April Photo of the Month winners announced

May 1, 2023

APRIL WINNERS

First Place: Landyn Goldberg, Staley-STTV

Students show their support for junior Ralph Yarl by participating in a “unity walk” April 18. Yarl was shot twice on April 13 when he accidentally went to the wrong house, attempting to pick up his siblings. “I’m really proud of our student body for coming out to support Ralph,” said senior Cayla Palmer, the president of Staley’s Black Student Union, the group who planned the walk. “At the end of the day, this whole unity walk is for Ralph, to support our fellow Falcon. We stand with him and support him.” (Landyn Goldberg, Staley-STTV)

Judge’s Comments: This is a wonderfully strong image from the framing to the lower angle to the amount of different facial expressions that convey a unified message. Every element is clear, and capturing them while walking gives the picture some movement. The caption is written well and gives voice to the action. Great job taking such a large story and portraying its effect in a local and meaningful way.

Second Place: Joslyn Magers, Kickapoo-The Legend Yearbook

Junior Jackson Howser slides back into first after an attempted pick-off. In a matter of seconds the umpire declared him safe, triggering an uproar from the opposing team. (Joslyn Magers, Kickapoo-The Legend Yearbook)

Judge’s Comments: I love the framing on this photo. While the subject is somewhat centered, there is nothing to distract from his action and facial expression. The viewer is clearly aware of what is going on in this image without needing more context. The clarity is wonderful as well, especially being able to see the dirt that was kicked up during his slide. A suggestion would be to include a quote from the player in the caption to get more insight into how he was feeling in the moment.

Third Place: Sydney Davis, Liberty (Wentzville)-Talon Yearbook

LAUNCHED Jaylen Mack (9) jumps into the sand pit at Liberty’s Freshman Invitational held at Liberty (Wentzville) High School on April 26. Though Mack usually sprints the 4×200 and the 4×100, he has tried his hand at long jump and reached a distance of 4.98 meters at this meet. “Despite all the victories and achievements, it’s important to remain humble,” Mack said. (Sydney Davis, Liberty (Wentzville)-Talon Yearbook)

Judge’s Comments: Track and field pictures present challenges because there is usually so much going on at one time, so it is difficult to get a clean background. However, the photographer did a great job of making sure the main subject’s action is the focus. The clarity in this image is amazingly sharp, and the framing gives the viewer enough background for context without being distracting. Furthermore, the caption is written well and provides all the information and voice someone would need to fully understand the image.

Honorable Mentions:

Brianne Tremper, Staley-Talon Magazine
Brianne Tremper, Staley-Talon Magazine
Addressing the press April 17, junior Ralph Yarl’s family lawyer Lee Merritt answers questions The press conference was held in the wake of nationwide outrage after Yarl was shot when he went to the wrong.house. “There are a lot of cases here in Kansas City, probably more than most areas in the region of cases of people who are shot by law enforcement, shot on the streets without accountability," Merritt said.