A Father at 60

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A Father at 60

In the hilly countryside of Fordsville, Ky., 60-year-old Faron Cox spends his days in the same double wide trailer where he spent his childhood. Following the loss of his father in 2006, Cox inherited the home in addition to the expanse of land he now looks after.
At an age when most are retiring, Cox faces the daily challenges and struggles of raising his two youngest sons, Faron “Bear” Cox, 8 and Skylor “Tiber” Cox, 4.
Reality hits often for Faron as he finds himself worrying about the demands of childcare and his diminishing health. He relies on his disability check and pain medication for his back to get through the fiscal and physical challenges of each day.
A tense and complicated relationship with the children’s mother leaves Faron as a single father. Now, he questions the time he has left to watch his children grow.

Posted in: Class Work, Picture Stories, Student Work

Through Our Eyes – Week 15

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Each Thursday, WKU’s Student Chapter of NPPA brings you some of the best images of the past week taken by our very own classmates. To submit for our weekly posts, you must currently be a WKU Photojournalism student and have taken the images or produced the video within the last week (Tuesday to Tuesday). Send your top 1-5 selections to wkunppa@gmail.com by our Tuesday 6:30pm deadline and our officers and attendees will pick the best of the bunch to showcase at our open meetings every Tuesday at 7pm in Lab 127.

Coach Bill Powell has been swimming for 67 years. He learned when he was 8 while living on an island off the coast of Michigan. Ever since then, swimming has been a lifelong endeavor. He spent most of his career as head coach of Western Kentucky University swimming and diving, where he eventually had WKU’s current natatorium named after him. He has touched the lives of many by sharing the love he has for his passion of swimming.  KREABLE YOUNG

After an intense break-up, a man copes with the fallout of his longtime relationship.  LUKE FRANKE

**Please note: this is a work of fiction, and contains graphic imagery**

toepost021914_01Tyler “London” Chandler, 19, of Louisville, Ky., received his first wig from his cousin. “She knew the struggle I was going through with transitioning and if it was right or not… she understood,” said Chandler. “So she gave me a wig of hers, because she’s all for my transition, and she believes that’s what I really am, as do I.” Tyler told his grandmother when he was five-years old that he wanted to be a girl but she, along with his mother, brushed the comment to the side. Now a freshman at Western Kentucky University, Chandler feels free to express himself without any reprimand. He says it is like starting over. Chandler feels his mother knows about his transition. “You know how parents know but they don’t want to know?” he said. Chandler is studying performing art/ musical theatre with hopes of one day performing with Janet Jackson or Beyoncè.  ALYSSA POINTER

rodeo wku vs 2-08_JB_01Children play catch as WKU beats Southern Illinois 6-4 on Feb. 16, 2014, at Nick Denes Field in Bowling Green, Ky.  JABIN BOTSFORD

toepost021914_03Warren Central High School art teacher Sandra Carter hides under a table with a student during an earthquake drill on Monday, Feb. 10, in Bowling Green, Ky. Carter has been teaching at Warren Central for over 20 years and is very close to her students.  CASSIDY JOHNSON

toepost021914_04A view of the sinkhole that opened up in the Skydome Showroom on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2014, at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Ky. Eight display cars were swallowed by the hole. MICHAEL NOBLE JR.

toepost021914_05Jake Thompson congratulates Thomas Peter for batting in a run against Southern Illinois. Western Kentucky went on to beat Southern Illinois 6-1 on Feb. 16, 2014, in Bowling Green, Ky.  MICHAEL NOBLE JR.

Rodeo on Friday, Feb. 14, 2013, in Bowling Green.Jess Travis, 20, of Bowling Green, Ky. ADAM WOLFFBRANDT

toepost021914_07Professor Chris Derry has been teaching Marketing and Sales at WKU for 5 years now. He brings 30-years of sales experience and an outspoken joy and enthusiasm to the classroom that the students thrive off of. “I enjoy helping students find their perspective,” said Derry. “A lot of them don’t understand the potential they have.” Professor Derry contributes his confident demeanor and positive attitude to his father Bill. “If we walked down the stairs without a smile on our face we went straight back to our room,” Derry said. “You couldn’t ever get him down.” Bill Derry passed away in 2010 due to various physical ailments, diabetes, and ultimately asphyxiation. Chris wears two watches, one his own and one his father’s, to constantly keep him in his thoughts and remind him of the impact his father made on him growing up. “My dad pulled 16-hour days for five years when he first opened his drug store,” Chris said. “If I could be just half the man he was I’ll be happy.” LUKE FRANKE

JEFF BROWNWKU junior forward George Fant lays the ball up to the rim during the WKU 81-76 win over Troy at Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky., on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2014.  JEFF BROWN

toepost021914_08Karbura Vincent, 51, rarely gets to see the sun as he goes about his days working long hours on the night shift at a local factory in Bowling Green, Ky. A refugee from Burundi, Africa, Vincent is the sole income source for his family of nine. BRITTANY GREESON

 

 

 

Posted in: Through Our Eyes

Jessups

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The Jessups

It may appear as though Amy, her husband Jon, and their 7 children live disconnected from society and even reality. They live in a home built by Jon’s own hands in the woods of Halfway, Ky., don’t rely on electricity and instead heat their home with a wooden stove, and homeschool their children. But the lives of the Jessup family are anything but isolated or out of touch. Identifying themselves as a tailored mix of Christian, Messianic, and Anarchist, the Jessup family proudly abide by their own conscientious design and unconventional path.

Last fall, Amy found a lump in her neck that turned out to be a cancerous tumor, and has decided to attempt to cure it naturally; a treatment consisting of alternative medicine practices including an IV treatment, tinctures, a frequency machine, and applying hemp oil to her neck and maintaining a raw diet. Amy is so strong-willed and convicted in her beliefs that she is willing to break the law, purchasing medical marijuana from out of state to make the oil, or ‘medicine,’ as she calls it, in her own back yard. This is just one example of the independent and uncompromising spirit of the Jessups.

Amy is not a standalone character, she is defined by her family as a whole, a single unit, and everything she does is for them. This story is about the bond of family, about making personal judgements and challenging modern medical science. It’s also about taking major risks and disregarding societal conformity. They struggle like all families do, from financial constraints to siblings not getting along.

Posted in: Student Work

Through Our Eyes – Week 14

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Each Thursday, WKU’s Student Chapter of NPPA brings you some of the best images of the past week taken by our very own classmates. To submit for our weekly posts, you must currently be a WKU Photojournalism student and have taken the images or produced the video within the last week (Tuesday to Tuesday). Send your top 1-5 selections to wkunppa@gmail.com by our Tuesday 6:30pm deadline and our officers and attendees will pick the best of the bunch to showcase at our open meetings every Tuesday at 7pm in Lab 127.

toepost021114_01Mustang Makeover Millionaire champion Bobby Kerr, of Hico, Texas, sits atop his mustang turned rodeo horse, Maypop at the WKU Agriculture Expo Center on February 8, 2014. Kerr has trained horses all his life but wasn’t able to do so as a career until 2011 when he stopped driving semi trucks to enter the Mustang Millionaire contest where horse trainers are given 120 days to train a wild mustang to do rodeo tricks. In 2011 he won the Fan Favorite award with his horse Poncho, and in 2012 he won the Supreme Extreme Mustang Makeover and now travels the country with his horses doing shows for different rodeo companies. “It’s like winning the lottery,” Kerr said.  JUSTIN GILLILAND

toepost021114_02Oralee Madison, 6, of Crawford, Ky., blows a bubble with her gum backstage before her entrance for the National Anthem during the Lone Star Championship Rodeo at the L.D. Brown Agricultural Exposition Center on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2013, in Bowling Green.  ADAM WOLFFBRANDT

rodeo wku vs 2-08_JB_01Kyle Paige, of Celina, Tenn., is thrown back while competing in the bareback bronc riding competition during the Lone Star Championship Rodeo at L.D. Brown Agricultural Exposition Center in Bowling Green, Ky., on Saturday, Feb. 08, 2014.  JABIN BOTSFORD

toepost021114_03AChris Dumas of Grand Blanc jumps for the first time at the Fenton Polar Plunge, an event that raises money for Special Olympics athletes, on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2014 at the Fenton Moose Lodge in Fenton Township. “It’s cold, like real cold but I’ll definitely be back next year!” Dumas said after his plunge.  KATIE MCLEAN

toepost021114_04Tony Flice, 41, of Flint, a maintenance worker, snow blows the outside of the Wade Trim Building in downtown Flint on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2014.  KATIE MCLEAN

toepost021114_05Chris Britton is new to the Bowling Green, Ky., fire department. The rookie has only been on the crew for five months, but he already feels his place in station one. “It took two years to get the job, after applying and going through fire school. I love being a part of the department. I feel a part of the family, like it’s my second home,” Britton said.  NICK WAGNER

toepost021114_07Harrodsburg freshman, Lane French (left) talks to Louisville freshman, Kelby Auten as they wait for the results of the Dance Project tryouts at WKU’s Gordon Wilson Hall on Friday, Feb. 7, 2013, in Bowling Green.  ADAM WOLFFBRANDT

Posted in: Through Our Eyes

Through Our Eyes – Winter Break Post

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Just because it was winter break didn’t mean we took a break from making photos.  This post highlights some of the best of what our students took over the last month and a half, and goes to show that we’re already off to a great start for the new semester!

Each Thursday, WKU’s Student Chapter of NPPA brings you some of the best images of the past week taken by our very own classmates. To submit for our weekly posts, you must currently be a WKU Photojournalism student and have taken the images or produced the video within the last week (Tuesday to Tuesday). Send your top 1-5 selections to wkunppa@gmail.com by our Tuesday 6:30pm deadline and our officers and attendees will pick the best of the bunch to showcase at our open meetings every Tuesday at 7pm in Lab 127.

Dawson Botsford, 19, water-skis on Lake Whippoorwill on December 25, 2013.Dawson Botsford, 19, water-skis on Lake Whippoorwill on December 25, 2013.  JABIN BOTSFORD

Melissa Patterson, 21, of Bowling Green, Kentucky.Melissa Patterson, 21, of Bowling Green, Kentucky.  BRITTANY GREESON

toepost020414_03ABilly Scott teaches his kid’s class how to put someone in a sleeper hold. Scott educates his students on the importance of respect for Mixed Martial Arts.  MICHAEL NOBLE JR.

toepost020414_04AUnited States Senator Rand Paul, of Kentucky, poses for a portrait before a meeting with local business leaders to discuss what has been happening in Washington, DC at The Greater Lexington Chamber of Commerce in Lexington, Ky., on Thursday, January 23, 2014.  JABIN BOTSFORD

toepost020414_05AA

Neal Tisher, a senior at University of Alabama, fails a vault during the 2014 Vanderbilt Indoor Invitational.  MICHAEL NOBLE JR.

toepost020414_06APartiers dressed as Santa Claus dance at McFadden’s in Nashville during Santa Rampage on Saturday, December 14, 2013. The event brings an expected 1,000 revelers dressed as Santa Claus and other christmas icons to Nashville every year.  BRIAN POWERS

A fisherman stands on the Malecon, a seawall along the coast of Havana, Cuba.A fisherman stands on the Malecon, a seawall along the coast of Havana, Cuba.  NAOMI DRIESSNACK

toepost020414_08AJosh French, 34, of Linden, player for “Tucker Attorney” sustains a bloody nose after getting hit in the face with a hockey puck during his game against the “Canadian Tuxedos” on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014 during the Third Annual Lake Fenton Winter Classic at Barnum Lake.  KATIE MCLEAN

toepost020414_10APeople are seen in reflective windows of the School of Physical Activity and Educational Services walking up and down West 17th Avenue in front of Ohio Stadium on Wednesday. The Ohio State University campus was quiet, cold and desolate after finals ended last week. Classes will start back for the Spring 2014 semester on Jan. 6.  JABIN BOTSFORD

ReindeerHunterLights_JB_02Matt Stuller shows off his love of deer hunting with a homemade display showing various Christmas characters shooting deer with a bow and arrow, a snowman shooting a squirrel with a gun, and Santa’s slay and reindeer crashing into the roof of his home at 14437 East Broad St in Reynoldsburg, Ohio on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2013. Stuller has been hunting since the age of 8. “You see the same thing all the time on houses and this is different,” said Stuller. “Why would Santa shoot one of his reindeers? I don’t know but it’s funny.”  JABIN BOTSFORD

Standalone Idea--Rodeo_JB_01Tanner Phipps is thrown off of a horse as he competes in the bareback bronc competition during the World’s Toughest Rodeo traveling show at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2014. Phipps scored 82 after riding the full 8 seconds. Cowboys are judged on their control and spurring technique, and the horses are judged on their power, speed, and agility. A good score in the bareback riding is in the mid 80’s.  JABIN BOTSFORD

Posted in: Through Our Eyes

Connected

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George Wolffbrandt loves his land.

He has lived, worked and raised his family on the 200 acre farm for 25 years, where he his wife Cheryl grow their own food and raise livestock.

The property is dotted with old cemeteries, historical sites and endangered species but may soon have to share the space with a proposed $400 million two-lane road that would stretch 13 miles between I-75 and US 27 in Nicholasville, Ky.

Of the highway’s potential routes, one runs directly through Wolffbrandt’s farm.

Posted in: Class Work, Student Work, Web Narratives

Through Our Eyes – Best Of Fall 2013

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Every Thursday throughout the semester, WKU’s NPPA Student Chapter brought you some of the best images of the week taken by our very own classmates. Looking back, we couldn’t be prouder of our lil’ blog and all of the big strides we make each day.  We student officers decided to get together and reminisce one last time before spring semester starts by coming up with this post of some of our favorite pictures from this last semester.  Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who makes this possible, and we wish you all the best and more for 2014.

-WKU NPPA Officers: Naomi Driessnack, Danny Guy, Brandon Carter, and Jeff Brown

mack_puppypaddle04Princess, a chihuahua, relaxes on a boogie board with her owner Mckayla Manning during the Puppy Paddle hosted by the Bowling Green Warren County Humane Society at the Russell Sims Aquatic Center on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013.  SHELBY MACK

Powers_feature_01The front porch of Elizabeth Pedigo, center, acts as a gathering place for her family, “It’s where we come together,” she said as she sits on her porch with her son, Wayne Gray, left, and holds her granddaughter, Aliona Beck. Aliona’s mother, Ariel Pedigo, far right, plays with her twin sister Aubrey Beck while in Bowling Green on Thursday, September 26, 2013.  BRIAN POWERS

101613TOE003A man waits at dusk with other commuters at the State/Lake outer loop elevated metro station in Chicago.  NAOMI DRIESSNACK

toe092413001Talen Sourcy, 6, of Auburn, Ky., plays with his umbrella during half time at the Greenwood vs Logan football game.  KATIE MCLEAN

guyd_sportsdeadline001Freshman Greenwood High School running back Alex Hines looks out toward the field while his teammates warm up for the Logan County vs. Greenwood Varsity football game held at Greenwood High School in Bowling Green, Ky., on Friday, September 20, 2013.  Prior to the game, Logan County’s overall record was 0-4, while Greenwood stood at 1-3.  The score was 41-0 at the half.  DANNY GUY

toe4Joann McCoy and fiancé Joe Smith of Glasgow, Ky. lean in during a joking argument (left) and Arthur and Annette Morton of Panama City (right) laugh at their discussion while Tremekia Dice watches after her niece, Dada Hamilto, 2, and her brother Malik Dice, 12, (center) on the steps of Wigwam Church during the Cave City Proud Days Festival.  KATIE MCLEAN

toe102313001Seth Bickett (foreground) and KJ Simpson, both sophomores at Daviess County High School, practice tricks on their bicycles at the PNC Bank parking lot in downtown Owensboro, Ky.  KREABLE YOUNG

_JG_3236Reynalda Ruiz, of Chicago, Ill., watches over neighborhood children playing in a fenced-off alleyway between apartment buildings in the Pilsen neighborhood on Friday, October 4, 2013.  “I’m just babysitting for a friend,” said Ruiz, “just helping out.  This isn’t a job, they wouldn’t be able to pay me anyway.  The economy never changes, this is just normal.  This is how it always is.”  DANNY GUY

Youth_aviation_JB_10Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts play with and make foam plate gliders and get an eye opening look at life in aviation as the Youth Aviation Adventure has a program at OSU Don Scott Field in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013.  JABIN BOTSFORD

toe101013003During the wedding ceremony of Jamijo Gilbert and TIm Carter, Jody Garrett, mother of Jamijo, is kissed on the forehead by her life partner Bill Surian. Though they had planned the wedding to be next June, Jamijo and Tim were married on Oct. 4, 2013 at Covenant Health Care’s Chapel due to Jody’s recent diagnosis of terminal cancer. “It’s always a mother’s dream to see her little girl get married,” Jody said after the ceremony.  SAMMY JO HESTER

"When I haven't slept in days I make photographs that feel as strange as I do."“When I haven’t slept in days I make photographs that feel as strange as I do.”  ERIC SHEA

toe102313005Helen Kasey has been working the day shift at Moonlite Bar-B-Q for over 19 years. 61 years young she is often referred to as “momma” in the kitchen due to her warm and caring personality. Underneath that good spirit Helen is constantly reminded why she works as hard and as much as she does. Her husband Donald Kasey, 61, was diagnosed with Leukemia around four years ago and has been unable to work. Placing the stress of supporting the both of them squarely on Helen’s shoulders. “His disablement check helps out,” Helen said. “I try not to eat until I get here so I can save money.” The stress of her ailing husband and worrying about bills certainly hasn’t dampened Helen’s spirits. “It’s not a burden to take care of him because I am helping him,” she said. “I take the vows I made to him very seriously.”  LUKE FRANKE

toe110513006Alexander Celestian makes etchings into the red top pavement while waiting to return to the playground at McNeill Elementary in Bowling Green, Ky., on November 5, 2013.  JUSTIN GILLILAND

toe110513005A woman referred to as ‘Ms. Ann,’ a regular at Shake Rag Salon in Bowling Green, Ky., takes a nap under a hair dryer as she receives a relaxing treatment on her hair.  BRITTANY GREESON

toe101013001Melanie Durrett, 22, of Hodgenville Ky. sits with her boyfriend of a year Derail Shelton and their dog Cochece in their temporary home, The Holiday Motel in Cave City, Ky. The two have been living there for about a month. “I’ve been trying to find work”, Durrett says, “It’s been real hard, a mixture of the recession and my hand tattoos.”  KATIE MCLEAN

toe101013005Smiling as she stands in the doorway of her food truck along Veterans Memorial Ln in Bowling Green, 56 year old Barbara Jackson patiently waits for her next customer. “They’ll come, they know the food’s good,” she said with a laugh. A nurse by trade, Barbara usually spends her days at Tristar Skyline medical center in Nashville but her passion has always been food, so for extra money she started cooking for the masses and set up shop selling what she calls the best BBQ in Bowling Green.  BRIAN POWERS

rodeo_bwA rider sits on a fence while waiting for his turn to bullride at the IPRA World Championship Rodeo in Cummings, Ga., on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013.  KATIE MCLEAN

Posted in: Through Our Eyes

Clip Contest – Fall 2013

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The results from our Fall 2013 clip contest are in!  Thanks to Dave Weatherwax of The Jasper Herald, and Vaughn Wallace, Lightbox editor at TIME.com, for being our judges this time around!  Below you can find the winning photos with comments from our panels.  Thanks to everyone who submittted!

 

1.  DAVE WEATHERWAX, of The Jasper Herald:
“Overall, we were very pleased and encouraged by the quality of images being produced. Nice work. But the one thing we do want to emphasize is that we were very disappointed overall with the quality of caption writing. There were several photos that we probably would have given more consideration to placing had the photographer done the other half of their job and written more complete captions to help us better understand the moment captured. A lot of these photographs would not even be publishable in a publication because of the lack of information and because the subjects of the photos were not even identified. Even if these photographs weren’t captured for the purpose of a publication, do yourselves the favor and gather the information because one, it is practice, and two, if these photos end up in your portfolios, we can promise you many editors will not consider you for their internships or jobs without complete caption information in your portfolios.

 

GENERAL NEWS

This category was really hurt by the lack of caption information. When individuals are clearly the identified in a frame and the subject of it, even in sensitive situations, we need to know how they are.

1rst: We appreciated how the photographer got close and found an intimate moment between the two individuals on the right side of the frame. Sadly, no names for the individuals photographed.aw_news_02Friends, family, and fellow chefs stand together at the candlelight vigil for Chef Charlie Trotter at his old restaurant, Charlie Trotter’s on West Armitage Avenue on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013 in Chicago.  ADAM WOLFFBRANDT

2nd:  Nice job of the photographer to step back and show more of the scene here. But sadly, again no one was identified in the photo.

francis_vigil_JB_01Family and friends gather and listen as Nathan’s father Charles Francis speaks at a small memorial on the side of South Oakley Avenue as family and friends gather annually for a vigil on the day of Nathan Francis death, who was 20 when he was shot in front of his hilltop home three years ago, in Columbus, Ohio on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2013. JABIN BOTSFORD

3rd:  Nice emotion captured from a very sensitive scenario. We appreciate the attempt to add the extra information of the individual who passed way by showing her portrait in the background, but we felt this frame could have been stronger if the image was shot tighter, right in on the moment. And again, sadly no one was identified.

aw_news_01Family and friends hug and comfort each other at the memorial service for Linda Valez at First Baptist Church on Sat, Oct. 5, 2013 in Wheaton, Ill. Linda Valez was found dead last week in Glen Ellyn, Ill.  ADAM WOLFFBRANDT

Honorable Mention:  Nicely captured frame from this scene. And we applaud the photographer for getting the name of the police officer.

aw_news_04Chicago police officer Geoff Roberts covers his face from the smoke as firefighters battle a blaze on the 3300 block o North Clark Street on Friday, Oct. 25, 2013 in Chicago.  ADAM WOLFFBRANDT

Honorable Mention:  Nice frame from what is often a dull scene. A tighter framing in on the moment could have elevated this frame to a hire position.
Election_school_levies__JB_03Leslie Fewell, left, Star Simpson, center, and Suzanne Kotch hug as Paul W. Imhoff superintendent of Upper Arlington Schools announces the win during an election day party as the district receives the results of its 4-mill levy which was approved in Upper Arlington, Ohio on Tuesday, Nov. 05, 2013.  JABIN BOTSFORD

PORTRAIT

Overall, we thought this was probably the weaker of the categories. There was very little originality in a majority of these photographs and the personality of the subjects was muted with very dry poses.
1rst:  Very nice, genuine moment in this portrait. We felt this frame could have done equally as well in the Feature category.

aw_portrait_02Veteran Lt. Col. William Haeflinger holds a propeller of a B-17 Bomber at Lewis University Airport on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2013 in Romeoville, Ill. Haeflinger completed 29 bombing missions on a B-17 during World War II.  ADAM WOLFFBRANDT

2nd:  Nice job at capturing the character of the subject here both in the frame and in the caption.

DPB_Portraits_002Sammuel Wilson from Jackson, Mississippi stumbled into shoe shining twenty five years ago, when he decided he wanted to find himself a trade and not a job.  Every time I pick up a new shoe is a new challenge.  I don’t know it all, I’m still learning how to shine shoes after twenty five years. There’s something in pleasing my clients every time they come to pick up their shoes. The reactions I get keep me in this business,” said Wilson.  DREW BLY

3rd:  We really appreciated the thought and attempt at telling a story with this portrait.

JCG_Portrait_005My grandmother, Virginia Gilliland, 80, holds the portrait of her and her late husband, Carroll Gilliland, November 29, 2013. Carroll died a week after the portrait was taken, of congestive heart failure after being married for 61 years.  JUSTIN GILLILAND

SPORTS ACTION

There was a lot of solid, daily action sports photos in this category. We hope that the students would not only continue to capture this quality of peak action photos, but also to challenge themselves to take more risks with the way they cover the action. Very few frames gave us the overall feel of the environment of the sport along with the action.

1rst:  Nice, tight frame with clean background.

BDP_sportsaction_005Western Kentucky University’s Antonio Andrews gets away from Troy’s Chris Pickett during their game at against Troy at WKU on Saturday, October 26, 2013.  BRIAN POWERS

2nd:  This frame is very similar to the the frame that placed first, but a different sport. The difference in this one, is the frame is a little messier than the first. But still nice action.

MWN_Sportaction_004Blake Sarmiento and Mitchell Garcia of Western Kentucky University attempt to tackle Caleb Nelson of Murray State. WKU and Murray State played a rugby dress match to benefit breast cancer awareness.  MICHAEL NOBLE JR.

3rd:  This frame couldn’t have been timed much better to capture the peak action of the play. We felt it could be a better frame it was cropped into a horizontal from the waist up to eliminate that bright, white sign on the bottom half of the frame.

BDP_sportsaction_003AWestern Kentucky University’s Joel German is defended by Troy’s  Jeremy Spikner during their game at WKU on Saturday, October 26, 2013. Western would go on to loose 32-26.  BRIAN POWERS

SPORTS FEATURE

This category was filled with a number of great, storytelling images from the games and events covered that did a good job of taking a look at the sidelines as well as sticking it out through the end of games for those moments.

1rst:  This frame is just filled from corner to corner with great information and a great moment in a situation that is often not easy to move around in and compose a good frame because of the chaos surrounding it. But this was very nicely captured.

hsfb_darby_11-2_JB_64Hilliard Darby senior running back Hunter McSweeney is hoisted into the air as he celebrates with teammates and fans after a football game at Hilliard Darby High School in Columbus, Ohio on Thursday, Nov. 01, 2013.  JABIN BOTSFORD

2nd:  We really liked this quiet moment and wanted to place it higher, but since the caption failed to tell us what exactly she is doing, it left us guessing that she is blowing a kiss to someone in the stands. We are hoping that it wasn’t that she is wiping her nose or something along those lines.

aw_sportsfeature_05Marion Catholic High School junior Abby Kresal prepares to jump in the water for a warm up at the Illinois High School Association girls state swimming preliminaries at New Trier High School on Friday, Nov. 22, 2013 in Chicago.  ADAM WOLFFBRANDT

3rd:  Very similar to the first place frame with a very strong moment captured. We wish the left side of the frame was utilized better and filled with more information.

JEB_sportsfeature_01Grace Schenkelberg, a member of Infinity Athletics team Unity from Avon Lake, Ohio with girls age 14 and under, reacts with teammates to winning the Ultimate Pyramid award in the L3-Small Junior Cheer Division and winning a spot at the ULTIMATE National Championship in Orlando Florida in April 18-19, 2014 during the awards ceremony at the Cheerleaders of America Holiday Kick-Off Championship where cheer teams from around the midwest competed at The Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2013.  JABIN BOTSFORD

Honorable Mention:  This is a fun, quiet moment from before that game and that it was worth awarding because the photographer made an effort to make sure to show up early and look for fun moments like this.

BDP_sportsfeature_004Warren East Cheerleaders line the field at Warren East before they take on Hopkinsville on Friday, September 20, 2013.  BRIAN POWERS

FEATURE

Its no surprise that this was our favorite category to judge. Lots of nicely captured moments in this category.

1rst:  This is a really nice moment from a situation that is not often easy to get access too.

BDP_feature_005Joseph Walker and daughter Acelyhne Walker press their hands against the glass during a visit on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013. “I’ve pretty much watch my daughter grow up in here,” Walker said. “It’s not only like I’m in jail, it’s like they are too.”  BRIAN POWERS

2nd:  This is just a fun frame with a nice moment and beautiful color that was just simply nicely captured.

Wildlights_at_Zoo_JB_06Kids crowd around the aquarium glass to catch a glimpse of a scuba diving Santa Claus at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium during the 25th anniversary of Wildlights, efficiently powered by AEP Ohio, where millions of LED lights have transformed the Columbus Zoo into a twinkling maze and will be open from November 22 until January 5th in Powell, Ohio on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013.  JABIN BOTSFORD

3rd:  This is a very unique frame that begged us to read the caption. The unfortunate thing is the caption failed to help us to fully understand what is going on here and the value of it.

aw_feature_04Rick Williams, left, and Shawn Stigler mow the grass growing from the cracks of an empty lot on the corner of West 63rd Street and South Halstead Street on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2013 in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago.  ADAM WOLFFBRANDT

Honorable Mention:  There’s a lot of nice faces in the frame that make for a fun moment.”
wildart_MLG_11-24_JB_02Fans cheer as team Speed Gaming faces team DK in the first game of the final match of the PC game, Dota 2, finals during the Major League Gaming Championship as thousands of spectators watch the best teams from around the globe compete in a three-day video game tournament for $100,000 in prizes playing the soon to be released and highly anticipated game Call of Duty: Ghosts (Xbox 360) and wildly popular PC game, Dota 2 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2013.  JABIN BOTSFORD

 

2.  VAUGHN WALLACE,  Lightbox Editor at TIME.com:

 

PORTRAIT

“The category had a wide range of portraiture that skewed heavily towards formal, lit work. While there’s definitely need in this world for the formal portrait, I would have liked to see more environmental portraits and the emotion and sense of personality that come with them.

1rst:  The moment captured here is great – it really feels like a “stumbled upon” portrait of this man’s grief. Color, contrast and tonality is excellent, although I’m distracted by his folded hands. That said, I wouldn’t have cropped his hands any more as it would throw his son’s image off-balance. Nice work.

BDP_portrait_003“I can’t even say that these arrests bring comfort,” said Tariq Shabazz, “now these parents will have to go without a son as well.” Shabazz holds a candle during a prayer in front of Pierce Ford Tower on Friday, September 13, 2013 to honor his son, Larry Thomas. Thomas was shot September 2, and died from his wounds a day later at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.  BRIAN POWERS

2nd: The subject’s closed eyes and expression make this portrait. Nice job making a standard “veteran’s portrait” into something a bit more visually interesting by including the B-17’s wing and engine.

aw_portrait_02Veteran Lt. Col. William Haeflinger holds a propeller of a B-17 Bomber at Lewis University Airport on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2013 in Romeoville, Ill. Haeflinger completed 29 bombing missions on a B-17 during World War II.  ADAM WOLFFBRANDT

3rd:  I skipped passed this frame a number of times but ultimately it drew me back in. It’s simple, but a number of elements work together to enhance the portrait – the purple wall, the Confederate flag, the dog, the man’s downtrodden look and the woman’s direct gaze. Feels like a nice documentary portrait.

KYM_portrait_003Melanie Durrett, 22, of Hodgenville Ky. sits with her boyfriend of a year Derail Shelton and their dog Cochece in their temporary home, The Holiday Motel in Cave City, Ky. The two have been living there for about a month. “I’ve been trying to find work”, Durrett says, “It’s been real hard, a mixture of the recession and my hand tattoos.”  KATIE MCLEAN

SPORTS ACTION

So many football images! The bar gets higher and higher to make a truly spectacular image from a college football game. Lots of peak action but I would have liked to see cleaner backgrounds.

1rst:  Out of the 36 images submitted in this category, I preferred this simple, traditional frame. Nice to see the players’ eyes and a tight composition/crop. Could see this as a ‘Leading Off’ image in Sports Illustrated if it was NFL or NCAA.

BDP_sportsaction_002Warren East’s Eli Brown stiff arms Hopkinsville’s Brian Boyd during the Raiders homecoming game against Hopkinsville at Warren East on Friday, September 20, 2013.  BRIAN POWERS

2nd:  Good job finding the good light and waiting for a moment to happen within it. Her expression is happy and conveys the attitude of the event. I might recommend bringing the levels up just a hair so she’s not quite so shrouded, since we can see the daylight in the upper left hand corner.

aw_sportsaction_04Julianna Rosas cools off with a cup of water as she runs down North Broadway during the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2013 in Chicago.  ADAM WOLFFBRANDT

3rd:  This is an angle with a lot of potential. Looks like you cropped into the shape the frame is now…but keep shooting from this perspective. You’ll come away with something even better than this eventually. Luke Sharrett, if I remember correctly, really nailed this angle a few years ago.

JEFF BROWNWKU junior Willie McNeal catches a pass for the first down.  WKU won 44-28 against Georgia State at the Georgia Dome on Nov. 02, 2013.  JEFF BROWN

SPORTS FEATURE

I was surprised at the variety of images submitted to this category. There are several photos that I would almost certainly classify as “action” rather than “feature”– curious as to the rationale behind the photographer’s decision to include them.

1rst:  I wasn’t in love with this frame, but what I imagine of the subject elevates it: it appears as if she’s pensive, getting in the zone before the meet. The lower edge’s crop feels a bit awkward, and I wish the lines of the dividers in the pool were utilized to partition the background with a bit more intentionality.

aw_sportsfeature_05Marion Catholic High School junior Abby Kresal prepares to jump in the water for a warm up at the Illinois High School Association girls state swimming preliminaries at New Trier High School on Friday, Nov. 22, 2013 in Chicago.  ADAM WOLFFBRANDT

2nd:  Nice job capturing a moment – I can hear the shrill pitch of the subject’s frantic yelling and hope the photographer’s hearing remains intact. The focus feels slightly soft but acceptable to me.

JEB_sportsfeature_01Grace Schenkelberg, a member of Infinity Athletics team Unity from Avon Lake, Ohio with girls age 14 and under, reacts with teammates to winning the Ultimate Pyramid award in the L3-Small Junior Cheer Division and winning a spot at the ULTIMATE National Championship in Orlando Florida in April 18-19, 2014 during the awards ceremony at the Cheerleaders of America Holiday Kick-Off Championship where cheer teams from around the midwest competed at The Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2013.  JABIN BOTSFORD

3rd:  Good effort finding color and pleasing lines on a rainy day. The balance of the umbrellas in the frame feels right, but the horizon’s slight tilt is distracting.

BDP_sportsfeature_001Fans prepare for a wet night at Warren East as they take on Hopkinsville on Friday, September 20, 2013.  BRIAN POWERS

FEATURE

Good job getting out and finding a variety of features – from daily news work to documentary features. Since features often stand alone on newspaper pages, I gave more weight to the curious/interesting/bizarre moments rather than the images that simply didn’t fit in other categories.

1rst:  Good job getting intimate here. This is a nice frame that leaves me guessing about the daughter’s expression. Very nice detail on the fingerprints pressed against the glass. Black and white works here to enhance the emotion of the frame.

BDP_feature_005Joseph Walker and daughter Acelyhne Walker press their hands against the glass during a visit on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013. “I’ve pretty much watch my daughter grow up in here,” Walker said. “It’s not only like I’m in jail, it’s like they are too.”  BRIAN POWERS

2nd:  Weird. Weird. Weird. This reminds me of one of Elliott Erwitt’s dog photographs.  The composition could be tighter, and the guy on the left distracts the eye, but the juxtaposition of the daughter’s face over the mother’s daughter works. Not sure I’d run this in a newspaper unless there was something important about these subjects.BDP_feature_003Ariel Pedigo and family outside grandmother Elizabeth Pedigo’s home in Bowling Green on Thursday, September 26, 2013.  BRIAN POWERS

 

3rd: Nice job finding something eye-catching and bizarre. Good moment between the two of them – would be curious to see how else you could’ve worked the scene. It’s good that we can read the label on the soap.Rainy DaysWestern Kentucky University Sophomores, Hunter Heath and Brice Mickann, wash themselves with soap in a puddle by Chestnut Street North Lot in Bowling Green, Ky. The two said they decided to bathe in the puddle because they needed to shower.  TYLER ESSARY

 

GENERAL NEWS

It feels odd to me that there were so few submissions to this category, which POYI categorizes as “Single photographs from a news event or social issue for which planning was possible.” Seems like this category should be overflowing with work from photojournalism students. Either way.

1rst:  Excellent layering made this frame my #1 choice. You took a boring “protest”, found what’s interesting, and then framed around it. I bet this frame would work in color, too, although the black and white gives it a little more weight and simplicity.wind_energy_JB_03Kevon Martis, dressed as an eagle, Director of the Interstate Informed Citizens Coalition, and Eric Martis, dressed as the grim reaper carrying a windmill, dress up to bring awareness to the killing of animals that occurs from industrial wind turbines as protesters carry signs and talk to patrons as they walk by to raise public awareness of the potential impacts of industrial wind turbines outside of the Hilton where the American Wind Energy Association had the Ohio Wind Energy Summit in Columbus, Ohio on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2013.  JABIN BOTSFORD

2nd + 3rd:  Two different ways to shoot a vigil here: tight or pulled back. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. The tight shot is great for the emotion and the beautiful candlelight reflected on their faces; the loose shot is great because the stark neighborhood adds to the mood and lets viewers see that this wasn’t a thousand-person vigil…just a group gathered to remember the victim. Ideally, you find a happy medium with the strengths of both approaches: a shot that incorporates the gift of high-dynamic-range-sensors and outdoor candlelight.aw_news_02Friends, family, and fellow chefs stand together at the candlelight vigil for Chef Charlie Trotter at his old restaurant, Charlie Trotter’s on West Armitage Avenue on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013 in Chicago.  ADAM WOLFFBRANDT

francis_vigil_JB_01Family and friends gather and listen as Nathan’s father Charles Francis speaks at a small memorial on the side of South Oakley Avenue as family and friends gather annually for a vigil on the day of Nathan Francis death, who was 20 when he was shot in front of his hilltop home three years ago, in Columbus, Ohio on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2013.  JABIN BOTSFORD

I’m happy to talk specifically about any of the comments I left above. You can reach me via email at vaughn_wallace@timemagazine.com.”

Posted in: Through Our Eyes

Through Our Eyes – Week 13

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Each Thursday, WKU’s Student Chapter of NPPA brings you some of the best images of the past week taken by our very own classmates. To submit for our weekly posts, you must currently be a WKU Photojournalism student and have taken the images or produced the video within the last week (Tuesday to Tuesday). Send your top 1-5 selections to wkunppa@gmail.com by our Tuesday 6:30pm deadline and our officers and attendees will pick the best of the bunch to showcase at our open meetings every Tuesday at 7pm in Lab 127.

Wildlights_at_Zoo_JB_06Kids crowd around the aquarium glass to catch a glimpse of a scuba diving Santa Claus at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium during the 25th anniversary of Wildlights, efficiently powered by AEP Ohio, where millions of LED lights have transformed the Columbus Zoo into a twinkling maze and will be open from November 22 until January 5th in Powell, Ohio on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013.  JABIN BOTSFORD

toe_120513_001AGrace Schenkelberg, a member of Infinity Athletics team Unity from Avon Lake, Ohio with girls age 14 and under, reacts with teammates to winning the Ultimate Pyramid award in the L3-Small Junior Cheer Division and winning a spot at the ULTIMATE National Championship in Orlando Florida in April 18-19, 2014 during the awards ceremony at the Cheerleaders of America Holiday Kick-Off Championship where cheer teams from around the midwest competed at The Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2013.  JABIN BOTSFORD

toe_120513_003ADixxie Mea, 23, of Louisville KY, posses as the Derby City Roller Girls logo.  Hair and make-up by Cassandra Weddell.  ALEXANDRA BRUMLEY

toe_120513_004AShannon Barns of Louisville, KY, posses as the Cape Girardeau Roller Girl’s logo.  Make-up by Cassandra Waddell.  ALEXANDRA BRUMLEY

Posted in: Through Our Eyes

Beyond Superstitions

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Handicapped members of some ethnic groups in Tanzanian ethnic groups face undue societal stigma due to lingering superstitions.

These prejudices, mixed with living conditions that are rarely handicap accessible, create challenges for this population that are unimaginable in the developed world.

Against those odds, the Faraja School for the handicapped in Sanya Juu, Tanzania is striving to change these attitudes and perceptions and has become one the leading academic schools in its district even when compared to those for able-bodied students.

Posted in: Internship, Student Work