I managed to rake in a few awards at this year’s Illinois Press Association editorial contest. The Rockford Register Star claimed six awards total. My photo of Byron’s Hunter Hill received second place in Personality Portrait, Division F. A shot that barely made it in the 2012 calendar year received third place in Spot News Photo, Division F. I don’t put a lot of weight in contests. Everything about them is subjective. A photo could do really well in one contest […]
It’s that time again. Time to look back on a years worth of work to find the best of the best. It’s easier said than done. Last year, I mentioned that photographers can get attached to an image because of the back story. Some images might be technologically challenging to make. Others might have required hours of anticipation and preparation. When it comes to a contest, the back story doesn’t matter. The final image is all that counts. This year, […]
As a photojournalist, I have to be flexible to photograph anything at any time. That can be anything from breaking news to sports and even the occasional environmental portrait. My weakness is portraiture. I think it is fair to say that most shooters have strengths and weaknesses. At a spot news event, I feel at home. I’m there to capture the scene. I play a background role as an observer. With portraiture, I’m in charge. I set the lighting, the […]
If you’ve spent any time around me while I’m looking at my work, you know I’m a self loathing photographer. It’s rare that I get excited about making an image. I usually see all the flaws in my work. Recently, I’ve made a few frames that I enjoyed. There was something that made them stand out to me. And for the most part, the flaws that I saw were tolerable. The first was a basketball portrait. The player, Hunter Hill of […]