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

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Through Our Eyes – Week 12

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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.

toe111913001“What was our life like? I almost don’t remember now. Though I remember it, the space of time it occupied.” -Richard Ford.  ERIC SHEA

toe111913002“Every act of rebellion expresses a nostalgia for innocence and an appeal to the essence of being.”  -Albert Camus.  ERIC SHEA

toe111913003Harlie Bryant (7) is cheered on while dancing before the WKU volleyball match against South Alabama on Friday, November 15 at Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky. Bryant was diagnosed with Astrocytoma, a type of brain cancer, on April 1, 2011. In the fall of 2012, she began to hang out with the volleyball team. Now, she is treated as if she were one of their own teammates. Before each match, Bryant dances in the locker room with the team while they prepare to play.  KREABLE YOUNG

IMG_7720Harlie Bryant (7) is surrounded by the WKU Volleyball team before their match against Georgia State on Wednesday, November 13 at Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky.  KREABLE YOUNG

toe111913005Jon and Amy Jessup, who began dating each other when they were 16, discuss Amy’s cancer treatment which is scheduled for the following day while holding two of their 7 children. Amy recently learned she has thyroid cancer and has chosen to take holistic healing path. “Originally I only wanted one child that I would just adopt,” said Amy, “but now I can’t imagine not having all these children, these best friends of mine.”  DANNY GUY

Posted in: Through Our Eyes

Through Our Eyes – Week 11

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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.

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

toe111213002AWKU junior John Reynolds rides in a homemade “chariot” for the Red Bull Chariot Race on November 7, 2013. Reynolds teammates Jamaque Newberry (right) and Spencer Orlowski (left) pull their chariot consisting of a rolling chair and crutches.  Justin Gilliland

Wildart_tree_11-3_JB_01Fall colors show on a tree reflected in a puddle on a basketball court at Hannah Park in Gahanna, Ohio on Sunday, Nov. 03, 2013.  JABIN BOTSFORD

toe111213004AWith the use of a trick using the Canon 200-400 lens, a double exposure of Maine South quarterback Brian Collis throwing the ball is seen during the second quarter of the game at Oak Park and River Forest High School on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2013 in Chicago..  ADAM WOLFFBRANDT

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Through Our Eyes – Week 10

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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.

toe110513001Kristin Smith, of Bowling Green, Ky., poses during a Halloween screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Capitol Arts Center, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013, in Bowling Green, Ky.  ERIC SHEA

. PHOTODANNY GUYRichard Wyatt, left, and Joseph Gullett, center right, of Scottsville, Ky., lunge at runners trying to pass through a wooden shack filled with smoke at the KY Zombie Mud Run held at Skeleton’s Lair in Settle, Ky., on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013.  The two were dressed as zombies and are close friends who have been working at Skeleton’s Lair for the last five years.  DANNY GUY

. PHOTODANNY GUYNick Reisaner carries his son Caleb, 6, as he runs from Jillian Kenney, of Bowling Green, Ky., at the KY Zombie Mud Run at Skeleton’s Lair in Settle, Ky., on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013.  “I do this to scare people until they pee themselves,” said Kenney.  DANNY GUY

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

FOD_287People make their way across East Madison Street as others board the train at the Madison/Wabash CTA station on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2013 in Chicago.  ADAM WOLFFBRANDT

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

JEFF BROWNWKU defends against Georgia State in the 4th quarter.  WKU won 44-28 against Georgia State at the Georgia Dome on Nov. 02, 2013.  JEFF BROWN

toe110513008Cindy Martin, 26, Florence, Ky, rests against the wall of the Capitol Arts building after the annual Halloween screening of ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’. Martin is seeking a graduate’s degree in Sociology from Western Kentucky University and saw the event as a way to ‘let loose and blow off steam.’  RAE EMARY

Posted in: Through Our Eyes

Through Our Eyes – Week 9

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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.

toe102313001Baylle Brownlee pulls her suitcase down an empty hotel hallway as her family prepares to leave for the WKU homecoming game where her mother, Brittany Cain, is a homecoming Queen candidate.  BRIA GRANVILLE

toe102313002WKU senior defensive back Tyree Robinson leads a group prayer with his teammate before his team’s homecoming game against Troy.  IAN MAULE

Fog envelopes WKU's Guthrie Bell Tower, October 28, 2013.Fog envelopes WKU’s Guthrie Bell Tower, October 28, 2013.  JUSTIN GILLILAND

toe102313004WKU freshman long snapper Nolan Dowling hangs his head before the start of his team’s homecoming game against Troy.  IAN MAULE

toe102313005Junior Susan Marquess, of Hopkinsville, KY, dives to swim the 200 freestyle, October 25, 2013. Marquess finished with a time of 1:54.16, finishing 4th in the dual meet against Northwestern University, who would go on to defeat the Hilltoppers by only 6 points.  JUSTIN GILLILAND

 

 

 

 

Posted in: Through Our Eyes

WKU PJ Faculty Work Up For Auction

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For Western Kentucky show, 2013 © Photos by David LaBelleFamily Tree: An Exhibition Print Auction

With the closing of our Family Tree gallery show comes an opportunity to take a piece of WKU photojournalism history home.

Current and former instructors of photojournalism will be donating print sales proceeds made from the silent auction to help support our students. There are some real gems in here, including prints by Jack Corn, David LaBelle, Michael S. Williamson, Jeanie Adams-Smith, Jonathan Adams, Francis Gardler, Tim Broekema, Mike Morse, Chad A. Stevens, Josh Meltzer and more.

Visit the auction page at www.32auctions.com/wkupj to browse through all of the amazing work up for sale.  The WKU NPPA student chapter will be using the money from this fundraiser to host guest speakers, pay for events–like print trades–and provide many more learning experiences to our students.  This is a great way to support the next generation of visual storytellers coming out of WKU.

Posted in: Through Our Eyes

Through Our Eyes – Week 8

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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.

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

toe102313002Wku junior guards Trency Jackson and TJ Prince celebrate after Jackson successfully performed a slam dunk during the dunk contest portion of Hilltopper Hysteria Saturday night.  IAN MAULE

Hobson_Features 1-1500Corey Lanerie contemplates his race before he gets out of the jockey dressing room in Keeneland before the eighth race on Friday, October 11, 2013.  PEYTON HOBSON

toe102313004Burmese refugees Cing Sian Lun, 6, and Cing Ngaih Kim, 3, work on Cing Sian Lun’s homework in Owensboro, Ky. on Oct. 17, 2013.  Cing Sian Lun speaks Burmese and is also learning English and Spanish in the first grade at Deer Park Elementary School.  LEAH VOSS

MWS2013 ed gkGene Wink (left), Roy Humphrey, Jack Humphrey and Donald Gill eat breakfast at J.R.’s Market before they begin their day. Donald carves a “hoo-doo” stick, whose propeller purportedly changes directions upon command.  ADRIANA FUNKE

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

toe102313006Tan Mayhall (left) and Tony Rodgers (right) share a laugh at Elmwood Cemetery before the “Voices of Elmwood” performance, which dramatizes the lives of those buried. “I got involved by mistake,” said Rodgers, whose four year involvement has given him experiences as two separate characters in this unique showcase.  HARRISON HILL

toe102313007Cing Lan Nuampi (left) and her husband, Zaw Zaw are refugees and natives of Myanmar who moved their family to Kentucky in July.  Even small errands like doing their laundry poses a challenge because the couple do not have driver licenses or a car.  The family relies on favors from relatives or the International Center to get them around their new town, Owensboro, Ky.  LEAH VOSS

Sunrise to moonrise gives witness to life clicking along in Owensboro through time- lapse photography. The city’s energy — new life mixed with old — reveals itself under clouds, stars and light.  JEFF BROWN

 

 

Posted in: Through Our Eyes

Through Our Eyes – Week 7 – Mountain Edition

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Mountain Workshops holds a special place in any WKUPJs’ heart. Top photojournalists surround, critique, and inspire us to push ourselves past our limits. As a special treat, we were honored with guest editors Mick Cochran, Rodney Curtis and Kathleen Flynn for this week’s Through Our Eyes post. We cannot thank them enough for their time and input.  Visit the Mountain Workshops page HERE to follow our exploration of Owensboro, Ky.

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.

101613TOE001Julianna 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

101613TOE002Blake 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.

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

101613TOE004Runners make their way down North Columbus Drive during the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2013 in Chicago.  ADAM WOLFFBRANDT

"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

101613TOE006An aerialist performs at the Fly Free Fest in Adams, Tenn., on Friday, Oct. 11, 2013.  KREABLE YOUNG

Posted in: Through Our Eyes

Through Our Eyes – Week 6

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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.

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

toe101013002Reynalda 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

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

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

toe101013004Ear and throat cancer were not enough to stop Butch Elrod of Rockfield, Ky. Elrod, a 30 year truck driving veteran, who has driven over 3 million miles during his career. After retiring in 2006 Elrod traded his 16 wheels for 2 and has driven cross country on his Harley Davidson motorcycle twice. “I’m gonna live how I wanna live,” Elrod said while spending time with a friend in Bowling Green on Monday, October 07, 2013. When he is not on his motorcycle, Elrod’s other passion is horses and he stays busy raising over 30 of them on his Rockfield farm.  BRIAN POWERS

toe101013007Photographers photograph the sunrise at Oxbow Bend in the Grand Teton National Park which was closed later that day due to the government shut down in Moose, DC on Tuesday October 1, 2013.  JABIN BOTSFORD

toe101013008As an artist of many mediums, Finland native and Louisville, Ky., resident Marjaleena Pihlajamaki, 59, finds that most of her creativity comes from laying in bed. “The TV is on, the music is loud, the cat is laying right down there and my easel is right in front of me,” Pihlajamaki said.  “I’m most creative when I’m most comfortable.”  Since moving to the Derby City her art forms have expanded to hat and jewelry creations, which she sells in a small Bardstown Road storefront.  SALLY JEAN WEGERT

toe101013009James Earl Johnson sits in his new home, previously used as a storage unit. Johnson is retired but spent the majority of his life working construction and most recently working at the ACK Controls Factory in Glasgow, Ky.  KATIE MCLEAN

Posted in: Through Our Eyes