NJPPA

Best in Show

2011-07-10T20:02:00.004-05:00

Congratulations to April Saul of the Philadelphia Inquirer for winning Best in Show at the NJPPA 2010 Pictures of the Year contest with her multiple feature story, "Lungs."

2011-04-07T16:16:00.005-05:00

NJPPA Photographer of the Year 2010 judges Seth Gittner, Mary F. Calvert and Greg Kahn wear 3-D glasses to review images during the judging at the Star-Ledger in Newark, N.J. Saturday, April 2, 2011. The 3-D images were submitted by member Julia Xanthos and two of them were awarded 1st and 2nd place in the Illustration category. (Photos by Reena Rose Sibayan)

NJPPA Vice President Cie Stroud, wearing 3-D glasses, and Photographer of the Year Contest Chairman Ed Murray observe the judging of the Illustration category.

2010 POY Competition Results

2011-04-02T17:49:00.002-05:00

Judges:

Mary F. Calvert, Freelance, Washington, D.C.,

Finalist 2010 Pulitzer Prize
Feature Photography, 2008 Robert F Kennedy Award Winner, 2007 Pulitzer Prize
Finalist Feature Photography, 2007 BOP Photographer of the Year Small
Markets

Seth Gittner, Assistant Professor of Multimedia Photography and Design, Syracuse University

Greg Kahn, Staff Photographer, Naples Daily News

2010 Bop Small Markets Photographer of the Year

Members Present:

Ed Murray, POY Contest Chair

Reena Rose Sibayan, Secretary/Treasurer

Cie Stroud, V.P.

402 Entries

Entrants:

Peter Ackerman, Asbury Park Press

Scott Anderson, Freelance

Danielle Austen, Freelance

Leslie Barbaro, The Record

Thomas P Costello II, Asbury Park Press

Aristide Economopoulos, The Star-Ledger

Sharon Gekoski-Kimmel, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Jeff Granit, Greater Media Newspapers

Michael Karas, The Record

Tim Larsen, Governor Press Office

Bryan Little, South Jersey Newspapers

Andy Mills, The Star-Ledger

John Munson, The Star-Ledger

Noah K. Murray, The Star-Ledger

Ed Murray, The Star-Ledger

April Saul, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Robert Sciarrino, The Star-Ledger

Reena Rose Sibayan, The Jersey journal

Cie Stroud, Freelance

Tyson Trish, The Record

David M Warren, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Julia Xanthos, New York Daily News

The Honorable Mentions (HM) are in no particular order.

The judges' comments will be shared at the dinner – time and date TBA.

The Best of Show will be announced at the dinner.

Spot News

1. Robert Sciarrino, The Star-Ledger, Grieving mother

2. Aristide Economopoulos, The Star-Ledger, Fight

3. Aristide Economopoulos, The Star-Ledger, Flood

General News

1. Ed Murray, The Star-Ledger, Grief

2. Ed Murray, The Star-Ledger, President

3. Andy Mills, The Star-Ledger, Rage

HM Peter Ackerman, Asbury Park Press, Mourning

HM Thomas P Costello II, Asbury Park Press, Castellano

HM David M Warren, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Deportation

Feature

1. Leslie Barbaro, The Record, Insurance Nightmare

2. Leslie Barbaro, The Record, Fire Prevention

3. Aristide Economopoulos, The Star-Ledger, Luv

HM Michael Karas, The Record, Scouts

Pictorial

1. Aristide Economopoulos, The Star-Ledger, Wash

2. David M Warren, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Fashion

3. Ed Murray, The Star-Ledger, Duck

Portrait/Personality

1. Aristide Economopoulos, The Star-Ledger, Artist

2. Aristide Economopoulos, The Star-Ledger, Donkey

3. Noah K. Murray, The Star-Ledger, Night Shift

HM Peter Ackerman, Asbury Park Press, Deuce

Sports Action

1. Peter Ackerman, Asbury Park Press, Collision

2. Tim Larsen, Governor Press Office, Boxing

3. Ed Murray, The Star-Ledger, Swim

HM Noah K. Murray, The Star-Ledger, Close call

Sports Feature

1. Aristide Economopoulos, The Star-Ledger, Flag

2. Julia Xanthos, New York Daily News, Nisa

3. Peter Ackerman, Asbury Park Press, Shut up

HM Jeff Granit, Greater Media Newspapers, Victory

HM Andy Mills, The Star-Ledger, Victory

HM Bryan Little, South Jersey Newspapers, Nap

Illustration

1. Julia Xanthos, New York Daily News, Picnic

2. Julia Xanthos, New York Daily News, Poodle

3. David Warren, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Oyster

Animal

1. Ed Murray, The Star-Ledger, Mom

2. Danielle Austen, Freelance, Bath

3. Cie Stroud, Freelance, Bird Bath

HM Julia Xanthos, New York Daily News, Pigs

Personal Vision

1. Aristide Economopoulos, The Star-Ledger, Moma

2. Tyson Trish, The Record, Obama

3. Leslie Barbaro, The Record, Meadowlands

Multiple News

1. Aristide Economopoulos, The Star-Ledger, Sharpe

No other awards.

Multiple Feature

1. April Saul, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Lungs

2. Aristide Economopoulos, The Star-Ledger, Fair

3. Sharon Gekoski-Kimmel, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Hunger

Sports Portfolio

1. Peter Ackerman, Asbury Park Press, Sports Portfolio

No other awards.

NJ Understanding

1. April Saul, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Gift of Family

Multimedia News

1. Leslie Barbaro, The Record, Yearning for Home

No other awards.

Multimedia Feature

1. Julia Xanthos, New York Daily News, Golden Gloves

2. Julia Xanthos, New York Daily News, Twins

3. John Munson, The Star-Ledger, The Pot Predicament

Best in Show

Will be announced at the annual dinner – time and date TBA

Photographer of the Year

Aristide Economopoulos, The Star-Ledger

POY Judging April 2

2011-03-22T09:01:00.001-05:00

Judging of the NJPPA 2010 POY contest will be held Saturday, April 2 at the Star-Ledger, starting around 9am.

2010 Clip Contest Final Results

2011-03-14T22:26:00.001-05:00

1st Place - David M Warren - 1024 points

2nd Place - Bryan Little - 886 points

3rd Place - Kevin R. Wexler - 831 points

Congratulations!

Read the entire final standings here:
http://njppa.bravepages.com/njppa/2010standings.html

Also, see the winning clips from:
October: http://njppa.bravepages.com/njppa/Oct11/index.htm
December: http://njppa.bravepages.com/njppa/Dec11/index.htm

Many thanks, many thanks to Peter Ackerman for chairing the clip contest. You'll note the absence of his name in the final standings. He kindly refrained after having won last year!

"You've gotta be in it to win it." Renew your membership today:
http://njppa.bravepages.com/njppa/NJPPAMembershipApplication.pdf

POY Deadline extended

2011-02-16T22:11:00.001-05:00

The NJPPA POY deadline has been extended one week to Feb 25, 2011 at

8pm. Take a deep breath but keep working on your entries. Any questions

or you need your entry number contact Ed Murray at

emurray@starledger.com. Thanks

POY 2010 Entries Due Feb. 18, 2011

2011-01-31T21:06:00.001-05:00

The NJPPA Pictures of the Year 2010
& Membership Renewal Form can be found here:

http://njppa.bravepages.com/njppa/NJPPAPOY2011b.pdf

Contest Deadline: 8 pm, February 18, 2011

Membership: $40
Only photographs taken after you start or renew your membership are eligible for the POY contest. Join/renew now!

Passing of Al Paglione

2010-04-30T16:39:00.001-05:00

Al Paglione, a longshoreman-turned-photojournalist who chronicled 35 years in the life of North Jersey, died Wednesday night at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck. He was 80 and lived in Ridgefield Park. "Al was a living legend, and left his mark on everyone he met. Those of us who had the honor of working with him will never forget how much he made us smile." - Danielle Richards

Obit, Slideshow of his work and a Guest Book for Condolences and Memories can be found here:

http://www.northjersey.com/obituaries/042910_paglione.html

tl

2009 Pictures of the Year Competition Judging

2010-03-13T12:09:00.002-05:00

John Beale of Penn State (formerly of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette), Naomi Halperin of the Wilmington News Journal and Melina Mara of the Washington Post review the multimedia entries on the notebook of Pictures of the Year Contest Chairperson Ed Murray in a salon at the Hyatt in New Brunswick, N.J. Friday, March 12, 2009. (iphone photo by Cie Stroud)

2009 Pictures of the Year Competition Results

2010-03-12T16:10:00.009-05:00

Today we JUDGED while at the Northern Short Course in New Brunswick, N.J.! Our wonderful judges are Melina Mara of the Washington Post; Naomi Halperin of the Wilmington News Journal; and John Beale of Penn State Senior Lecturer, former Pittsburgh Post Gazette.

Results and Congratulations to all the Winners.

Spot News
1. Bob Sciarrino, The Star-Ledger, Grief
2. Aristide Economopoulos, The Star-Ledger, Crying for Amar
3. Reena Rose Sibayan. The Jersey Journal, Killed by Cops
HM Tony Kurdzuk, The Star-Ledger, Pipeline Pyre

General News
1. Aristide Economopoulos, The Star-Ledger, Remembering Amar
2. Jeff Granit, Greater Media Newspapers, Hands
3. Sarah J. Glover, Philadelphia Daily News, Funeral
HM Tyson Trish, The Record, Liberty, Danger
HM April Saul, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Wowing the Toddlers

Feature
1. Peter Ackerman, Asbury Park Press, Cool Cats
2. Bob Sciarrino, The Star-Ledger, Ice
3. Aristide Economopoulos, The Star-Ledger, Love at the Rock Show
HM Tony Kurdzuk, The Star-Ledger, Vaulting Vocalist

Pictorial
1. David M Warren, Philadelphia Inquirer, Aerobatics
2. Aristide Economopoulos, The Star-Ledger, Bathroom
3. Noah K. Murray, The Star-Ledger, Airborne

Portrait Personality
1, Leslie Barbaro, North Jersey Media Group, Move
2. Aristide Economopoulos, The Star-Ledger, Addict
3. Aristide Economopoulos, The Star-Ledger, Waiting for Voters
HM Julia Xanthos, NY Daily News, Cello Player
HM Peter Ackerman, Asbury Park Press, Fighting For Her Home

Sports Action
1. Noah K. Murray, The Star-Ledger, Focused
2. Jeff Granit, Greater Media Newspapers, Heads Up
3. Tony Kurdzuk, The Star-Ledger, Hard Right

Sports Feature
1. Michael Karas, North Jersey Media Group, Champions
2. John Munson, The Star-Ledger, Yankees Win
3. John Munson, The Star-Ledger, Tiger in the Rain
HM Aristide Economopoulos, The Star-Ledger, Exhausted

Illustration
1. David M Warren, Philadelphia Inquirer, Langostino Lookin' At Ya

Animal
1. Tony Kurdzuk, The Star-Ledger, Hungry Hungry Deer
2. Danielle Austen, Freelance, Spea
3. Julia Xanthos, Daily News, Gorilla Glass

Personal Vision
1. Noah K. Murray, The Star-Ledger, Reflections
2. Danielle Austen, freelance, Sourland
3. Aristide Economopoulos, The Star-Ledger, Tech Art

Campaign 2009
1. Thomas E. Franklin, The Record, Inauguration Day Couple

Multiple News
1. Tyson Trish, The Record, Guard

Multiple Feature
1. Leslie Barbaro, North Jersey Media Group, Blaneice
2. April Saul, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Camp Little People
3. Sarah J. Glover, The Philadelphia Daily News, Ballet

Multimedia News
1. Thomas Franklin, The Record, Rothman
2. Ed Murray, The Star-Ledger, Deployment
3. Sarah Glover, Philadelphia Daily News, Harry Kalas

Multimedia Feature
1. John Munson, The Star-Ledger, Homeless Teen
2. Julia Xanthos, The Daily News, Flags
3. John Munson, The Star-Ledger, Jamar Carter
HM Peter Ackerman, The Asbury Park Press, Help Wanted

Sports Portfolio
1. Noah K. Murray, The Star-Ledger
2. Peter Ackerman, The Asbury Park Press
3. John Munson, The Star-Ledger

New Jersey Understanding
April Saul

Photographer of the Year
Aristide Economopoulos, The Star-Ledger

Congrats to all our winners. Everyone did a great job.

End of the Year

2009-12-16T22:01:00.002-05:00

Hello Everyone and Happy Holidays!

Couple of housekeeping items before the end of the year:

First - I was a little disappointed with the last poll on NJPPA.org - actually, it was rather disastrous - only 16 people responded to the poll and only 13 people said they would be interested in monthly meetings. I believe we have about 140 members and I was hoping for a better response. However, people have requested monthly meetings so starting in January we are going to try meeting once a month to see how that works out. I will be sending out the date and place asap - please try to come out.

Second - Northern Short Course is coming to New Jersey! March 11-13, 2010 in NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ. We need to represent! Make your reservations and sign up asap. Info at http://www.northernshortcourse.com/

Third - Congratulations to Noah K. Murray of the Star Ledger for being selected in Sports Illustrated's 2009 Pictures of the Year which came out December 11th, 2009. Awesome image and great job Noah!

Thank you everyone and please have a safe and happy holiday season.

Sincerely,

Tim Larsen
NJPPA President

Polls, Polls, Polls

2009-08-08T20:05:00.004-05:00

Hello everyone,

I hope your summer is going well and you're enjoying some of the best weather I've seen in New Jersey in years. We are taking a August Poll. Members have been saying that they are interested in monthly meetings to get together for learning or networking or just to get their drink on. We would like to get a sense of how many people are really interested in attending a monthly meeting, when, where and what for. Please take the poll at the right side of this blog. If you have an answer that's not listed, just comment your idea on this blog.

Please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions and I look forward to seeing and hearing from you.

Polls close September 1st, 2009 at 9:00 PM.

Sincerely,

Tim Larsen
NJPPA President

NJPPA Dinner

2009-05-20T21:19:00.006-05:00

I would just like to say Thank You to everyone who came out to our dinner Sunday night and helped make it a success. It was a great time and a lot of fun. I would especially like to thank the people who came out that didn't win any awards but supported our award winners.

We are planning a June / July NJPPA Picnic - we will keep you posted on the event so stay tuned.

NJPPA Dinner

2009-05-10T13:17:00.001-05:00

Hey Everyone we need you to come out to the Dinner - its a really good time and great food. Please let us know this week!

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Open bar 5-6pm
Dinner 6-10pm

Make your reservation by May 12, 2009

Monstruck
www.moonstrucknj.com
517 Lake Avenue,
Asbury Park, NJ
732-988-0123

$55 / person
Send 1) your check, payable to NJPPA,
2) number in your party
to:

Reena Rose Sibayan
NJPPA Secretary / Treasurer
The Jersey Journal
30 Journal Square
Jersey City, NJ 07306

Shutterbugged

2009-04-26T20:47:00.000-05:00

This story was in the New York Post:

SHUTTERBUGGED

By MURRAY WEISS Criminal Justice Editor

April 13, 2009 --

Faced with complaints from photographers and tourists alike, the NYPD has issued a department order reminding cops that the right to take pictures in the Big Apple is as American as apple pie.

"Photography and the videotaping of public places, buildings and structures are common activities within New York City . . . and is rarely unlawful," the NYPD operations order begins.

It acknowledges that the city is a terrorist target, but since it's a prominent "tourist destination, practically all such photography will have no connection to terrorism or unlawful conduct."

The department directive -- titled "Investigation of Individuals Engaged in Suspicious Photography and Video Surveillance" -- makes it clear that cops cannot "demand to view photographs taken by a person . . . or direct them to delete or destroy images" in a camera.

Public-advocacy groups have complained, especially since 9/11, about cops stopping shutterbugs and, in some cases, wrongly arresting them.

In the latest snafu, an off-duty MTA worker and admitted fan of the subways was issued a summons for taking pictures of subway cars.

He was handed a summons that incorrectly sited the rule that expressly permits snapping pictures in the subways.

Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne said the NYPD posted the missive because "we periodically get complaints that an officer asked to see [someone's] camera or erase a picture and this is a reminder not to do that."

"It is a balancing act," Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne said of NYPD efforts to spot possible terrorism or criminal activity while not stepping on the First Amendment.

Donna Lieberman, president of the New York Civil Liberties Union, lauded the directive as "representing progress."

She pointed out that her organization has twice sued the NYPD for stopping innocent filmmaking -- once on behalf of a well-known Indian filmmaker who was videotaping cabbies outside Grand Central Terminal, the other time for a Columbia University student who was filming in a subway station for a school project.

But cops are not without successes in confronting what might appear to be innocent videotaping.

In Manhattan, cops spotted a man -- who turned out to have ties to a terror group in Pakistan -- videotaping the underbellies of the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges.

Additional reporting by John Doyle

murray.weiss@nypost.com
http://www.nypost.com/php/pfriendly/print.php?url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/04132009/news/regionalnews/shutterbugged_164159.htm

Sen. John Kerry to Hold Hearings on Newspaper Industry

2009-04-23T21:59:00.001-05:00

Aristide Economopoulos posted this earlier on his Facebook page:

Sen. John Kerry to Hold Hearings on Newspaper Industry

By Joe Strupp

Published: April 20, 2009 10:20 AM ET

NEW YORK Sen. John F. Kerry, D-Mass., will hold hearings in Washington, D.C., next week to review the economic problems facing the newspaper industry, The Boston Globe reported Monday.

The hearings will be at the Senate Commerce Committee, and are set to begin April 30. They come at a time when numerous newspapers are in bankruptcy protection or seeking cost-savings, including the Globe which has threatened to close or sell if certain union concessions are not made.

The hearings also come soon after Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin, D-Md., introduced a bill last month that would allow newspaper companies to restructure as nonprofits, the Globe reported.

Kerry, chairman of a Commerce subcommittee, "moved to spotlight the financial plight of newspapers after The New York Times Co. threatened earlier this month to shut down The Boston Globe unless its labor unions agree to $20 million in cost concessions, including pay and benefit cuts. The Globe is on track to lose $85 million this year, executives told labor representatives," the story said.

"America's newspapers are struggling to survive -- and while there will be serious consequences in terms of the lives and financial security of the employees involved, including hundreds at the Globe, there will also be serious consequences for our democracy where diversity of opinion and strong debate are paramount," Kerry wrote in a letter sent to union leaders Friday, according to the Globe.

In his letter, addressed to "the Boston Globe family," Kerry voiced his commitment to the industry and to ensuring that the "vital public service newspapers provide does not disappear."

"The increase in media conglomerates has resulted in an increase in agenda-driven reporting and over time, if those of us who value a diversity of opinion and ideas, and are unafraid to be confronted with pointed commentary and analysis, do not act, it is a situation which will only get worse," Kerry wrote according to the paper.

The Globe story noted that Kerry "has received political endorsements over the years from the Globe's editorial page, which is operated separately from its newsgathering operation."

Dan Totten, president of the Boston Newspaper Guild, said yesterday that he appreciated Kerry's effort and concern. "Clearly, his effort is to get the Globe in a better place," Totten told the Globe. Later in a statement, he added: "The support and outreach received thus far from our readers, advertisers, media colleagues, Boston and New England business and political leaders has been enormous."

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003964193

Comments, please....

2009-04-23T21:57:00.000-05:00

The NJPPA has opened the blog up for comments now. If you would like to leave a comment, you can do so at the end of each blog entry.

High Time We Set the Record Straight on Newspaper 'Myths'

2009-04-23T21:55:00.002-05:00

The following was posted by Jason Towlen of the Home News on his Facebook page:

High Time We Set the Record Straight on Newspaper 'Myths'

By Donna Barrett

Published: April 22, 2009 5:10 PM ET

NEW YORK Enough already. Partial facts and misinformation about newspapers are distorting the view for everyone, including readers and advertisers.

Let's set the record straight: Newspapers still enjoy considerable readership and deliver strong results for advertisers. More Americans read printed newspapers than watch the Super Bowl. More Americans read printed newspapers than own dogs. Newspapers and their Web sites reach a larger audience than ever before.

The crisis facing newspapers is not an audience problem. It is a revenue problem.

Newspapers deliver vital information to communities, as they have since this country was settled. But something has to pay for all of that news. Advertising has traditionally supported the valuable content provided by newspapers. Two developments have devastated that revenue.

The first is the recession. Newspapers are no different than television, radio, Internet, Major League Baseball, NASCAR and all businesses that rely on other businesses for money from advertising and promotion. The recession has led to a significant decrease in ad spending. Everyone is hurting. Newspapers just talk about it more.

Free sites such as Craigslist are the other factor. These sites siphon off considerable classified advertising.

It is tough to compete against free, and free doesn’t pay for journalists.

There is no shortage of other theories on why newspapers are hurting. Most come from those without direct responsibility for the financial health of a newspaper. Some popular explanations:

1.) Newspapers are too liberal and drive off readers as a result.
2.) Newspaper publishers are slow to embrace new technology.
3.) Newspapers are losing readers to the Internet.

As my father used to say, they don’t know what they don’t know. In reality, none of these theories is responsible for newspapers' woes.

Overall readership is growing. Most publishers embrace technological advances to serve their audience, but they face a real-world problem that these advances usually provide much less revenue than their core business.

Finally, newspaper companies are losing classified revenue, not readers, to the Internet. In one of life’s ironies, newspapers are growing audience through the very outlet that takes away so much revenue.

Newspaper publishers face many challenges in a changing world. They must answer some important revenue questions if their newspapers are to continue serving our communities as effectively as they have for more than 300 years.

The least we can do is make sure the issues are not distorted and misinterpreted.

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003965411

POY Contest Winners!

2009-04-19T09:00:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to all the Winners!

New Jersey Press Photographers Association
2008 Pictures of the Year
Judged at The Star-Ledger Saturday April 18, 2009 by William Snyder, RIT,
John Friedah, Providence Journal, Matt Roth, Patuxent Publishing.

Categories
Single Picture Categories

Spot News
1. Aristide Economopoulos, The Star-Ledger, “Displaced”
2. Reena Rose Sibayan, The Jersey Journal, “Scuffle”
3. Marc Steiner, Agency New Jersey, “Streams”
HM John O’Boyle, The Star-Ledger, “Reaction”
Easy category with lots of fires. Top two stood out quickly. Edit. Looking
for physical reaction. More moments, relying on event to make the pictures,

General News
1. Leslie Barbaro, The Record, “Briggs”
2. Jennifer Brown, The Star-Ledger, “Grief”
3. Julia Xanthos Economopoulos, NY Daily News, “Funeral”
HM John Munson, The Star-Ledger, “Remembering Ryne”
HM Ed Murray, The Star-Ledger, “Guard”
HM Tony Kurdzuk, The Star-Ledger, “Debate Frustration”
HM Ed Murray, The Star-Ledger, “Deploy”
HM Aristide Economopoulos, The Star-Ledger, “Mom”
Very good category. Very deep. Top jumped out. Top fifteen very hard to cut
down.

Feature:
1. Michael Karas, The Record, “Sidewalk”
2. Sarah Simonis, Freelance, “ Belle”
3. April Saul, The Philadelphia Inquirer, “Losing”
HM Leslie Barbaro, The Record, “Pool Shower”
HM Julia Xanthos Economopoulos, NY Daily News “Rain”
HM Aristide Economopoulos, The Star-Ledger, “Prom”
HM Michael Karas, The Record, “cande”
Raw content and emotion. Not wrapped up in technical. All about moments.
Depth to pictures. Has moment color dhl. Really good situations.

Pictorial
1. David M. Warren, The Philadelphia Inquirer ,”Thunderbirds”
2. Julia Xanthos Economopoulos, NY Daily News, “Falls”
3. Marc Steiner, Agency New Jersey, “Scales”
HM Aristide Economopoulos, The Star-Ledger, “Street”
HM Sarah Simonis, Freelance, “Pingpong”
HM Marc Steiner, Agency New Jersey, “Time”

Portrait/Personality
1. Jennifer Brown, The Star-Ledger, “Artist”
2. Aristide Economopoulos, The Star-Ledger, “Birds”
3. Jeff Granit, Greater Media Newspapers, “First Glance”
HM April Saul, The Philadelphia Inquirer, “Hello”
HM Peter Ackerman, Asbury Park Press, “Duckhunter”
HM John Munson, The Star-Ledger, “Hug”
HM Marc Steiner, Agency New Jersey, “Cowboy”
Look for moments. Lacking in personality. Loved first place. No classical
portraits as in studio moved up in the contest.

Sports Action
1. Tyson Trish, The Record. “Smack”
2. Saed Hindash, The Star-Ledger, “Kick”
3. Chris Faytok, The Star-Ledger, “Flip”
HM Jeff Granit, Greater Media Newspapers, “Reach”
HM Scott Anderson, The Courier-Post , “Bruntlet”
HM Chris Faytok, The Star-Ledger, “Blur”
HM Saed Hindash, The Star-Ledger, “Save”
HM Tony Kurdzuk, The Star-Ledger, “Slipping Away”
HM Noah Murray, The Star-Ledger, “Interference”

Sports Feature
1. Chris Faytok, The Star-Ledger, “Rain”
2. Chris Faytok, The Star-Ledger, “Gold”
3. Peter Ackerman, Asbury Park Press, “Statechamp”
HM Chris Faytok, The Star-Ledger, “Yogi”
HM Scott Anderson, The Courier-Post
HM Reena Rose Sibayan, The Jersey Journal, “Dejection”
HM Saed Hindash, The Star-Ledger, “Lookhere”
HM Chris Faytok, The Star-Ledger, “Souveneir”
HM Chris Faytok, The Star-Ledger, “Fence”
HM Peter Ackerman, Asbury Park Press, “Cooldown”

Illustration
1. Jennifer Brown, The Star-Ledger, “Artist”
2. Tony Kurdzuk, The Star-Ledger, “Quirky Quilter”
HM Saed Hindash, The Star-Ledger, “Eat”
Nicely Done Nicely executed. Third was appreciated for effort.

Animal
1. Danielle Austen, Freelance, “Woodstork”
HM William Perlman, The Star-Ledger, “Big Dog”
HM Tyson Trish, The Record, “Butterfly”
HM Danielle Austen, Freelance, “Hawk”
HM April Saul, The Philadelphia Inquirer, “Twoheads”
Woodstork jumps out very quickly and clearly. After that it gets tricky.

Personal Vision
1. Danielle Austen, Freelance, “Old Glory”
2. Danielle Austen, Freelance, “Barn”
3. HM Marc Steiner, Agency New Jersey, “Limbs”
HM Aristide Economopoulos, The Star-Ledger, “Bus”
HM Aristide Economopoulos, The Star-Ledger, “Phone”
HM Tony Kurdzuk, The Star-Ledger, “Fares going Up”

Campaign
1. Saed Hindash, The Star-Ledger, “Hug”
2. Julia Xanthos Economopoulos, NY Daily News, “Grab”
3. Noah Murray, The Star-Ledger, “Acknowledge”
HM Jennifer Brown, The Star-Ledger, “Count”
HM Tony Kurdzuk, The Star-Ledger, “All pinned”

Multiple Picture Categories
Multiple News
1. Reena Rose Sibayan, The Jersey Journal, “Distraught”
2. Tyson Trish, The Record, “Bucca”
HM Ed Murray, The Star-Ledger, “Fire”

Multiple Feature
1. Aristide Economopoulos, The Star-Ledger, “Losing”
2. Tyson Trish, The Record, “Guard”
3. Aristide Economopoulos, The Star-Ledger, “Lovebirds”
HM Ed Murray, The Star-Ledger, “Guard”

Multiple Sports
1. Chris Faytok, The Star-Ledger, “Yanks”
2. Chris Faytok, The Star-Ledger, “Olympics”
HM Peter Ackerman, Asbury Park Press, “Box”

Sports Portfolio
1. Tyson Trish, The Record
2. Chris Faytok, The Star-Ledger
3. Peter Ackerman, Asbury Park Press

Photographer of the Year:
1. Aristide Economopoulos, The Star-Ledger
2. Ed Murray, The Star-Ledger
3. Tyson Trish, The Record
HM Jennifer Brown, The Star-Ledger

The NJPPA Understanding Award
April Saul, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Best Multimedia News Story or Essay
1. Julia Xanthos Economopoulos, NY Daily News,
2. Julia Xanthos Economopoulos, NY Daily News, “Ecuador”
3. Marc Steiner, Agency New Jersey, “Super Tuesday”
Best Multimedia Feature Story or Essay
1. Amy Newman, The Herald News, “From Hurt to Hope”
2. John Munson, The Star-Ledger, “A Very Special Boy”
3. Julia Xanthos Economopoulos, NY Daily News, “Moscow Circus”
Best Multimedia Sports Story or Essay
1. John Munson, The Star-Ledger, “Father Son Triatheletes”
2. John O’Boyle, The Star-Ledger “Dragon Boat”

Best of Show
To be announced at this year’s dinner.

Good Bye and Good Night

2009-04-18T16:32:00.002-05:00

Tim Larsen, Matt Roth, William Snyder, John Freidah and Ed Murray say good night to a long, but great, POY contest.

Judging the Video

2009-04-18T15:14:00.003-05:00

Judges William Snyder, John Freidah, Matt Roth watch video while Aristide Economopoulos makes a guest appearance to observe the judging procedures.

Getting Towards the End

2009-04-18T14:48:00.003-05:00

The judges read up on the Understanding catagory and entrys.

Ed Murray hard at work tallying the votes and keeping track of all the images.

Colin Archer being Mr. Happy.

POY Judging Lunchtime

2009-04-18T12:48:00.003-05:00

After a long morning of image after image after image, the POY Judges endure lunch from a local eatery here in Newark. From left, John Freidah, Matt Roth and William Snyder.

POY Judging

2009-04-18T10:14:00.007-05:00

Follow the signs to the judging.

Our judges for this year's POY contest are, from left to right:

William Snyder, RIT Professor formerly director of Dallas Morning News, four
time Pulitzer Prize winner.

John Freidah, The Providence Journal. Picture of the Year's Newspaper
Photographer of the Year, 3rd place; Northern Short Course's Photographer of
the Year; and three-time National Press Photographer's Regional "Photographer of the Year."

Matt Roth, Patuxent Publishing, Picture of the Year's Newspaper Photographer
of the Year small markets runner up.

And of course our very own Tony Kurdzuk working the slideshows.

NJPPA POY Contest Judging

2009-04-18T09:45:00.001-05:00

Come join us at the Star Ledger for the POY Judging today, for all you people reading the blog!

Journal publisher announces 'step forward' in keeping paper open

2009-04-14T07:55:00.001-05:00

by The Jersey Journal
Monday April 13, 2009, 4:10 PM

Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey JournalThe Jersey Journal building at 30 Journal Square.

The Jersey Journal and its community weeklies have met revenue projections for the first quarter, Publisher Kendrick Ross announced to the staff today, adding that the paper will be completing work over the next week to bring expenses in line with revenues, and, once that is accomplished, he expects to continue publishing.

"We know the road ahead is challenging and uncertain, but we are pleased to announce this step forward," Ross explained.

"We appreciate the cooperation of our union and non-union staff, and we are grateful to our readers, advertisers and the business community for continuing to support us during this period."

The Evening Journal Association announced to its employees on Feb. 2 that the company would cease publication of The Jersey Journal and a string of weekly newspapers in Hudson County on or about April 13 if the paper was unable to meet revenue goals and reduce expenses.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2009/04/journal_publisher_announces_st.html

Middle Township's Postpones Decision

2009-04-13T09:26:00.005-05:00

Video of Middle Township's public meeting on having control of how the media records the township's public meetings. The bottom line is the township decided to postpone the decision so they can re-word the resolution. Video provided by Harry Scheeler of the Herald Newspapers.

Canon and CPS

2009-04-02T11:13:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone - Just wanted to give a heads up to all the Canon users out there - Canon is now charging for sensor cleaning and firmware updates - $30 plus tax per camera. Also, they now have a three tier CPS service plan - go to www.usa.canon.com/cps to learn more.

2009-03-25T21:53:00.003-05:00

Congratulations goes out to Ed Murray who received an Honorable Mention in this year's NPPA Best of Photojournalism in the General News Catagory for the image below:

U.S. bill seeks to rescue faltering newspapers

2009-03-24T19:48:00.002-05:00

Jason Towlen of Home News Tribune originally posted this link on Facebook - U.S. bill seeks to rescue faltering newspapers
By Thomas Ferraro

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With many U.S. newspapers struggling to survive, a Democratic senator on Tuesday introduced a bill to help them by allowing newspaper companies to restructure as nonprofits with a variety of tax breaks.

"This may not be the optimal choice for some major newspapers or corporate media chains but it should be an option for many newspapers that are struggling to stay afloat," said Senator Benjamin Cardin.

A Cardin spokesman said the bill had yet to attract any co-sponsors, but had sparked plenty of interest within the media, which has seen plunging revenues and many journalist layoffs.

Cardin's Newspaper Revitalization Act would allow newspapers to operate as nonprofits for educational purposes under the U.S. tax code, giving them a similar status to public broadcasting companies.

Under this arrangement, newspapers would still be free to report on all issues, including political campaigns. But they would be prohibited from making political endorsements.

Advertising and subscription revenue would be tax exempt, and contributions to support news coverage or operations could be tax deductible.

Because newspaper profits have been falling in recent years, "no substantial loss of federal revenue" was expected under the legislation, Cardin's office said in a statement.

Cardin's office said his bill was aimed at preserving local and community newspapers, not conglomerates which may also own radio and TV stations. His bill would also let a non-profit buy newspapers owned by a conglomerate.

"We are losing our newspaper industry," Cardin said. "The economy has caused an immediate problem, but the business model for newspapers, based on circulation and advertising revenue, is broken, and that is a real tragedy for communities across the nation and for our democracy.

Newspaper subscriptions and advertising have shrunk dramatically in the past few years as Americans have turned more and more to the Internet or television for information.

In recent months, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the Rocky Mountain News, the Baltimore Examiner and the San Francisco Chronicle have ceased daily publication or announced that they may have to stop publishing.

In December the Tribune Company, which owns a number of newspapers including The Baltimore Sun, The Chicago Tribune and The Los Angeles Times filed for bankruptcy protection.

Two newspaper chains, Gannett Co Inc and Advance Publications, on Monday announced employee furloughs. It will be the second furlough this year at Gannett.

POY Deadline Extended

2009-03-11T17:04:00.000-05:00

To save everyone overnight fees and to allow people more time to preparetheir entries we are EXTENDING the deadline for entries one week to March 19, 2009 at 8pm.

Everything else stays the same.

The rules went out on this list later than usual and I feel the additionaltime will enable more people to participate and make it a better contest.

Ed Murray
NJPPA POY
ChairThe Star-Ledger

POY 2008 Deadline

2009-03-05T11:02:00.001-05:00

Hey Everyone - don't forget to get your New Jersey Press Photographers Association Pictures of the Year 2008 & Membership Renewal Form in! ONE WEEK FROM TODAY!!!

Contest Deadline: March 12, 2009 at 8 p.m.

Ed Murray
201-401-6914 cell
908-429-7860 home
emurray@starledger.com

New President

2009-02-26T21:05:00.000-05:00

Dear Fellow Members

First and foremost I would like to reach out and extend a heart-felt thank you to all the people who served the New Jersey Press Photographers Association for the last two years. Tony Kurdzuk did a great job as president during a time when newspapers and print media were beginning to spiral downward; Vice President Kevin Wexlar, Secretary/ Treasurer Reena Rose Sibayan, Clip Contest Chair Tyson Trish, POY Chair Jennifer Brown and Webmaster Cie Stroud all worked diligently holding the NJPPA together during a difficult time. Thank you very much for your service.

I am happy to announce the following officers for the upcoming term – Vice President Colin Archer; Reena Rose Sibayan has recommitted her time to be the Secretary/Treasurer again; Clip Contest Chair is now Andrew Miller of Courier News; POY Chair is once again Ed Murray with Co-Chair Jennifer Brown; and Cie Stroud will continue the upkeep of the website.

A couple of house keeping issues – Picture’s of the Year Contest Deadline is March 12, 2009 at 8 PM. Contest rules and submission information is available on the NJPPA.org website along with a membership renewal application. Yes, you must be a member to enter the contest. Please make sure to get your images to Ed Murray before the deadline.

Save the Date – May 17th, 2009 – our Annual NJPPA Dinner and Awards Program - 5 to 10 PM at Moonstruck in Asbury Park – Great food, great people, and good times. Please come out, bring a date, and support your fellow photojournalists.

The state of the newspaper industry is in flux right now. I’m not sure where we are going to be two years from now, but it looks like we are all going there together in one form or another. One of my goals as the NJPPA president is to provide resources to try to help photographers find their way through this mess – We have many members who have taken buyouts and who now find themselves freelancing again. I would like to bring speakers in once a quarter that will talk about how they market themselves and how they are making money while working as freelance photographers. Along with marketing ourselves – we need to better ourselves – so I would like to hold knowledge enhancement seminars to fill the gaps that may need filling – whether it’s technique, lighting or workflow – somebody may have a better solution.

Another one of our goals is for Colin Archer to form a committee to research the best way to do our jobs at crime and fire scenes. Tony Kurdzuk made some advances in this area with the NJ State Police; however, this continues to be an ongoing issue. We need to work hand in hand with the New Jersey Press Association to figure out how to best reach out to state and local municipalities and educate them on how to identify the professional press photographers, and to allow us to do our jobs.

Last, but not least, I’m looking for input - input on ways to improve the NJPPA, input on ways to better serve the members. I’m looking for ideas on how to tackle the new problems of being photojournalists. This is an open forum and I need your help. If you are like me, I love what I do, I love being behind the camera and I love being a photojournalist – but I hate what is happening to the industry. Let’s try to find a solution together.

Thank you again and I look forward to seeing you out on the street.

Tim Larsen
President, NJPPA

Change In Leadership

2009-02-17T10:12:00.000-05:00

To all our members,

Though my term as President is now over I am happy to announce I am
being succeeded by Tim Larsen as President and Colin Archer as Vice
President. Our Secretary/Treasurer remains Reena Rose Sibayan, who
has graciously accepted the office for another term (thank you Reena!).

For those of you who know Tim, you know he's a respected photographer
as well as great guy. For those who may not know him yet, I can
assure you the organization is in very good hands. This goes for
Colin as well.

I had dinner with both Tim and Colin tonight to officially hand over
the reigns and talk about the future of the NJPPA. Both are very
optimistic about what is to come as well as having some great ideas.
I hope everyone will welcome and congratulate our new officers.

I have gotten several questions over the last few weeks regarding the
POY contest. Some minor changes are being made to the rules and it is
coming together thanks to the work of Ed Murray and Jen Brown. Notice
of deadline will be sent out in the near future.

It has been a pleasure to serve as NJPPA President and I will continue
to be active in our organization for years to come.

Thank You,
Tony Kurdzuk

Vote for Officers

2009-01-27T18:38:00.002-05:00

Dear Members,

Two polls have been posted on the Yahoo board to elect a new President and Vice President of the NJPPA for the 2009-2010 term.

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/NJPPA-L/polls

The polls close on Wednesday, Feb. 4 so please log in and cast your ballot before then.

Thank you!
Tony Kurdzuk
NJPPA President

2008 FEBRUARY NJPPA CLIP RESULTS

2008-05-23T21:02:00.002-05:00

2008 FEBRUARY NJPPA CLIP RESULTS

This Contest was judged by: Fresno Bee staff photographers: Craig Kohlruss, Mark Crosse, Darrell Wong, Kurt Hegre and Heidi Huber; assistant director of photography Renee Fernandes and Associated Press freelance photographer and photojournalism professor Gary Kazanjian.

News
1st Reena Rose Sibayan, The Jersey Journal, Knee in the groin
2nd Saed Hindash, The Star-Ledger, Comforting daughter during fire
3rd (Tie)John O'Boyle, The Star-Ledger, Speaking for her daughter
3rd (Tie) Ed Murray, The Star-Ledger, Fire station burns

Comments: The judges were impressed with many of the images in the news category, particularly the spot news situations. The restraining of the distraught brother of a murder victim was especially evoking. A number of images from this photographer would have worked well in a series, but we settled on the first-place winner. Third place was a tough decision so we finally decided on a tie (hope that’s ok).

Feature Single
1st Jeff Granit, Greater Media, Young dancer
2nd Michael Karas, Herald News, Palm burning
3rd Sarah Simonis, Freelance, Nurse Listening to Breath

Comments: The judges had a lot of disagreement in this category. There were few strong images that rose to the top, making arguments for finding the top three difficult. We finally decided on the young dancer as the first place because it had some style and beauty in a simple image. Second place, while interesting and technically well done, didn’t do much for some of the judges because it was so straight-forward. Third place was an interesting moment in an interesting story, but was a tough read as a single image. It might have been more successful in a multiple package. Some of the other images would have done better had they been more technically on the mark.

Sports
1st Chris Faytok, The Star-Ledger, Super catch
2nd Tony Kurdzuk, The Star-Ledger, Wrestling jubilation
3rd Peter Monsees, The Record, Inverted wrestlers

Comments: This category created quite a discussion among the judges, especially with the Super Bowl catch photo. First place rose to the top in many ways, but because this moment was “the moment” in the game, some judges moved it to the top – while others considered whether or not the photo could stand on it’s own, without regard to its significance. We finally agreed the outcome of the play in the story has to have some weight. The other photos stood out because they captured special moments in sporting that went beyond the usual action.

Portrait
1st Patti Sapone, The Star-Ledger, Basketball player
2nd Peter Monsees, The Record, Lady and her dog
3rd Greg Pallante, Record Sports Magazine, Wrestling portrait

Comments: Good portraits are technically perfect, show great composition, and capture the spirit or personalities of their subjects. It was hard to find all three in this category. Our top choice was the basketball player because it was the most successful portrait. Several photos used lighting well, but relied only on that fact and not enough was to capture the subject’s character. The second place picture had more of a moment to bring interest to it.

Multimedia
1st John O’Boyle, The Star-Ledger, Wrestling feature
2nd Ed Murray, The Star-Ledger, Reflections on racism
3rd Ed Murray, The Star-Ledger, Cancer patient

Comments: Unfortunately the judges were not very moved by the multimedia packages. While the subject matter was interesting on many, they generally they went on far too long or used too much video interview alone and not enough b-roll. The wrestling feature did the best job of using audio interviews with compelling imagery. Much the way good photography brings a reader into the story, good video should be used throughout a multimedia piece with informative audio to add impact. Most of these would have been better if they were more carefully edited and made a little shorter. We awarded second and third for their efforts to move beyond the ordinary.

Hope these comments aren’t too tough. They are meant to be constructive and helpful. We want to see good work as much as anybody. Thank you for the opportunity to judge your contest. Good luck!

DECEMBER 2007 NJPPA CLIP RESULTS

2008-05-16T20:00:00.000-05:00

This Contest was judged by: The Idaho Falls Post-Register Photo Staff

News
1st Kevin Wexler, Herald News, Waheedah Muhammed
2nd Tyson Trish, The Record, Trailer Court Resident
3rd Kevin Wexler, Herald News, Solari Does Homework

Feature Single
1st Tyson Trish, The Record, Ski Slope
2nd Kevin Wexler, Herald News, Long Shadow
3rd John O’Boyle, The Star-Ledger, Mosaic Dance Theater

Sports
1st Michael Karas, Herald News, Paterson Catholic Bball
2nd Bryan Littel, The Bridgeton News, Swimming
3rd Kevin Wexler, Herald News, Wayne Hills Bball

Portrait
1st David Warren, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Twin Bball Players
2nd Kevin Wexler, Herald News, Passaic Police Officer
3rd John O’Boyle, The Star-Ledger, Rudolph Koenig

Feature Multiple
1st Bryan Littel, The Bridgeton News, Recount
2nd None Awarded
3rd None Awarded

Multimedia
1st John O’Boyle, The Star-Ledger, Music
2nd John O’Boyle, The Star-Ledger, Dance
3rd Thomas Franklin, The Record, Christmas Lights

Illustration
1st Peter Monsees, The Record, Truffle
2nd Michael Karas, Herald News, Leaf
3rd Leslie Barbaro, Herald News, Halloween Candy

Gallery Opening, April 18th 6-9 pm

2008-03-15T21:33:00.004-05:00

Be sure to mark your calendars. On April 18th from 6-9 pm NJPPA member Carmine Galasso's gallery opening titled 'Crosses.' Prints from his new book 'Crosses: Portraits of Clergy Abuse' will be on display at the Lott Gallery @ DriveIn24 located at 443 West 18th St between 9th and 10th in Chelsea. Between 7-9 pm there will be a candle light vigil for survivors, family and supporters outside of the gallery. The work will be on display through May 8th. http://www.driveinstudios.com/

NOVEMBER 2007 NJPPA CLIP RESULTS

2008-03-15T21:13:00.000-05:00

This contest was judged by: The Pensacola News Journal Photo Department

News
1st Michael Karas, Herald News, Wayne Mayor Wins
2nd Bob Sciarrino, The Star-Ledger, House Fire
3rd John O’Boyle, The Star-Ledger, Keever Funeral

Feature Single
1st David Warren, Philadelphia Inquirer, Time Lapse
2nd Marcin Szczepanski, Courier-Post, Christmas Train
3rd Tyson Trish, The Record, Moeller New Home

Sports
1st Tyson Trish, The Record, Soccer Save
2nd Mel Evans, AP, Lost Helmet
3rd David Warren, Philadelphia Inquirer, Blocked Kick
HM Tyson Trish, The Record, Gatorade Bath

Portrait
1st Peter Monsees, The Record, Violin Player
2nd Robert Sciarrino, The Star-Ledger, Bill Dane
3rd David Warren, Philadelphia Inquirer, Hexadecimal Display

Feature Multiple
1st Michael Karas, Herald News, Homeless
2nd None Awarded
3rd None Awarded

Multimedia
1st Peter Monsees, The Record, Rising Star Violinist
2nd Marcin Szczepanski, Courier-Post, For the Love of Dominoes
3rd John O’Boyle, The Star-Ledger, Cowboy Funeral

NJPPA OCTOBER 2007 CLIP RESULTS

2008-02-20T10:28:00.002-05:00

This Contest was judged by: The Post-Tribune in Merrillville, Indiana. Clip Coordinator, Staff photographer Scott M. Bort Judges: Photo Editor Andy Lavalley, Assistant Photo Editor Jeff Nicholls, Staff Photographer Stephanie Dowell, Freelance Photographers Guy Rhodes, Chuck Mitchell, Scott Brandush and Jason Coons.

News
1st Place: Michael Karas, Herald News, Praying Chairman
2nd Place, Bryan Littel, Bridgeton News, Mourning Family
3rd Place, Thomas E. Franklin, The Record, Car Fire

Comments: A thin category- what, not much news going on in the Garden State? The top three rose to the top quickly. 1.) Good moment, very clean. The news value skyrocketed once judges realized it was the hospital board chairman. 2.) A good emotional moment with the mother. 3.) Very clean image that reads immediately.

Feature Single
1st Place, John O’Boyle, Star Ledger, Hard as Nails
2nd Place, Tyson Trish, The Record, Slyfox Hug
3rd Place, Kevin Wexler, Herald News

Comments: Judges felt this was one of the weaker categories. And, the lack of cutline information, including names, was surprising. 1.) Nice moment but judges were surprised other images from this shoot (as seen in the multi-media category) weren't entered. Lack of the subjects name nearly knocked the image out of contention. 2.) Decent moment with good colors and layers. 3.) Lovely light on main subject. The background worked against this entry.

Sports
1st Place, Marcin Szczepanski, Courier Post, Soccer Header
2nd Place, David M. Warren, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Just Missed
3rd Place, Bryan Littel, Bridgeton News, Shower for the Coach
HM, Greg Pallante, North Jersey Media Group, Basketball Portrait
HM, Greg Pallante, North Jersey Media Group, Fencer Portrait

Comments: Lots of soccer headers and diving receivers. 1.) The best of many, many soccer-header photos. Nice light, clean background and peak action. 2.) Good shot - Judges agreed any of us would have been pleased to come back with this on a Friday night. 3.) A nice celebration shot. Nice job of sticking around to get something different. HMs.) Strong Portraits – Surprising to see portraits in sports in light of there being an actual portrait category. These would have been strong competitors in the portrait category.

Portrait
1st Place, Thomas E. Franklin – The Record – Libero Portrait
2nd Place, Leslie Barbaro – Herald News – Local Artist
3rd Place, Kevin R. Wexler – Injured Dog

Comments: Judges struggled after the obvious first-place choice. 1.) Well conceived and executed. 2.) Well lit but it felt contrived in the overall feeling of the photo. 3.) News value kept this in third place. We debated if this belonged in news instead of portrait.

Feature Multiple
1st Place, Leslie Barbaro, Herald News, Halloween Weddings
2nd Place, Leslie Barbaro, Herald News, Soccer Practice
3rd Place, David M. Warren, The Philadelphia Inquirer, KTW Syndrome

Comments: First place went mostly to the tightest edit. Second and third each had a few strong images but contained others that didn't seem to belong. As an aside, Each of the entries had single images that would have competed well in the single categories. Do your rules allow shooters to pull individual images out of multiple entries?1.) Tight edit and overall best images made this first. 2.) Not bad for a daily feature package. 3.) A better-edited entry would have been first place – Good story, but poor execution.

Multimedia
1st Place, John O'Boyle, Star-Ledger, Mural Painting
2nd Place, John O'Boyle, Star-Ledger, Charles and Bette
3rd Place, Marcin Szczepanski, Courier Post, Family Harvest
HM, Jose F. Moreno, Courier Post,The Monster factory Old-Time Wrestling

Comments: We enjoyed watching these entries. Different styles of both video and audio slideshows. 1.) Well thought out with graphic shots. Good editing on a long-term project. However the time line on this project seems to jump at certain points which we found awkward. 2.) Great news story – Typography was awkward – We felt it could have been edited tighter. 3.) Surreal cranberry footage – The story cohesion doesn't come through. HM.) This piece needed a tighter edit. It was a fun story with good audio and visuals.

NJPPA SEPTEMBER 2007 CLIP RESULTS

2008-01-17T22:39:00.000-05:00

Judged by The Daily Chronicle, DeKalb, IL
James Bowey-Editor-in-Chief/Photo Editor
Eric Sumberg-Staff Photographer
Kate Weber-Staff Photographer

News
Overall: Not a particularly strong category. A lot of September 11th photos, but no single image of those was truly memorable.

1st Place: Kevin Wexler, Herald News, Corrupt Cop
Nice job of stepping back from the action to capture the crowd without using the wide angle. Lucky to have another photographer to fill in flash at just the right moment.

2nd Place: Tariq Zehawi, The Record, September 11th Memorial
Of the September 11th memorial pictures, this was the strongest. The eye is drawn to the girl quickly.

3rd Place: Kevin Wexler, Herald News, Street Naming
Photographer was close at the right time to capture a moment of grief

Sports
Overall: A lot of nice images, though many were game action that didn’t necessarily rise to the level of superlative images. We focused on rewarding those photographers who showed us that were thinking and not just reacting to the action.

1st Place: Tariq Zehawi, The Record, Face Kick
A solid game action shot, could have been cropped in closer to get the viewer right to the action, but easily the best picture of the group

2nd Place: David M Warren, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Football Reflection
A moody picture that uses the natural environment well to make something out a relatively humdrum activity

3rd Place: David M Warren, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Sprints
While it is a similar style shot to 2nd place, this picture was good enough to supercede the other game action. A well-executed picture that makes the viewer want to look again.

Feature
Overall: The weakest of the singles categories. One photo would have won (Peter Monsees-bowling alley) if not for what appears to be poor toning. Others would have placed (Michael Karas-Statue unveiling) if he hadn’t crossed out the picture we liked.

1st Place: Leslie Barbaro, Herald News, Tattoo
A well-composed image. Lots to see in this image, a nice moment, though the cutline could have used more information.

2nd Place: Kevin Wexler, Herald News, Construction
A solid effort using graphical elements to tell the story

3rd Place: Peter Monsees, The Record, RV
Good lens choice helps this picture go from average to interesting compositionally

Portrait
Overall: The winners were all strong images that were well composed/lit

1st Place: Thomas E Franklin, The Record, Gardener
Easily the winner, solid use of wide angle lens to tell the story beyond just the face and the task.

2nd Place: Tariq Zehawi, The Record, Cameramen
Good use of the world around us to get a nice effect. Use of lighting helped to show that the photographer was doing some thinking about how to pop the subject.

3rd Place: Tyson Trish, The Record, WWII
Austere portrait, simple, but given the subject matter, it seemed like an appropriate and well-executed shot.

Illustration
Overall: Not many entries. Well-executed shots for the most part, all by one photographer.

1st Place: Peter Monsees, The Record, Salt Water
Picture would have been better served by a simpler layout, but a nice way to illustrate the issue.

2nd Place: Peter Monsees, The Record, Doctor Waits
Credit to the photographer for going on location but given that it was an illustration would have liked to have seen more emotion or distress given the subject matter. Well executed, but could have been superlative.

3rd Place: Peter Monsees, The Record, Chinese Medicine
Nicely composed.

Feature Multiple

1st Place: Tyson Trish, The Record-Moving Back In
Photographer was applauded for following family on multiple trips

2nd Place: Jose Moreno, Courier-Post-WrestlersNice work lighting. Could have won but the piece was brought down by posed shot. Wanted to see more behind the scenes, less event shots.

AUGUST NJPPA CLIP RESULTS

2007-12-04T20:58:00.000-05:00

This Contest was judged by: St. Petersburg Times photography staff
Boyzell Hosey, Director of Photography
Bruce Moyer, Deputy Director of Photography
Edmund Fountain, Staff Photographer
Scott Keeler, Staff Photographer

News
1st Jim Anness, The Record, Manhunt
2nd Tariq Zehawi, The Record, Fuel Spill
3rd Danielle P. Richards, The Record, Animal Rescuer

Comments: The first place winner of this category was very clear, as the photographer puts the viewer right in the middle of the scene. the strong quality of light and composition definitely helped elevate the image. Second place did a good job capturing a news scene with all the elements necessary to tell a complete story, while the judges appreciated the emotion shown in the 3rd place winner.

Feature Single
1st Tyson Trish, The Record, Water Spray
2nd Danielle P. Richards, The Record, Living with Cancer
3rd Thomas E. Franklin, The Record, House Call Vet

Comments: The judges felt that the first place winner was a very well-organized frame, with a good energy that spread through the many layers of the frame. Second place showed preparation on part of the photographer as the image showed intimacy not often seen in pictures normally categorized as features. Third place amounted to a funny frame with an odd moment. The expression of the dog staring back at the camera helped elevate this image from the rest of the entrants.

Sports
1st Tyson Trish, The Record, David Beckham celebrates
2nd Michael Karas, The Herald News, Olympic Boxer Hopeful
3rd Amy Newman, The Herald News, Wheelchair Basketball

Comments: Only six images were entered in this category, and while the judges felt that it was easy to find a first place winner, picking second and third was more difficult due to a lack of entries and a lack of quality amongst them. First place showed very strong emotion and composition and was clearly the best image of the bunch. Second and third, while better than the remaining pictures in the category and solid pictures in their own right, lacked the additional elements and quirks that traditionally help pictures win contests like this.

Portrait
1st Thomas Franklin, The Record, The Mod Case Contest
2nd Tyson Trish, The Record, Folk Guitarist
3rd Tariq Zehawi, The Record, Twilight Zone Actor

Comments: The first-place winner showed a wonderful use of mood and light which gave the judges a feeling for the environment of the subject. We also liked that the portrait was not a posed one. Second place displayed an eye-catching use of color but the eye-level composition kept it out of first place. The third place winner provided the judges with a good sense of the subject's character through his facial expression.

Feature Multiple
1st Matthew Apgar, Courier News, Major or Minor
2nd No Award
3rd No Award

Comments: Only four picture stories were entered in this category, which made judging difficult. The judges felt that the three remaining entries were relatively weak and poorly edited. First place was awarded based on the fact that it was obvious that the photojournalist spent time with their subject in a variety of places over a span of time. The viewer gets a sense of who the subject is as a result.

MAY 2007 NJPPA CLIP CONTEST RESULTS

2007-11-02T09:06:00.000-05:00

Judged by the photo staff at The Day, New London, Conn.; Sean D. Elliot, Suzanne Ouellette, Dana Jensen, Tim Cook, Tim Martin, Adena Stevens, Peter Huoppi.

News:

1. Noah Murray, The Star Ledger, Fire Victim

2. Michael Karas, Herald News, Soldier Funeral

3. James Anness, The Record, Wader

Comments: General news is the bread and butter of the daily newspaper photographer. As such, it was sad to see the really mediocre spot-news entries in this category that we can only assume were included because the photographers were of the belief that a spot-news photo gets greater consideration just because of the basic f8 and be there nature of the image. The judges felt strongly that just being there is not enough, you must execute with strong composition, use of light and emotional content. Noah Murray’s fire victim was clean, well composed and you could feel the man’s grief. Michael Karas’ soldier funeral was nicely composed and clean. James Anness’ flood victim was both dramatic and yet humorous.

Feature:

1. Thomas Franklin, The Record, Hospital Dog

2. Danielle Richards, The Record, Hot Air Balloon

3. David M. Warren, Philadelphia Inquirer, Guitar Detail

Comments: An unusual number of entries in this category were very clearly of a news variety, funerals and other planned news events. This gave the judges fits, as we wanted to apply our “found moment” standard to this category and yet there were virtually no good examples of this type of photography in the category. Some of the general news type images entered in this category might have fared well in the news category but we were not permitted to re-classify entries. Thomas Franklin’s therapy dog photo column was probably the ONE feature image we liked across the board. One could argue that it also was “general news”, but we give the photographer credit for “finding” the moment through hard work and enterprise. It’s a nice moment. Second went to Danielle Richards for a classic visual feature with nice light and color. David M. Warren’s detail from a guitar maker’s workshop was a striking black and white composition.

Feature/Multiple:

1. Tyson Trish, The Record, After The Flood

2. none

3. none

Comments: If this category is an example of the state of documentary photojournalism then things are bleak indeed. There was not a single entry the judges felt rose to a standard of quality worth awarding. Small groups of loosely affiliated photos, or multiple related, but redundant images, simple don’t make the cut. Only one entry demonstrated the commitment of time and effort that should be a bare minimum for this category.

Sports:

1. Jeff Granit, Edison/Metuchen Sentinel, Lacrosse Hit

2. Bryan Littel, The Bridgeton News, Slide Home

3. William Perlman, The Star Ledger, Catcher Confrontation

Comments: the judges saw a lot of routine action and reaction photos as can be expected in this category. Jeff Granit’s lacrosse won for the tight composition and great faces. Comments of “ouch” and “is that even legal” were made. Bryan Littel’s high-angle of a runner’s headfirst slide home gained favor for the unusual angle and nice composition. William Perlman’s catcher pleading with the ump placed for the great face in a dramatic moment. Most judges felt the shot was a little loose on the crop though.

Portrait:

1. Jerry McCrea, The Star Ledger, Do The Math

2. Sarah Rice, The Star Ledger, Miracle Nail

3. Leslie Barbaro, Herald News, Groucho Glasses

Comments: Jerry McCrea’s striking black and white portrait of the math teacher jumped-out. The formulae on the clear sheet in the foreground may be a relatively obvious cliché, but the image was nicely composed, cleanly lit and accomplished exactly what a portrait is supposed to, give the viewer a sense of the individual. Sarah Rice’s portrait of the man with his x-ray was chilling both in visual effect and literal interpretation. Not a perfect execution, but good enough. Leslie Barbaro’s portrait of the boys with the Groucho Marx glasses was funny, well executed but would have benefited from a cleaner background.

The Monthly Clip Contest is Now Digital!

2007-10-17T15:41:00.000-05:00

BREAKING NEWS -- The Monthly Clip Contest is now digital. No more searching for clips, no more dirty hands, starting with the October contest please send only digital entries on CD. In addition we are introducing a multimedia category, please refer to njppa.org for the complete set of rules, CD's must arrive by Nov. 7th. Email me with any questions.

JULY 2007 NJPPA CLIP RESULTS

2007-10-17T15:33:00.001-05:00

Judged by: Kaylin Bowers, Matthew Rosenberg, and Jason Watson of the The Charlottesville Daily Progress

News
1st Pamela Ann Suchy, Jersey Journal, Stung by Grief
2nd Kevin Wexler, Herald News, Water, Water, Everywhere
3rd Thomas Franklin, The Record, Twin trailers crash

Feature Single
1st Frank Wojciechowski, Princeton Packet, Statuary Stroll
2nd David Warren, Philadelphia Inquirer, Mr. Greengenes Plays Sea Isle City
3rd Tyson Trish, The Record, Taiwan
HM Michael Karas, Herald News, Dancer

Sports
1st Bryan Littel, Bridgeton News, Pitcher
2nd Micahel Karas, Herald News, Red Bulls header
3rd None

Portrait
1st Thomas Franklin, The Record, Driveway Chalk
2nd David Warren, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Rachel Katz
3rd Thomas Franklin, The Record, Straw Hat Lady
HM Thomas Franklin, The Record, The Blacksmith

Feature Multiple
1st Reena Rose Sibayan, The Jersey Journal
2nd None
3rd None

JUNE 2007 NJPPA CLIP RESULTS

2007-09-02T19:59:00.000-05:00

JUNE 2007 NJPPA CLIP RESULTS

This Contest was judged by: Photo Editor Jeff Malet, Senior Staff Photographer Will Lester,
Staff Photographers Thomas R. Cordova and John Valenzuela
INLAND VALLEY DAILY BULLETIN, ONTARIO, CALIF.

News
1st Jackie Schear-The Trentonian, Murder Reaction
2nd Tyson Trish-The Record, Cabrera Bail Hearing
3rd Tariq Zehawi-The Record, GWB Jumper
HM Matt Apgar-Courier-News, Habitat House

Comments: First place-The only photo entered that had any real urgency or emotion, photog was on top of it. Second place-Photog was able to catch an unusual moment in the courtroom other than a defendant sitting at a table. Third place-Nice image with a good crop from a faraway and difficult situation.

Feature Single
1st Peter Monsees-The Record, Baby Bear
2nd Michael Karas-Herald News, HARP Academy
3rd Peter Monsees-The Record, Chilling Out

Comments: Generally a weak category, no photo really jumped out at any of us. First though was an easy choice, even though we are not ones for animal photos-we did love the bear's relaxed posture. Second place-was an unusual angle which made all of us do a double-take when viewing it. Third place-a clean background gave this one the nod over other water photos in the group but still very cliche.

Sports
1st Ed Murray-Star Ledger, Seton Hall Prep Celebrates
2nd John Munson-Star Ledger, Play at Plate
3rd Michael Karas-Herald News, Clifton Over Bloomfield
HM-Michael Karas-Herald News, Clifton Number 1

Comments: First place-We liked how the photog got right in their with the celebration. We felt that we were part of the jubilation. Second place-Best peak action in the category narrowly missed out on first. Third place-Good use of layers HM-Better crop would have moved this image higher.

Portrait
1st Ed Murray-Star Ledger, Rutgers’ Moon Mission
2nd Peter Monsees-The Record, Teaneck’s Cultural Mavens
3rd Kevin R. Wexler-Herald News, Cool Character

Comments: First place-was the only image which and any real thought behind it, the image was lit very well. Second place-Good subjects make for a nice moment. Third place-nice balanced lighting.

Feature Multiple
1st Kevin R. Wexler-Herald News, Zainab’s Journey
2nd Danielle P. Richards-The Record, State Fair
3rd Leslie Barbaro-Herald News, Play Ball

Comments: Only 5 entries!!! First place-Zainab's Journey-nice edit with a good lead image as well as good access moved this one to the top easily. Second place-Folks at the Fair had a tighter edit than Third places Play Ball and that was the difference here.

Illustration
1st Bumper Dejesus-Star Ledger, Got Money?
2nd Leslie Barbaro-Herald News, Out of Control Sked
3rd Peter Monsees-The Record, Virtual Reality

Comments: First place- Quick easy read, simple photo, which gets to the point. Second place-Well lit and executed.

APRIL 2007 NJPPA CLIPS RESULTS

2007-07-13T20:40:00.000-05:00

APRIL 2007 NJPPA CLIPS RESULTS

Contest judged by Shmuel Thaler, Shaminder Dulai and Kate Falconer from the Santa Cruz Sentinel

News
1st Amy Newman, Herald News, ‘Firefighter evacuates boy in Lodi’
2nd Jim Anness, The Record, ‘Boat on flooded street in Little Falls
3rd Robert Sciarrino, The Star Ledger, ‘Flood and fire in Bound Brook’
HM Jim Anness, The Record, ‘Flipped car on Route 46’

Comments
A strong category with lots to choose from, first place rose to the top of a lot of flood photos – great moment showing the human impact of the flooding. Second place was a nice perspective of the flooding with great use of the entire frame. Third place was a nice moment showing the combination of flood and fire. Lack of emotion on the subjects and the telephone pole in the center of the photo dropped the entry to third. Honorable mention was a very clean shot of a rainy day car wreck with good story-telling quality.

Feature
1st Jose Moreno, Courier-Post, ‘Easter prayer through cross’
2nd Thomas Franklin, The Record, ‘Goose umbrella’
3rd David Warren, Philadelphia Inquirer, ‘Inflatable bunnies’

Comments
Once again, first place rose quickly to the top from a weak pool of entries. Great use of the cross-shaped windows to tell the story of parishioners celebrating Easter. A refreshingly innovative view of the kind of assignment we shoot every day. Second place was a nice moment of interaction between human and goose. Third place was a humorous moment framed nicely.

Sports
1st Frank Wojciechowski, Princeton Packet, ‘ Snowy lacrosse’
2nd Tyson Trish, The Record, ‘Play at first’
3rd Tariq Zehawi, The Record, ‘Safe at second’
HM Tony Kurdzuk, The Star Ledger, ‘Puck against the boards’

Comments
First place was a great lacrosse peak action shot in the snow. A wonderfully surprising shot with very strong graphic quality. Second place was a baseball shot that transcended the typical slide into first shot with a nice kick to the face and dynamic position of the two players. Third place is a nice humorous moment with great expressions from the players. Honorable mention was a well-done hockey shot with great placement of the puck.

Portrait
1st Leslie Barbaro, Herald News, ‘ Murderball’
2nd Thomas Franklin, The Record, ‘Charlie’s records’
3rd Thomas Franklin, The Record, “Basketball player in hall’

Comments
A very weak category where we struggled to come up with any winners. The best of the lot was a clean and nicely lit shot of a wheelchair athlete. Second place utilized interesting framing and repetitive shapes. Third place was well lit, but the judges felt the photo in the foreground felt forced and unnatural.

Feature Multiple
1st Leslie Barbaro, Herald News, ‘A nun’s story’
2nd Tony Kurdzuk, The Star Ledger, ‘A New Jersey few know’
3rd Kevin Wexler, Herald News, ‘What lies beneath’

Comments
The judges loved the first place entry about the daily life of a nun. Each image stood on its own as a strong picture and the photographer did a great job of elevating a seemingly mundane subject into a dynamic picture story. Second place was a well-done series of photos giving a glimpse into a trouble spot in the news. The shooter obviously spent time and effort to get the trust of the subjects and the variety of images was excellent. Third place had a number of good pictures introducing readers to a part of their community they may not know. Good attempt, but it needed a bit more depth to elevate to first or second place.

2006 Clip Results Totals Top 25

2007-06-06T15:39:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to all of the winners, calculated totals reflects points for entered clips and winning clips minus any disqualifications for missing clips.

1. Tom Franklin, The Record, 1104
2. Ed Murray, Star-Ledger, 629
3. Kevin Wexler, Herald News, 537
4. Peter Monsees, The Record, 462
5. Leslie Barbaro, Herald News, 412
6. Tyson Trish, The Record, 344
7. David Warren, Philadelphia Inquirer, 327
8. Elizabeth Lara, Herald News, 251
9. Mark Sullivan, Home News Tribune, 230
10. Michael Karas, Herald News, 220
11. William Perlman, Star-Ledger, 215
12. Robert Sciarrino, Star-Ledger, 212
13. Jim Anness, The Record, 208
14. Bryan Littel, Bridgeton News, 202
15. Tariq Zehawi, The Record, 199
16. Pete Ackerman, Asbury Park Press, 178
17. Danielle Richards, The Record, 177
18. Tony Kurdzuk, Star-Ledger, 176
19. Amy Newman, Herald News, 172
19. Scott Lituchy, Star-Ledger, 172
21. John Munson, Star-Ledger, 138
22. Dawn Benko, The Daily Record, 105
23. George McNish, Star-Ledger, 98
24. Noah Murray, Star-Ledger, 96
25. Chris Faytok, Star-Ledger, 94

MARCH 2007 NJPPA CLIPS RESULTS

2007-06-03T16:20:00.000-05:00

MARCH 2007 NJPPA CLIPS RESULTS

Photos judged by John Maniaci, Craig Schreiner and Leah L. Jones
At the Wisconsin State Journal in Madison, Wis.

NEWS
1st Michael Karas, Herald News, Aisha and Lisa after Drug Raid
2nd Leslie Barbaro, Herald News, Naval Aviator Remembered
3rd Ed Murray, The Star-Ledger, Brandi McTighe Consoles her Brother
HM Noah Murray, The Star-Ledger, Rider University Students Grieve

FEATURE
1st David Warren, Philadelphia Inquirer, Branch Campus
2nd Kevin Wexler, Herald News, Ballroom Dancers
3rd Ed Murray, The Star-Ledger, 3rd Grade Dance Lesson
HM Tyson Trish, The Record, Snow Removing Dog Walker

SPORTS
1st Thomas E. Franklin, The Record, Eastside Girls Sad
2nd Tony Kurdzuk, The Star-Ledger, Vince Carter v. Mobley & Brand
3rd Jeff Granit, Tri-Town News, Jackson’s Ken Carney
HM Ed Murray, The Star-Ledger, Lily Calo embraces Holliance after loss

PORTRAIT
1st Tyson Trish, The Record, Travis Ritter, Fire on Ice
2nd Thomas E. Franklin, The Record, Elvis in Glen Rock
3rd Leslie Barbaro, Herald News, Deirdre McKay and Janei Pugh
HM Bryan Littel, The Bridgeton News, Martina Thomas and Brine’ja

FEATURE MULTIPLE
1st Tariq Zehawi, The Record, The Milkman Cometh
2nd Ed Murray, The Star-Ledger, No School Left Behind
3rd Thomas E. Franklin, The Record, Boy Donates Long Hair

ILLUSTRATION
1st Peter Monsees, The Record, Hot Dog Eater
2nd Peter Monsees, The Record, Speaking in Pixels
3rd Peter Monsees, The Record, Offering of Olives
HM Peter Monsees, The Record, Grandma’s Cheesy Dish

FEBRUARY NJPPA CLIP RESULTS

2007-05-20T09:32:00.000-05:00

This Contest was judged by: Sam Morris, Steve Marcus, Tiffany Brown and Richard Brian of the Las Vegas Sun

News
1st Peter Monsees, The Record, Salvaging Memories
2nd Peter Monsees, The Record, Mets Jersey
3rd Tyson Trish, The Record, Glen Rock Memorial

Comments: Nice look of exasperation on the woman burned out of her house coupled with a sense of place.

Feature Single
1st Thomas Franklin, The Record, The Rink
2nd Kevin Wexler, Herald News, Taking the Plunge
3rd Jennifer Brown, The Star-Ledger, Valentine’s Day Mess

Comments: First place was a nice moment, a little more context would have helped. Second place you could feel the chill and third was a nice find for a weather feature with the added benefit of being topical.

Sports
1st Tyson Trish, The Record, Bergen Champs
2nd Tyson Trish, The Record, Hockey Check
3rd Bryan Littel, The Bridgeton News, Wrestling

Comments: Nice jube on the winner with students and players meeting at a peak. Second was a good reaction on a check and third place had nice dramatic lighting but needed some breathing room on the sides and better exposure on the coach.

Portrait
1st Thomas Franklin, The Record, Winter Formal
2nd Peters Monsees, The Record, Ice Damage
3rd Ed Murray, The Star-Ledger, Johnson Basketball

Comments: Overall a weak category. First place captured a nice moment between the kids and second place was helped by the contrasting colors of the shattered glass and vest. Third was an okay group portrait but we need to know why they are in a restaurant to give it some meaning.

Feature Multiple
1st Tony Kurdzuk, The Star-Ledger, Ancient Artifacts
2nd Elizabeth Lara, Herald News, Teacher’s Disability
3rd Leslie Barbaro, Herald News, Cheerleaders

Comments: First place did a nice job with a potentially horrible assignment, good variety of shots. Second was nice but it would have been better to have some more interation. Third had a lot of the same photo. Both second and third could have been helped by varying the subject to camera distance and having more variety, tight medium and wide shots.

January 2007 Clip Results

2007-05-01T21:37:00.000-05:00

This Contest was judged by: The Charlotte News and Observer

News
1st Noah Murray, The Star-Ledger, After-School Horror
2nd Jose Moreno, Courier-Post, Candlelight Vigil
3rd Tariq Zehawi, The Record, Eaton Sentencing
HM Noah Murray, The Star-Ledger, Afternoon Tragedy

Comments: First Place: The individual faces bring it all together with strong emotions. Clear winner. Second Place: Composed well. Great moment of static event. All the elements of candlelight vigil with the added moment of emotion. Third Place: Best face of all pics, but photog knew where to look taking away from spontaneity. HM: Good information in pic. It would have placed higher if cropped left student out, came up at bottom.

Feature Single
1st Jennifer Brown, The Star-Ledger, Fog over the Hudson
2nd Michael Karas, Herald News, Animal for Eid ul-Adah Holiday
3rd John Munson, The Star-Ledger, Hellrazors

Comments: First Place: Nice serendipity. Clouds dip at right moment for umbrella to peak interest. Photog did not over dodge and all the elements came together for a timeless photo. Second Place: Painterly. It draws you into the moment, yet I am taken away to the old world. I see energy but the moment is still. The photog thought about composition. Third Place: I feel like I am there in the moment. Lit very well!

Sports
1st Jeff Granit, Tri-Town News, Wrestling Jubo
2nd Frank Wojciechowski, Princeton Packet, Wrestling
3rd Michael Karas, Herald News, Basketball

Comments: First Place: It is a peak moment of victory that is lit well. Second Place: Great expression. Wish the crop was tighter on the left. Third Place: Clean, peak action that was cropped/framed well.

Portrait
1st Mitsu Yasukawa, The Star-Ledger, Thinking Big
2nd Tom Franklin, The Record, The Proud Paparazzo
3rd None Awarded

Comments: First Place: We could not find something wrong. Enough said. Nice location shooting. Second Place: So close! Should have cropped top down to top of color “photo.” A lower cleaner crop would have won. We love the composition and concept. Third Place: NA

Feature Multiple
1st Ed Murray, The Star-Ledger, Jersey Band
2nd Amy Newman, Herald News, Blind Wrestler
3rd Leslie Barbaro, Herald News, Funeral

Comments: First Place: Looks like the photog enjoyed this shoot. Nice variation of moments, places, emotion. Good, different story. Second Place: Repetitive photos/edit. Needs better cropping. Nice moments, and we like that you followed the subject but need to edit. Third Place: Strong individual photos. Great daily work, but does not rise to the level of story telling.

NJPPA POY judging this Saturday 3/24

2007-03-19T18:15:00.000-05:00

This Saturday March 24 will be the judging for the NJPPA Pictures of the Year competition. It will take place beginning 9am at The Star-Ledger, University Av. & Court St. in Newark. The judging is open to anyone and will most likely go through to about 7pm. If you would like to attend just come by any time, no need to let us know first. The building entrance is up the ramp on University by the overhang. Just tell the guard inside you are going to the NJPPA judging on floor 2R. The judging room is just to the right off the elevator.

Results of the contest will be posted on the NJPPA.org web site Saturday evening at the conclusion of the judging. The Photographer of the Year and Best in Show winners will be kept secret and announced at the upcoming awards dinner later this year. I look forward to seeing some of you there and wish everyone good luck!

Tony Kurdzuk
NJPPA President

The Next Two Years

2007-03-12T22:32:00.000-05:00

As your new president I am honored to serve the New Jersey Press Photographer's Association and its members. I would like to congratulate or new Vice President, Kevin Wexler, Secretary/Treasurer, Reena Rose Sibayan, as well as thank our Webmaster Cie Stroud, Clip Contest Chair Tyson Trish and Contest Chair Jennifer Brown for their continued hard work.

Over the next two years I plan to increase the membership of the organization, provide members with information and support and make the NJPPA a more active community. Here are some of the things we will be working on:

Increase Membership - We have seen a steady decline in membership over the last several years even though there seems to be just as many, if not more, news photographers out on the street. When I first joined this organization in 1984 as an intern at The Trenton Times it was something of a requirement if you wanted to work as a photojournalist in New Jersey. I remember staff photographer Tom Herde pestering me until I finally filled out an application and sent in my check. In those first months of working I didn't realize how important membership was but quickly caught on because of how active and involved the NJPPA members were at the time. There was a camaraderie that went beyond the contests and dinner that made you feel you were a part of something. I would like to get some of that back by giving current members more of a reason to join than just being able to participate in the contests and dinner.

I have heard from several members that right now there is not much point in joining beyond that. I also plan on doing whatever I can to get more members enrolled from the central and southern areas of our state. Despite our current enrollment we are NOT the North Jersey Press Photographers Association and stand to benefit greatly by having more of our membership from outside of that area.

Provide Information and Support - Current events in the last six years have dramatically affected our ability to do many aspects of our jobs as news photographers. The days when we had almost unfettered access and freedom at spot news and large events are seemingly gone. Every day there are more restrictions on us and more officials who take no pause in putting their own interpretation on the laws when it comes to our rights in gathering the news.

In the coming months I plan on creating a page on the njppa.org web site that is a central location for members to find information on all the laws and rights we have as photojournalists including information specific to county courthouses. Much of the latter information will be coming from our membership in all areas of the state so please feel free to contact me with specific information on your county's procedures. As NJPPA President I am also hoping to establish relationships with state and local police superintendents and chiefs. My goal is to help develop an understanding with law enforcement officers that will allow us all to do our jobs effectively without impedance on either part.

Become a more active community - In the coming months you will see some additions to the web and contests that I hope will make our community stronger and more active. First is the immediate launch of the NJPPA blog at http://njppa.blogspot.com/ This is a forum open to all for reading, and members for posting, any and all information on photojournalism here in New Jersey. Members are encouraged to post thoughts, ideas and hopefully start discussions on what's going on with them and others in our profession. Along with the njppa.org web site it will also be a clearing house for information and messages from the NJPPA and it's officers.

Beginning in March we will be adding a multimedia category to the clip contest. It will be judged quarterly and is open to still photographs presented on the web in multimedia form (no full motion video just yet). Look for details in the Clip Contest section of njppa.org on how to enter in the coming weeks. In addition to these we also plan on organizing informal meetings and get-togethers for all members and guests as a way to stay connected on a more personal level. Most will be in the evenings and may have a theme or guest speaker. Contact Jennifer Brown (jbrown@starledger.com) if you have an idea or would like to host an evening.

Lastly, we all know any organization's strength comes from its members. All of the officers ran unopposed in this past election and if we had not run the NJPPA would have been disbanded. This is not a guilt trip, it's the truth. I want to see our community grow in its interests and diversity as well as be a group our members feel interested in and proud to belong to. I am calling on all our current members to please do whatever you can to help out.

The NJPPA By Laws call for a Board of Trustees. These are five members who would normally have been elected along with the other officers, and whose responsibilities included formulating policies and interpreting the by laws. I can't remember the last time I voted for a trustee member, so in an attempt to comply with the by laws I am implementing the following. I would like to divide the state into five regions with one person in each region replacing the traditional role of trustee. These new trustees will not be responsible for interpreting the by laws and such, but will act as officers who help increase and maintain membership in that region. They will help members statewide form and maintain a more cohesive group and will be invited to participate in all meetings of the NJPPA officers. Please contact me (tkurdzuk@starledger.com) if you are interested or know of anyone who may be interested in becoming a new trustee.

I am very concerned by members telling me they currently feel disenfranchised and that there is no point in being an NJPPA member beyond the contests. We have some great ideas and lots of room for improvement. The officers of the NJPPA want to hear from you with your ideas and suggestions as well. Either by sending us an email directly or using the new blog space, I am sending out an open invitation to all members to let us know what you would like to see the NJPPA do and become, so here's your chance.

I am looking forward to the next two years as an opportunity to make the NJPPA all I know it can be. In so many ways New Jersey plays the role of stepchild to New York and Philadelphia. I would hate to see the news photographers in this state become included in that group and have nowhere else to turn for a professional organization. With your help we can prevent that and at the same time help ourselves by working together.

Tony Kurdzuk
President, NJPPA
Staff Photographer,The Star-LedgerNewark, NJ

NJPPA

Best in Show

2010 POY Competition Results

POY Judging April 2

2010 Clip Contest Final Results

POY Deadline extended

POY 2010 Entries Due Feb. 18, 2011

Passing of Al Paglione

2009 Pictures of the Year Competition Judging

2009 Pictures of the Year Competition Results

End of the Year

Polls, Polls, Polls

NJPPA Dinner

NJPPA Dinner

Shutterbugged

Sen. John Kerry to Hold Hearings on Newspaper Industry

Comments, please....

High Time We Set the Record Straight on Newspaper 'Myths'

POY Contest Winners!

Good Bye and Good Night

Judging the Video

Getting Towards the End

POY Judging Lunchtime

POY Judging

NJPPA POY Contest Judging

Journal publisher announces 'step forward' in keeping paper open

by The Jersey Journal Monday April 13, 2009, 4:10 PM

Middle Township's Postpones Decision

Canon and CPS

U.S. bill seeks to rescue faltering newspapers

POY Deadline Extended

POY 2008 Deadline

New President

Change In Leadership

Vote for Officers

2008 FEBRUARY NJPPA CLIP RESULTS

DECEMBER 2007 NJPPA CLIP RESULTS

Gallery Opening, April 18th 6-9 pm

NOVEMBER 2007 NJPPA CLIP RESULTS

NJPPA OCTOBER 2007 CLIP RESULTS

NJPPA SEPTEMBER 2007 CLIP RESULTS

AUGUST NJPPA CLIP RESULTS

MAY 2007 NJPPA CLIP CONTEST RESULTS

The Monthly Clip Contest is Now Digital!

JULY 2007 NJPPA CLIP RESULTS

JUNE 2007 NJPPA CLIP RESULTS

APRIL 2007 NJPPA CLIPS RESULTS

2006 Clip Results Totals Top 25

MARCH 2007 NJPPA CLIPS RESULTS

FEBRUARY NJPPA CLIP RESULTS

January 2007 Clip Results

NJPPA POY judging this Saturday 3/24

The Next Two Years

by The Jersey Journal
Monday April 13, 2009, 4:10 PM