January Photo of the Month contest winners announced

Congratulations to the winners of the January Photo of the Month contest! This month’s theme was “New Year, New You.”

1st Place: Makalee Rinehart, Lee’s Summit High School

 

Makalee Rinehart
Hundreds of students make their way to the shores of longview beach in support of Special Olympics. Senior Presley Davis sprints through the ice cold water for the last time. “It means the world to me to be able to plunge because I know it’s for a good cause,” Davis said.

Judges’ Comments: I love the use of selective focus in this image. The photograph has a great exposure and is extremely sharp. The caption, however, does not seem like it fits fully with what is happening in the picture.

I agree with the comments about depth of field, exposure and sharpness. I also like the framing used in this over the shoulder shot. The caption is very confusing for the reader and makes me wonder if the person identified is even the one in the photograph or not.

2nd Place: Emily Black, Liberty High School

Emily Black
Sophomore Javion Byers goes for a two-pointer against Kearney High School. Byers is back in the game, for the first time this school year, after being out with an injury for most of the season. “It was a difficult process going through physical therapy, but all the guys on the team were there for me through recovery and it feels awesome to finally be back.”

Judges’ Comments: This is a great action shot. The image is sharp and also captured great expressions. Basketball is challenging for this, but be careful of cropping people off at their joints (ankles, hand, elbows, etc.). If you must, it is better to crop at the middle of a limb. The photograph also has a caption that correctly identifies what is happening in the image.

Nice job also of making sure the ball is in the shot. This is key for sports photography.

Honorable Mention: Dani Rotert, Notre Dame de Sion

Dani Rotert
During their first high school musical, freshmen Tess Tappan and Lizzy Hoffman portray Cinderella’s blinded stepsisters. This year’s production “Into the Woods” was performed on Jan. 25, 26 and 27. “All of the upperclassmen were so kind and encouraging,” Tappan said. “The cast and crew put so much into the show to make it what it was.”

Judges’ Comments: The photo is framed well and does a great job of capturing the actresses’ expressions despite not being able to see their eyes. Furthermore, there is a nice use of repetition in the students’ poses. However, the exposure is a bit blurry/grainy.

Also, consider a slightly different angle, possibly lower, to avoid cropping the actress in the background at the neck.​