Photographer of the Year: Division B
First place: Steve Davis, The Register-Mail
About this entry: Steve Davis captures the destructive power of tornadoes in beautiful images that capture both the damage itself as well as the people whose lives were changed by it.
The twisted wreckage of several grain bins lie in a heap the morning after a tornado swept through Cameron, Illinois on July 17, 2015. STEVE DAVIS/The Register-Mail
Doug Sage of Cameron uses the Skype app on his cell phone to display damage to his home to his daughter Courtney Sage, who is studying abroad in Korea. Sage’s home and garage suffered extensive damage after a tornado swept through the village on Thursday, July 16, 2015. STEVE DAVIS/The Register-Mail
Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner talks with emergency officials in front of heavily damaged grain bins during a stop in Cameron on Friday. The community was struck by an EF2 tornado on Thursday night, damaging over 50 homes. STEVE DAVIS/The Register-Mail
Central Warren firefighter Matt Stewart’s truck was heavily damaged as he was storm spotting during Thursday night’s tornado that struck Cameron. Despite heavy damage to truck, including a broken rear window, Stewart drove to town to assist in cleanup efforts. STEVE DAVIS/The Register-Mail
Josh Atwell of Cameron stands in front of remnants of a trailer he was restoring to move into before it was destroyed by a tornado that struck Cameron on Thursday, July 16, 2015. The entire structure was destroyed. STEVE DAVIS/The Register-Mail
Multiple grain bins lie toppled over each other the morning after a tornado struck Cameron. STEVE DAVIS/The Register-Mail
Cheri Gipson of Cameron holds her neighbors flag as she stands next to her tornado damaged home on Friday morning. Gipson and four children took shelter in their basement as her house, located at Church and Depot Streets, narrowly avoided being hit by the EF2 twister. STEVE DAVIS/The Register-Mail
Follow Steve on Twitter @StevieDeepD
Steve Davis’s photos have a clarity of vision that made them stand out from the competition. Complex images are highly organized, often using the juxtaposition of contrasting foregrounds and backgrounds as a strong storytelling strategy.
Second place: Tom Hawley, The Monroe News
About this entry: Tom Haley’s photographs give a wonderful glimpse into the lives of his subjects without being obtrusive or sensational.
Follow Tom on Twitter @TomHawley734
Tom Hawley’s photo stories give the viewer a strong sense of empathy for their subjects. In his series “For better or for worse” the images portray a tenderness that can only be captured after developing complete sense of trust between the photographer and the family. All of Tom’s work exhibits a dedication to the subject and a tenacity for telling the story. Well done.
Third place: Brittany Randolph, The Shelby Star
About this entry: Brittany Randolph’s submission shows her ability to capture both the frenetic energy of a rodeo contestant being bested by a bucking horse or peacefulness of two children reading at the public library.
Follow Brittany on Twitter @StarPhotogBrit
Brittany Randolph’s tightly edited entry is well crafted and clearly seen. The images themselves are well edited, leaving everything out of the frame that isn’t absolutely necessary, resulting in images that connect both visually and emotionally.