As president of NPPA for the past year, I’m both excited and sad to see my time come to an end and have the new team for next year assembled.

Abbey Oldham – President, Danny Guy – Vice President, Jeff Brown – Treasurer, Naomi Driessnack – Secretary

I know you all will do great and I cannot wait to see the progress you will make!

I also want to say a big congratulations to everyone who graduated this semester!

Sam Oldenburg, Mike Rivera, Brittany Sowacke, Alix Mattingly, Josh Mauser, Justin Shaw, Chad Young, Luke Sharrett, Crystin Faenza, Jerry Habraken and Katie Lewis!

Thanks again for a wonderful year,

Brittany Sowacke

Each Wednesday, WKU’s Student Chapter of NPPA brings you the best images of the past week taken by our very own students. To submit, you must currently be a WKU Photojournalism student and have taken the images or produced the video in the last week (Monday to Monday). Send your top 5 choices to wkunppa@gmail.com and our officers will pick the best of the bunch to showcase.

Participants fire off machine guns during the Knob Creek Machine Gun Shoot on Saturday, April 13, 2013 in West Point, Ky.

by Dorothy Edwards

Joseph Chebet races around the corner in the1500 meter race. Chebet went on to finish third with a time of 3:54.58 in the 2013 Hilltopper relay.

by Michael Noble

Gloria Akakapo (center) and other screaming fans lose their minds when rapper Wale takes the stage at Diddle Arena. The WKU Campus Activities Board sponsored the event.

by Luke Franke

Eastern Illinois University pole vaulter,Freshman, Zack Houck of Dayton Oh. Pole vaults through the air in hopes to qualify for the semi finals of the 2013 Hilltopper relays. Houck didn’t qualify for the semi finals but still loves to pole vault because, “It’s fun to fly through the air”. Jade Riebold, a junior, prepares to pole vault at the Hilltopper Relays April 15, 2013.

by Luke Franke

Freshman, Zack Houck of Dayton Oh. Pole vaults through the air in hopes to qualify for the semi finals of the 2013 Hilltopper relays. Houck didn’t qualify for the semi finals but still loves to pole vault because, “It’s fun to fly through the air”.

by Micheal Noble

Alabama sophomore forward Russell Larsen shoots the puck towards the Vanderbilt goal during the I-65 Face Off Friday, April 12, 2013 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.  The Alabama Frozen Tide defeated the Vanderbilt Commodores 8-7 in overtime.

by Josh Lindsey

A boy walks through the target field during the Knob Creek Machine Gun Shoot on Saturday, April 13, 2013 in West Point, Ky.

by Dorothy Edwards

Each Wednesday, WKU’s Student Chapter of NPPA brings you the best images of the past week taken by our very own students. To submit, you must currently be a WKU Photojournalism student and have taken the images or produced the video in the last week (Monday to Monday). Send your top 5 choices to wkunppa@gmail.com and our officers will pick the best of the bunch to showcase.

Geneva LaDiva gets ready backstage at the Twisted Tap in Bowling Green, Ky. “It roughly takes me about two hours to get ready before I do a show but that is one of the best parts…the makeup.”

Tyler Essary

Emily free models as the “struggle for water” in part of my portrait series for energy representation.

Tyler Essary

Carol Greer assists her daughter, Ginna Greer, while preparing for bed. At two weeks old, Ginna had a stroke that caused her to be diagnosed as developmentally delayed with a vision impairment. Now, at age 19, Ginna calls for extra attention to complete certain tasks. Carol said, “It’s just life; it’s just what you have to do. You put one foot in front of the other and do your thing. Sometimes, I get a little overwhelmed by her extra needs because I know at age 19 she’s supposed to be taking care of herself and some nights I don’t feel like getting up and helping her take a shower, but she brings a lot of joy to our lives so that’s what I have to think about.”

Kreable Young

Louisville fans fire of roman candles along 3rd street before the Cardinals’ 82-76 victory in NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball championship game against Michigan on Monday, April 8, 2013, in Louisville, Ky. The Cardinals had not won a mens NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball championship since 1986. LMPD spokesperson Carey Klain said officers made 12 arrests and 270 incident runs as of 2:20 a.m. for reports of shots fired in celebration, domestic disputes, disorderly conduct, alcohol intoxication and fights.

Jabin Botsford

Michael Sterguon is a mechanic at USA Used Tires and Auto Repair. Sterguon was 16 when he dropped out of high school to begin working to help provide for his family. He has been employed at his current job for four months.

Kreable Young

Louisville fans run from a firework that was lit in the center of a large crowd while celebrating their team’s 82-76 victory in NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball championship game against Michigan along West Cardinal Boulevard late Monday, April 8, 2013, in Louisville, Ky. The Cardinals had not won a mens NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball championship since 1986. LMPD spokesperson Carey Klain said officers made 12 arrests and 270 incident runs as of 2:20 a.m. for reports of shots fired in celebration, domestic disputes, disorderly conduct, alcohol intoxication and fights.

Jabin Botsford

Congratulations to Ian Maule and Austin Koester who placed 8th and 18th, respecively, in The Hearst Picture Story/Series Competition! Ian is a senior in the program and Austin is a recent graduate.

To see the full list of winners, click here.

Everyone is invited, make sure to come out!

Each Wednesday, WKU’s Student Chapter of NPPA brings you the best images of the past week taken by our very own students. To submit, you must currently be a WKU Photojournalism student and have taken the images or produced the video in the last week (Monday to Monday). Send your top 5 choices to wkunppa@gmail.com and our officers will pick the best of the bunch to showcase.

   Nick Slattery gets the Western Kentucky Rugby Team hyped before the game during the Nash Bash 2013.

Micheal Noble

An inmate of Warren County Correctional Facilities stands, holding his bible behind his back, in prayer. Once a month non-violent inmates are given the option of getting out of their rooms to attend a prison ministries service held be the pastor of Eleventh Street Baptist church of Bowling Green, Ky. The ministry began as an effort to inspire those who are incarcerated to find redemption through God and commit to a better lifestyle once they are released.

Bria Granville

The carpenter at Saint Meinrad Archabbey in Saint Meinrad, Ind., Father Germain, glues the pieces of a frame together in the carpentry shop. Fr. Germain was making 20 new frames to replace old frames holding pictures in the hallways of the school of theology at the abbey.

Sam Oldenburg

Two teams clash during a scrum in the Nash Bash rugby tournament.

Micheal Noble

A snare drummer warms up before performing during the WGI Mid-South Percussion Finals at Western Kentucky University on March 23, 2013.

Brandon Carter

The results from the second clip contest have come in! Thanks to Grain Images and The San Francisco Chronicle for being our judges this time around!

Below you can find the judges comments and coordinating photos as well as the rankings for this years results so far.

 

Grain Images: Greg Kahn, Lexey Swall and Tristan Spinski

Feature

1st – This photo has great energy, moment, and light. Really feels like you’re on the sled with them.

2nd – Love the different elements in photo, each girl is in their own world. Great body language and quiet moments.

3rd – We thought this photo was really beautiful. Love the space the photographer gave this scene to breathe. We felt that the moment could have been better, maybe he or she could have waited for a bit more separation of the skiers and the trees.

News

1st – This is moment that could have easily been missed. It’s quiet, but the facial expressions tell the story. The children in the background are a wonderful added element. We’ve been in these situations many times and know how difficult it can be to come back with a great photo.

2nd – These firefighters look bad ass. It’s more than a simple silhouette. The light on their faces is really nice. Photographer had good access in a breaking news situation.

3rd – This was a nice quiet moment from a news situation. Great light, and good caption, although the last sentence contradicts what we see in the photo.

Portrait

1st – Simple yet effective. Great quality of light. A striking photograph

2nd – We felt like we got a sense of who this lady is, despite being in a very busy situation. Nice framing from the trees, shallow depth of field. I feel like we’ll look at this photo in 20 years and understand something about the time and place based on how she looks.

3rd – The caption of this photo could be improved. We like the use of light, but the boys could have been positioned better so the tractor parts weren’t coming out of the head of the boy on the left.

Sports Feature

1st – Really nice jubilation with layers extending into the stands. Photographer did a nice job positioning him or herself on the court to get this moment.

2nd – Great energy from the bench.

3rd – We really like the moment happening in the background of this photo. love that the photographer was looking for moments after the game, off the field. This photo would have been elevated in placement, but the player on the left of the frame is distracting from the heart of the photo.

Sports Action

1st – Really nice composition and mood from this photo. Layering was also well done.

2nd – Good sports action, photographer was in the right spot at the right time and was able to compose the frame well.

3rd – Good peak moment.

 

The San Francisco Chronicle

Feature

Good variety of images here. The images generated lively discussion between the judges in regards to the merits of graphics vs. moments, and the originality of some of the scenes.

1st – The first place photo is a beautifully clean moment that allows the viewer to connect to the emotion on the officers face. Well done.

2nd – The second place photo is a graphic location that was seen well by the photographer. The saturation of color coupled with the negative space is a strong visual. Excellent separation of subjects.

3rd – This image made us laugh, although there was some debate as to the frequency with which such scenes occur in Kentucky. Either way, we agreed that this was probably a good example of why a photographer should keep a camera handy with him/her at all times.

News

This category, with its mix of spot and general news, was interesting to judge.

1st – In the first place image the raw emotion in the woman’s expression carried this frame to the top of our list. Nice spot news moment.

2nd – We liked the graphic qualities of the frame in the second place photo – the composition is what makes this photo work. It’s a graphic image that conveys the feel of the scene. That being said, we feel that a clean graphic image should be just that. Clean and graphic. We thought the asymmetrical trees on either side of the frame took away from the otherwise clean composition. Overall, though, nice seeing.

3rd – In the third place photo we enjoyed the light. While there is undeniably a moment in this image, it was somewhat difficult to read – the girl on the right almost seems to be smiling. Given the uncertainty of building fires, we applaud the photographer for finding a moment and coupling it with nice light.

Portrait

We felt that portrait was one of the strongest categories. In portraits we are always looking for well composed images that bring you to a level of intimacy with the subject that evokes an emotion in the reader. We feel that there were a few images in this set that did just that.

1st – The first place image is well composed, with the subject framed by the trees and highlighted by a shallow depth of field. We liked the juxtaposition between the woman’s proud expression, formal outfit, and her sneakers.

2nd – The second place image automatically makes us feel something. From the scars to the wrinkles to the band aid, there is so much being said by this quiet photo. The use of light and shallow depth of field brings an added layer of intimacy to the image.

3rd – The third place image is light nicely and allows us to see the subject for who he is. The intensity of the moment is subdued by the off camera look, however the feeling of concern is still evident. This photo has nice light and a clean background.

Sports Feature

We were struck by the similarities between this category and sports action. We felt that this contest might be improved by concrete category descriptions. Our understanding of sports feature is a photograph that captures a moment away from game action and introduces a level of intimacy not typically seen by most people. For this reason, although we liked images such as the women’s basketball player celebrating on the ground, we felt like this was a action photo shot from a standard photo position (similar to the second place sports action winner).

1st – The first place image is a strong photo that captures the spirit of small town football. It’s a moment found after the game that carries emotion and strong composition seen through layers. Good job making a nice frame in a hectic moment.

2nd – The second place photo is a great example of a well seen moment in a place where there is usually limited access. The photographer stepped off the field to find that quiet moment that helps tell the story of the game. This photo could benefit from a slight crop all around to help spotlight the moment.

3rd – The third place photo is a nice moment seen from field level. The initial subjects brings a nice sense of emotion that is augmented by the subject on the right. The weak link to this image is how busy the background is. There is a feeling of disconnect that is created by the distance from the photographer to the player.

Sports Action

In this category, the judges were looking for strong technical images along with photographs that helped tell the moment of the event.

1st – The first place image displays great layers and presents a timeless feel, one that resembles classic cycling photography from past eras. The repetition of shapes (helmets) helps add to the overall appeal. The one thing missing would be a key moment, however, we feel that the overall tone and technical decisions carry this image.

2nd – The second place photograph shows great intensity with a peak moment. Although it shows strong emotion, there seems to be a disconnect between the emotion on the main subject and the players around him. The guy standing in the back is distracting. Cropping in from the right and top would have improved this image. The helmet in hand adds layer of humor that we liked.

3rd – The third place image captures a great moment and does a good job of conveying the struggle happening on the court. It’s a nontraditional action photo, but made successful by the three elements in the center of the frame – namely, the face, ball/hand, and clock. The dead space on the right and bottom left works against the image, such that we thought a tighter crop would make the image stronger and cleaner.

In this round, First Place is a tie between Adam Wolffbrandt and Jabin Botsford, each with eight images in the finals.

Second Place is a tie between Brittany Greeson, Ian Maule, Kreable Young and Jeff Brown, each with three images in the finals.

Third Place goes to Sammy Jo Hester with two in the finals.

Fourth Place is a tie between Josh Mauser, Brittany Sowacke, Katie Meek, Sam Oldenburg and Christian Randolph, each with one image in the finals.

This means that Adam Wolffbrandt is still in the lead, now with 13 points, Jabin Botsford is in second with eight, Ian Maule is in third with five, Austin Anthony is in fourth with four, Kreable Young, Brittany Greeson and Jeff Brown are in fifth with three, Josh Mauser, Brittany Sowacke, Sam Oldenburg, Sammy Jo Hester and Christian Randolph are in sixth with 2 and Bria Granville and Katie Meek are in seventh with 1.

College Heights Herald Multimedia Editor, Morgan Walker and Staff Photographer, Jabin Botsford, collaborated on “For Your Life,” the story of Jay Armfield and his attempt to win The 8th Annual “Battle of the Greeks,” hosted by WKU’s Sigma Chi Fraternity.

Each Wednesday, WKU’s Student Chapter of NPPA brings you the best images of the past week taken by our very own students. To submit, you must currently be a WKU Photojournalism student and have taken the images or produced the video in the last week (Monday to Monday). Send your top 5 choices to wkunppa@gmail.com and our officers will pick the best of the bunch to showcase.

Gloria Akakpo, 19, originally of Atakpamé, Togo, wears Ankara fabric,  a traditional style of African material, which was given to her by her grandmother who still resides in Togo. Akakpo plans to move to New York City as an aspiring model, a decision she made after being turned down from the popular reality television show “American’s Next Top Model,” because she is not a citizen of The United States.

Brittany Sowacke

Greenwood senior guard Antonio Bradley is comforted by his teammates after losing to Russell County.  Greenwood lost 79-63 against Russell County on Monday Feb. 25, 2013 at Diddle Arena in the 4th Region Tournament.

Jeff Brown

Mar Rah waits anxiously for his friends to pick him up for work.  He continuously catches glances back and forth between the clock and the door after the men are over five minutes late for collecting him.  In many ways, the life of Mar Rah and his family are dependent on others.  All the help they receive because of the good deeds of others helps facilitate their lives in order for them to assimilate and function more easily in American society.

Katie Meek

Tomas Guerra, 20, originally from Santigo, Chile, is a javelin thrower for Western Kentucky University’s Track and Field Team. “It’s a sport that requires a lot of strength,” Guerra said, “from your feet to your head.”

Katie McLean

Rainy day on Western Kentucky University’s campus, Bowling Green, Ky. March, 5, 2013.

Jerry Englehart

Tyler Wittmer, of Phi Gamma Delta, rests between rounds during his bout on the first of two nights at Sigma Chi’s “Battle of the Greeks,” which was held at the Soky Fair Grounds, in Bowling Green, Ky.

Brittany Sowacke

Jeanne Burlew reacts to the ring girls between bouts at “Fight Night” on Feb. 28, 2013 at the Blue Dome. “This is my first fight ever,” she said. “It’s so exciting!”

Adam Wolffbrandt

Blood and a mouthguard lay on the ring floor between bouts for Fight Night on Feb. 28, 2013 at the Blue Dome.

Adam Wolffbrandt