting, but lacks space to allow his face to tell me its story. it’s also on a bit of a funny angle, which has a frame running through his head and cuts off at strange parts of his face. This could have benefitted from a better crop, but more so needs more context if the desired outcome is an EVP, or more dramatic lighting and a different angle if it’s to be a straight portrait of a serious subject rather than in the middle of conversation.
Honourable mention CGD03 is a great subject with lots of great natural elements in background and foreground, but rather than capturing him in the middle of pulling up the net, get him to hold it up and keep it up! Don’t be afraid to pose your subject. This could have been a very compelling portrait by using the net, with fish, as a scrim to shoot through to get his face closer, straight on, while maintaining the context of his vocation as a visual element.
Pose your subjects, and spend some time with them. You’ll be surprised what you can pull out by just asking questions, listening to answers, and finding the essence of your subject to make a solid frame with.
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| Liverpool, UK (11/01/2017) - John Silverfox Hayes served in Iraq in 2003. "When someone comes back from war, the transition into civilian life is difficult. Because everything changes. Art gave me direction. I could sit for hours and paint. Especially after I was diagnosed with PTSD, art gave me a focus," says Hayes. Photo by Aman Parhar. |
PORTRAITS Or, how I got a guy to pose nude with a banana.
Srsly guise, I need to hear the story about this one…
1 - CGD02
2 - NP03
3 - NP02
HMs - AP1 & CGD03
Overall, this category was fairly strong, with some great subjects and interesting graphic elements.
First place is a great frame. Beautiful colours, mysterious subject, very simple, direct, natural. This photo draws me in and makes me ask questions, but also gives me enough of the subject to understand a bit about her. I would have liked to see more of what looks like her sleeping area, to the left of the frame, but it provides me with a lot of data to read a story into and it’s aesthetically pleasing from a compositional point of view.
Second place is such a curmudgeonly image. Dude’s got so much character, but this didn’t place higher because of a lack visual dialogue with the photographer. Lighting and composition are spot on. I’d have loved to see what the shooter could’ve pulled out of this with a bit more time and conversation. Get him to take his jacket off, sit on the tires. Have him roll his shoulders before you take a photo so that his muscles can relax and he can grow comfortable with a camera in his face. Working folks are tough to photograph, but you pulled a solid image out of this.
Third place is almost-but-not-quite-there. The lighting scheme is solid for an athlete, but be aware of the lack of light you put on faces, as the shadows sink so deep in his eyes that I can’t see them. A well-placed reflector would have given the subject some catchlights in their eyes which would’ve given me more of a connection with him.
Honourable mention AP1 is a strong subject and technically solid, good lighting, but lacks space to allow his face to tell me its story. it’s also on a bit of a funny angle, which has a frame running through his head and cuts off at strange parts of his face. This could have benefitted from a better crop, but more so needs more context if the desired outcome is an EVP, or more dramatic lighting and a different angle if it’s to be a straight portrait of a serious subject rather than in the middle of conversation.
Honourable mention CGD03 is a great subject with lots of great natural elements in background and foreground, but rather than capturing him in the middle of pulling up the net, get him to hold it up and keep it up! Don’t be afraid to pose your subject. This could have been a very compelling portrait by using the net, with fish, as a scrim to shoot through to get his face closer, straight on, while maintaining the context of his vocation as a visual element.
Pose your subjects, and spend some time with them. You’ll be surprised what you can pull out by just asking questions, listening to answers, and finding the essence of your subject to make a solid frame with.
MULTIPIX
1) MPXJanCGD03
MULTIPLE PICTURES
1 - CGD03
2 - CGD01
3 - CGD02
Only one photographer entered three sets into this category, I would strongly advise folks to reconsider what they believe a picture story/essay is, as you don’t always need foreign or controversial content to tell stories. There are stories all around, some big, some small. It’s our responsibility to tell them.
First place is a great “day in the life” feature of this woman Laura Avila. Living on a pile of refuse is not a life that many of us can recognize as being akin to our own, however the photographer assembled a solid edit of images which give the subject prominence in their daily activities, and gives them dignity in a situation many of us might want help out from. The subject is humanized through a series of images which take us from wide, giving context to the subject, through to tight-tight-tight to see hands that could easily be our grandmothers’ hands.
Second place is yet again a good “day in the life” feature of a group of fishermen. Technically perfect, lots of breathing room to take in the locale and context. Solidly composed and edited images, however it falls flat in that it doesn’t delve deeper. I would love to see where these men call home, if they go to the bodega and straight home, or if one of them heads to the bar. I want to know something about these people’s lives, and I don’t get that in this beyond their vocation.
Third place is a gritty street story that shows me a lot of drug use and not much else beyond. It tips its toe into a deeper underlying family issue, and the wider political context, but ultimately lacks direction and is focused on the direct subject matter of the petty drug trade rather than the human dimension of what happens to these young men after the sun falls.
Updated Points 1,845 - Chris Donovan 1,140 - Vanessa Tignanelli 545 - Andrew Ryan 520 - Noah Park 300 - Yader Guzman 220 - Bea Serdon 175 - Lori Christmas 100 - Colin Emerson 60 - Raven McCoy 50 - Jonny Ludlow 50 - Liam Smyth 25 - Curtis O’Connor 20 - Aman Parhar Past Points 1,385 - Chris Donovan (+460) 1,055 - Vanessa Tignanelli (+85) 545 - Andrew Ryan 435 - Noah Park (+85) 275 - Yader Guzman (+25) 175 - Lori Christmas 100 - Taylor Bertelink 100 - Bea Serdon (+110) 60 - Raven McCoy 50 - Liam Smyth 25 - Curtis O’Connor 10 - Aman Parhar (+10) 0 - Colin Emerson (+100) 0 - Jonny Ludlow (+50)
Points
Points are awarded for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Honourable Mentions.
1st place - 100
2nd place - 50
3d place - 25
HM - 10
