February Results for P.O.M.

This edition of Photo of the Month was judged by Mike Aporius of the Winnipeg Free Press. Instagram  Twitter
FEATURE

 1. FEAFebVGT1
WIARTON, Ont. (18/02/17) - Two years ago, Ryan Deska (29) began building a cabin on land found south of the Bruce Peninsula. Off-grid living has become a kind of nostalgic yet necessary phenomenon, with many people seeking an alternative, self-sustainable way of life. This accomplishment has nourished Deska, and the process of building it himself, with the help of his family and a few friends, has inspired him to lead a lifestyle that he can be proud of. Photo by Vanessa Tignanelli

 2. FEAfebCGD02
(02/12/2017) BELLEVILLE, Ont. - A resident of downtown Belleville shovels the sidewalk in front of his house during a blizzard. Photo: Chris Donovan 

3. FEAJanCGD02
(02/11/2017) PICTON, Ont. - About 30 men and women braved sub-zero temperatures in the buff to compete in Picton’s annual shitless ice fishing competition. Photo: Chris Donovan 
FIRST 
Easy first place for a couple reasons. I was drawn into the mystery. I was curious what this was all about. And it had a FULL caption to fill in the blanks. I found many photos submitted didn’t even have names of the subjects.
One of my biggest pet peeves is “A man walks down the street…” “A youngster jumps in the puddle…”
Names are so important for local media outlets. These nameless people are the people we serve.
That said…this photo got me on multiple levels and left me wanting to know more.

SECOND
Good composition/movement/mood.
I almost discarded it because of the lack of name though…almost.

THIRD 
Quirky photo with visual layers. The caption could use a proof read though as this is labeled as a ‘shitless’ ice fishing competition.


No HM.

NEWS

1. NEWfebYAG8

TORONTO, Ont. (02/15/17) — A man salutes towards the podium at the “freedom rally” hosted by TheRebel, a right-wing media outlet at Canada Christian College in Toronto. The rally was held in response to motion m103, an anti-islamophobia motion proposed by Liberal MP Iqra Khalid. Photo by Yader Guzman

2. NEWfebCGD01

(02/02/2017) BELLEVILLE, Ont. - Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside of Belleville city hall to honour the lives lost in the shooting at the Quebec City mosque several days earlier. Photo: Chris Donovan 

3. No Third place.
NEWS (NEW) — Can be spot news, a picture of an unscheduled news event for which no advance planning was possible, or general news, a picture with serious content and strong human interest of a scheduled or organized news event.

FIRST - NEWfebYAG8
A great example of being on the ball at all times. I’m not sure how long this ‘salute’ was up (I’ve seen multiple angles), but this is by far the best and most truthful photo of the bunch.
Photos can tell half-truths, so captions become even more important. Was this a Nazi salute or is it an homage to the Hunger Games?
Do your digging and add information to captions, even after you’ve submitted them. Always remember the journalist in photojournalist.

DISQUALIFIED - NEWfebAPR1
- genuine moment between these two women. I can assume I know what this is for, but there is zero caption information. It was bound for a second-place finish, but I have to discard it.

SECOND - NEWfebCGD01
Good use of negative space to add weight to the composition. Well thought out. Nice work.


NO THIRD PLACE OR HM


SPORTS

1. PTfebCGD02
(02/11/2017) BELLEVILLE, Ont. - Loyalist Lancer Faheem Mohammad dives for possession of the ball during the third quarter of a 86-76 loss at home to the Canadore Panthers. Photo: Chris Donovan

 2. SPTFebAPR3

BELLEVILLE, Ont. (28/01/17) - Hannah Dossett waits to receive a serve from a La Cité Coyotes player on Jan. 28, 2017.  Photo by Andrew Ryan
3. SPTfebYAG1
BELLEVILLE, Ont (02/18/17) — The Loyalist Lancers women’s volleyball team celebrates a playoff win against the Mohawk Mountaineers. The team now advances to the OCAA championship tournament held in Windsor Ontario. Photo by Yader Guzman

HM SptFebCAEb

OTTAWA, ONT. (03/03/2017) The two first skaters make their way down the ramp and over the first jump on the ice track. In a display of competition the American skater jumps overtop of his opponent to secure his position in first place. Photo By Colin Emerson
FIRST - SPTfebCGD02
Excellent peak action in a poorly-lit gym. Not an easy feat!

SECOND - SPTFebAPR3
Looking past peak action to capture something different is always refreshing. There is a real anticipation to this. 

THIRD - SPTfebYAG1
I see a tonne of celebration photos, but you lucked out on this one with that player ducking her head. That’s a good example of being sharp and ready.

HM – SptFebCAEb
This is great action but too tight of a crop. The image is degraded too much…but I get the intent.
Not everyone has a 400 2.8 to play with.

***I really liked the aqua fit photo (SPTFebVGT2), but it shouldn’t have been in this category. If it was in feature, it would have placed.

PORTRAIT

1. PRTFebVGT2
WIARTON, Ont. (18/02/17) - Two years ago, Ryan Deska (29) began building a cabin south of the Bruce Peninsula. Off-grid living has become a way for people to find an alternative, sustainable way of life. This project has been nourishing for Deska, and the process has inspired him to lead a lifestyle that he can be proud of. It is still a work in progress, with each undertaking providing a new trial, a learning opportunity, and a reason to escape from the city for awhile. Photo by Vanessa Tignanelli

2.PRTFebVGT1
BELLEVILLE, Ont. (03/03/17) - Adele Dibben (84) winds down after an Aquafit class last Friday at the YMCA of Central East Ontario Belleville Branch. "I'll be 85 at the end of March! Can you believe I've been coming for 30 years?" she says. Aquafit is proven to be a beneficial workout for seniors, with the buoyancy of the water relieving joint pressure and muscle pain. At the YMCA on Friday mornings, the Aquafit classes are transformed into a sing-along workout by instructor Karen Smith. To end the class, Dibben relaxes to the soft music that has replaced the classic Elton John tunes, closes her eyes, and stretches. Photo by Vanessa Tignanelli
3. PRTFebCGD02
(02/20/2017) SAINT JOHN, NB - Kim Atkinson, better known as “Kim Dylan,” plays some Bob Dylan tunes on a cold afternoon in uptown Saint John. “I’ll be going on tour before you know it,” said the busker who has been playing on Saint John streets for decades. Photo: Chris Donovan


PORTRAITS

FIRST - PRTFebVGT2
A peaceful moment and environment that makes total sense for this character and story. Well done.

SECOND - PRTFebVGT1
Another moment where it looks like the camera is invisible to the subject. That is something to always strive for.

THIRD - PRTFebCGD02
Good light/framing. I would like to see a bit more of the guitar, but this still works as a solid portrait.

No HM.

*** Some missed opportunities in this category. Missing captions. Lack of names. Spelling mistakes.

These things look horrible in a portfolio and will not get you hired…no matter how good you are.
MULTIPIX
1) MPXdecCGD01

2) MPXfebCGD2




MULTIPLE PICTURES
FIRST - MPXdecCGD01
I was about to point out the lack of info provided on what the point of this story is, but the visuals work together for a pretty solid slice of life. It’s a great portrait of a town.
That said, it’s only a beginning. This is something you can go back to for years and follow. I see a lot of storytelling layers with it.
The foundation is definitely there.

SECOND - MPXfebCGD2
There is a good variety of images here, but it lacks focus. This is all about the skin! And fish.
Everything else takes away from that.

No Third or HM. - where is everybody? Projects are where you should be shining.

I need to point out a couple things…

“VI. All entries must include a caption. The caption may be the original published caption or a freshly produced caption that clearly explains in 40 words or less what the picture shows (who, what, where, when and maybe why). Entries with incomplete or missing information may be excluded.”

There were many entries that had spelling errors or lacked information.
If you can’t enter proper information for a contest, what makes me think you can do it on the job?
People get written up for stuff like this, so I need to stress the importance of names, spelling and proper information. Anything less can damage the reputation of the outlet you’re working for.
So, don’t be shy. Ask people. Be journalists.

Also...my door is always open for help.

Mike Aporius
Director of Photography/Multimedia
Winnipeg Free Press
204-697-7304

Updated Points 2,245 - Chris Donovan (+400) 1,390 - Vanessa Tignanelli (+250) 595 - Andrew Ryan (+50) 520 - Noah Park 425 - Yader Guzman (+125) 220 - Bea Serdon
175 - Lori Christmas
110 - Colin Emerson(+10)
100 - Taylor Bertelink 60 - Raven McCoy
50 - Jonny Ludlow 50 - Liam Smyth 25 - Curtis O’Connor 20 - Aman Parhar (+20)

Past 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
Points

Points are awarded for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Honourable Mentions.
1st place - 100
2nd place - 50
3d place - 25
HM - 10