judge by Allison V. Smith
Portrait – Leah Hogsten, 1st Place
Category Archives: 2022
Sports Action – Trent Nelson, 1st Place
Sports Feature – Laura Seitz, 1st place
judged by Sammy Jo Hester and Art Lemus
Judges’ Comments: While this photo has imperfections, the expressions of the competitors elevate it to the first place spot. It displays an understanding of pattern, cleanliness as well as brings a bit of humor.
Judges’ Comments: Beautiful capture. The act of seeing this from afar with the long lens and managing this clean of a capture alone deserves to be awarded but the trail of saliva in motion elevates it to the second place position.
Judges’ Comments: This photographer displays a beautiful understanding of finding the interesting within an assignment beyond the initial layer of covering the event. It brings a level of lightness, humor and ingenuity that creates for the interesting photos that make us take want to know more.
Judges’ Comments: This is a great frame. Could use a bit of a tune up on toning but really nice framing that features elation and joy while battling the elements.
Spot News – Trent Nelson, 1st Place
judged by RJ Sangosti
Judge’s comment: RJ Sangosti / The Denver Post
The human emotion of this distraught woman helped carry this photojournalism spot news photo to first place. Sometimes a quiet moment, like the one here, can tell the story just as well as the action of the news that happened earlier. The image of a woman upset after seven underaged girls were removed from the home was composed thoughtfully. The photographer frame included the open door helping the viewer know more about what happened. This is a smart story telling image done by a photographer that was thinking about the images he or she was making at the time they were shooting them. During a live news event it can be hard to slow down and think about the images you are making. It can be easy to fall into a run and gun style of shooting. This type of image is often missed with that style of shooting.
Judge’s comment: RJ Sangosti / The Denver Post
The man’s intense reaction to something or someone in front of him pointed straight ahead in the same direction he pointed his knife and raced his bike. It is hard as a viewer to not to follow his path forward and wonder what coming next. You see this image and you wonder. What is in front of him? What will happen next? This image was chosen for second place because of its peak action and the way it moved me forward to think about want happened next.
Judge’s comment: RJ Sangosti / The Denver Post
This image was chosen for third place because it gave me something different. It was an image I have not seen before. The spot news contest had a number of very well done wildfire images that are commonplace for me living in the west. An airplane crash on top of a roof is not as common. I like to be surprised. It helped that the photographer got up high to clean up the image and show that it was on a rooftop.
Utah News Photographers Association 