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.
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.