Zane Meyer-Thornton

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Zane Meyer-Thornton, a senior photojournalism major from Los Angeles, California has recently seen success following his summer internship at the Cincinnati Enquirer. His image of a protester won a 1st place finish in the College Photographer of the Year competition for General News. Previously Zane has worked as a Creative in Residence at Boyd’s Station during the summer in 2020 and has worked at WKU Student Publications since coming to Western. This past year he was named to the Native American Journalists Fellowship program, which produces content on Indigenous People and communities. Here are a few of his images from his work this past year. To see more of his work visit: https://www.zanemtphoto.com

A supporter of former President Donald Trump takes a break from protesting the arrival of President Joe Biden on the corner of Delhi Road and Neeb Road outside of Mount Saint Joseph University, where President Biden is set to speak at a town hall on Thursday, July 21, 2021.

Brian Bayley, of Walnut hills, crashes into hay bales as he finishes his race on Saturday, July 31, 2021 at Dangerwheel, in the Pendleton area of Over-the-Rhine. Dangerwheel is an adult big-wheel race where proceeds are used to raise money for beautification efforts in the community.
Being able to help construct the foundation for children is something Guerra keeps close to her heart. She hopes her love and care can assist them on their journey, no matter where their destination may be. “Having a support system for a child is huge. I feel like that’s why I have been able to do the things that I have been able to do. I’ve always had somebody to look up to, somebody that I know has my back,” said Guerra.
Ellie Banaszynski, 5, has a snack between games of Killerqueen on Sunday, June 20, 2021 at Wondercade Cincy. By having only classic arcade games, Wondercade Cincy is helping a new generation of people enjoy games from years past.
Posted in: Contest Winners, Student Work, Through Our Eyes

WKUPJ winners 2020 Eyes of History – White House News Photographers Association

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Congratulations to WKU Gabriel Scarlett the 2020 Student Still Photographer of the Year for the White House News Photographers Association annual photography and video competition.

Michelle Hanks 2nd place in Feature: Long Term Video Project. A video project  she documented during her semester abroad at the Danish School of Media.  Her story is about Mahmoud Bayragdar,who fled the Syrian civil war and is trying rebuild his life in Denmark.

 

Posted in: Class Work, Contest Winners, Photojournalism Projects Class, Student Work

Congratulations to Hearst Photojournalism round one finishers!

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Winners have been announced in the Photojournalism One: News and Features Competition of the 50th anniversary of the Hearst Journalism Awards Program. There were 138 photojournalists submitted into this competition from 75 schools nationwide. Michael Blackshire was awarded a 6th place certificate and Silas Walker was awarded 7th. The second, and final photo competition of the 19-20 school year will be held in February.

Michael’s 6th place winning entry:

Silas’ 7th place winning entry:

Brandon Lesniak jumps his mountain bike at the I street Bike Park in Salt Lake City on Thursday, April 18, 2019.

 

Olympus Titans Rylan Jones (15) celebrates scoring on the Timpanogos Timberwolves and drawing a foul during the 5A boys basketball championship tournament at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. Jones scored 22 points and had 5 rebounds to advance his team to the second round of the tournament.

 

Avery Hayes, 10, cries with her mother Arwen Fuller during a vigil for University of Utah student, MacKenzie Lueck, who was murdered in June 2019; the Vigil was organized by the Associated Students of the University of Utah on the Union lawn at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City on Monday, July 1, 2019. Hayes was knew Lueck as a babysitter in the past.

 

Malik Staples #9 of the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers sprays water while celebrating a victory against the University of Alabama Birmingham Blazers on September 28, 2019 in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Western Kentucky University defeated the University of Alabama Birmingham 20-13 to start a 4 game winning streak.

 

Bishop Karen Oliveto serves as guest preacher at First United Methodist Church in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Jan. 13, 2019. In February, leaders of the United Methodist Church met to decide how to approach ordination and marriage for LGBT members. The professional and personal lives of people like Bishop Karen Oliveto, the church’s first openly lesbian bishop, hung in the balance. The meeting of the church in Febuary concluded with 53 percent of the clergy and lay leaders from around the world voting to keep banning same-sex marriages and noncelibate gay clergy, was meant to settle this question that has divided Methodists for years.

 

Michael Cousert, 67, poses for a portrait at the Georgia Apartments in Salt Lake City on Monday, Feb. 11, 2019. The Georgia Apartments where Cousert lives have been deemed as unsafe to occupy by the Salt Lake City Fire Marshal and the residents were given two weeks to find other living arrangements and move out. “What am I going to do, throw myself out?” Coursert asked.

 

Spanish Fork Dons outfielder Marae Condie (3) dives but falls short for a fly ball hit by the Tooele Buffaloes during the 4A state championship at the Spanish Fork Sports Park in Spanish Fork on Saturday, May 18, 2019. Tooele Buffaloes defeated the Spanish Fork Dons 3-1 to claim the championship.

 

Posted in: Contest Winners

Atlanta Photojournalism Student Portfolio of the Year – Michael Blackshire

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WKUPJ senior, Michael Blackshire, won the 2019 Rich Mahan Best Student Portfolio recently at the Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar. You can view his winning entry here.

In 2018 and again in 2019, Michael has placed in the annual William Randolph Hearst competition and he interned for the Las Vegas Review-Journal this past summer.  His portfolio contained work from his summer internship and a class project about the conflict unfolding over the wall on the Mexico/USA border.

Winter Bainbridge, 4, left, holds her cousin Avery Acosta, 1, as Amber Acosta, 4, center, plays in a washing machine outside of the Acosta family home on Aug. 16, 2019. Barefoot with a front yard of half green grass, the children play with other friends in the small mining town of Ely, NV, with a population of less than 5,000. “I’m going to be clean in the washing machine,” Amber said. Acosta’s father would soon tell Amber to remove herself.

Posted in: Contest Winners, NPPA, Student Work

WKUPJ Winners, College Photographer of the Year 2019

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For a complete list of this year’s winning images, visit: CPOY Winning Images

 

Photography – Sports Feature    |    GOLD: Morgan Hornsby

Diana Loe, Jonica Louis, and Calouna Zamor rest together in the shade between events at the Collier County Athletic Conference track and field meet at Naples High School on April 6, 2019.

 

Photography – International Picture Story    |    BRONZE: Gabriel Scarlett

Dr. Bob Ballard watches from the top deck as the crew of the E/V Nautilus retrieves the ROV Hercules from the waters off Nikumaroro Island on August 12, 2019. Hercules can search the slope of the island down to the sea floor several miles below.

 

Photography – Feature    |    AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: Kendall Warner

Karen Vela Lim cries while her father Roman plays the guitar and sings her a traditional hispanic song during the church service portion of her quinceneara in Bowling Green, Ky. on March 23, 2019.

 

Multimedia: Group Story or Essay – Standalone   |    GOLD: Michelle Hanks (WKU) & Deepti Asthana (Danish School of Journalism)

 

 

 

Multimedia: Individual Story or Essay – Standalone    |    SILVER: Michelle Hanks

 

Multimedia: Online Storytelling    |    BRONZE: Morgan Hornsby & Gabriel Scarlett

View here:  The Pain We Cause

 

Posted in: Contest Winners, Student Work

WKUPJ KNPA Winners 2019

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WKUPJ Students win big at the 2019 Kentucky News Photographer’s Association competition.

Student Photographer of the Year: Gabriel Scarlet

After 19 days of imprisonment and 12 hours of transportation between facilities, Jose Luis Garcia is released to his family and friends. As one last added insult, ICE agents drove Jose around for hours to avoid the media seeing his release. After changing the release location twice, he was dropped on a street corner alone.

Sports Student Photographer of the Year: Silas Walker

Harlem Globetrotter’s guard “Flip” (19) swings off the hoop after climbing on it to block the Washington General’s shots during their performance on at E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, KY on Monday, Mar. 12, 2018.

Student Feature Picture Story:
1st: Grace Pritchett
3rd: Silas Walker
HM: Gabriel Scarlett

McFadden waits for daughter Amity to fall asleep after a long day. ÒFrom the outside I’m probably perceived as an adult who has her stuff together. I do not. I’m just making it up as I go along. I still feel like a child,” said McFadden.

Student Multimedia (Unlimited): Honorable Mention, Gabriel Scarlett
Student Sport Picture Story: 1st place, Silas Walker

Student News Picture Story:
1st: Gabriel Scarlett
2nd: Gabriel Scarlett
3rd: Silas Walker

More than a week after the arrest of her father Jose (who is a green card holder), Natalie Garcia tries to console her daughter Marley outside their home in Arleta, California from which Jose was taken.

Student Pictorial: 1st place, Silas Walker

Severe thunderstorms roll through Scott County causing damage in and around Lexington, KY on Friday July 20, 2018.

Student Portrait/Personality:
1st: Gabriel Scarlett
2nd: Grace Pritchett

Student Sports Feature: 3rd place, Grace Pritchett

Student Sports Action: 1st place, Silas Walker

Students Feature Picture:
1st: Gabriel Scarlett
2nd: Gabriel Scarlett
3rd: Gabriel Scarlett

Jennifer and Cameron share ice cubes and a few kisses on a hot evening in Tevistion, California. Both their parents emigrated from Oklahoma with the rest of the “Black Okies” in mid-twentieth century to work the fields of the Central Valley. Jennifer moved to the cities briefly but has been forced to return to her family’s crumbling home to raise her two children.

Student General News: 3rd place, Gabriel Scarlett

Student Spot News:
1st: Gabriel Scarlett
3rd: Silas Walker
HM: Gabriel Scarlett

Pueblo police clear abandoned houses in Bessemer on the city’s South Side that are suspected of being used for prostitution and drug use. Officers describe a difficult and delicate balance that must be walked between proactive community policing and the ability to flip a switch when called upon in violent situations. Nearly half of the police force has participated in officer-involved shootings.

Posted in: Contest Winners, Grants and Contest Information, Student Work

Rune Aarestrup Pederson & Srijita Chattopadhyay place 2nd & 3rd in Hearst Multimedia

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Congratulations to Rune Aarestrup Pederson and Srijita Chattopadhyay for placing in the Multimedia News Competition of the 2017-2018 Hearst Journalism Awards Program. Rune was awarded second place and a $2,000 scholarship for his multimedia project he produced while in PJ436 last spring, “Changing Every Day.” Srijita was awarded third place and a $1,500 scholarship for her multimedia project, “Sanctuary” she produced for her final assignment while in PJ433.

Changing Every Day by Rune Aarestrup Pederson

Sanctuary by Srijita Chattopadhyay

Posted in: Contest Winners

WKUPJ Shaban Athuman and Nick Wagner place 2nd & 3rd in Hearst

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Congratulations to our WKUPJ student Shaban Athuman, 2nd place,  and graduate Nick Wagner, 3rd place finish in the annual Hearst Feature/News competition.  Shaban wins $2,000 scholarship and Nick wins $1,500 scholarship from the Hearst Journalism Awards.

Image from Shaban Athuman’s 2nd place entry

Dale Brumfield, of Doswell, Va, left, stands with Jack Payden-Travers, of Lynchburg, Va, on the day of the execution of William Morva in Jarrett, Va., Thursday, July 6, 2017. Both said they are opposed to capital punishment.

 

Image from Nick Wagner’s 3rd place entry

Lone Peak players celebrate after defeating Pleasant Grove during the UHSAA class 5A volleyball title match in Orem on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016.

Posted in: Contest Winners, Student Work

WKUPJ Wins 23rd Overall Photojournalism in the Hearst Intercollegiate Photojournalism Competition

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WKUPJ Wins Overall in Hearst Intercollegiate Photojournalism Competition.

Hearst Journalism Awards program recognized Western Kentucky University as the overall winner in their Intercollegiate Photojournalism Competition.  This marks the 23rd year that Western as won First Place overall in the prestigious competition.
To win overall in Photojournalism students competed in two competitions, News and Features, and in Picture Story/Series.

In the first competition two students from WKUPJ could enter up to 8 images each. Senior Harrison Hill won 1st place and Sophomore Gabriel Scarlett took 2nd place with their collection of images.

The second competition was Picture Story/Series with Junior Srijita Chattopadhyay taking first place for her story about a mother’s struggle with the loss of her 12-year-old daughter who died from an overdose brought on by bullying at school.  Freshman Lydia Schweickart placed 10th in the competition with her story about a mom starting her career as an exotic dancer to support her family after her fiancee lost his job.

Congratulations to our students who competed, along with the rest of our students who push to make our program a success every year. As the WKUPJ family we inspire and challenge each other to do better and in turn we all are a part of our fellow student’s success.

Posted in: Contest Winners, Industry News, Picture Stories, Student Work, Through Our Eyes

Greeson, Wagner selected for second round of the Hearst Photojournalism competition

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WKU Photojournalism professors James Kenney and Jeanie Adams-Smith spend their Super Bowl Sunday pondering edits for the second round of the Hearst photo competition.

WKU Photojournalism professors James Kenney and Jeanie Adams-Smith spend their Super Bowl Sunday pondering edits for the second round of the Hearst photo competition.

Congratulations to Nick Wagner and Brittany Greeson for being selected to represent WKU photojournalism in the second round of the Heast Photojournalism competition. Wagner’s story depicts the personal sacrifice a legal immigrant must endure to try to earn money for his family. Wagner traveled between Bowling Green and Mexico to cover both sides of the immigration process. Greeson’s story is a comprehensive and unnerving look at the community of Flint, Mich. as they deal with the current water crisis. We wish both of them our collective luck in the competition.

Posted in: Contest Winners, Student Work