Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: Mary Hardin-Baylor Entry Title: Shayden Spradley Wins The Crown Entry Credit: Jackson Keenan Judge Comment: Great moment, composition is tight and the color is very nice. The best photo of the competition by a decent margin.
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: Tyler Junior College Entry Title: Beto O'Rourke Entry Credit: Chris Swann Judge Comment: Good use of framing with the signs. Overall this is a strong talking head picture using the framing and light to elevate it. The package as a whole isn't as strong as they are all pictures of same speaker. Run this picture large and consider finding secondary photos of people watching or an ultra wide to show a large audience.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: North Lake College Entry Title: General News Photo Entry Credit: Heather Sherrill Judge Comment: A nice slice of life moment. Consider getting lower to put them more prominently above horizon. Overall a good moment gave this picture third place.
Place Name: Honorable Mention Contestant Name: Mary Hardin-Baylor Entry Title: UMHB Celebrates Championship Entry Credit: Allyson Hinkle Judge Comment: Decent use of light and moment. To me the left side of frame and the genuine reaction is stronger than the man walking.
Competition Comment: The key to any photo competition is moment. A lot of the entries turned in didn't include people and were of static objects. People convey story so much stronger than signs or objects. All four of the entries awarded focuses on their subjects, eliminated background clutter and had moments that make the rise above the rest. The first is a strong moment of celebration. The second uses nice framing and light to bring our eye to the subject. The third is a good moment in campus life and the last captures a fun reaction to a overall pretty stagnant scene. Congrats to all award winners!
