CHSPA Photographer of the Year
What is this?
This is the first year for a new competition that honors our best photojournalists by selecting the best portfolio of work from this school year. This contest differs from Best of Colorado individual photo contests, such as news photo/yearbook, or sports photo/newspaper. This contest honors photographic work from this school year, whether published or not, whether taken for yearbook or newsmagazine or website, and rewards photographers who demonstrate broad excellence.
This competition does not require captions to accompany the images. All portfolios will be viewed on computer screens. Do not print and mail your portfolio.
The photographer who submits the top portfolio will be named the CHSPA Photographer of the Year.
What is a portfolio?
Each entrant should select 7-12 images taken during the 2012-13 school year and place them in a portfolio folder (to be shared through Dropbox or some other sharing site) or on a website (a personal site or using a photo sharing site such as Flickr).
The general purposes of a portfolio include helping attain scholarships and getting hired as a photojournalist, among other things. This portfolio is to demonstrate a photographer’s skills and storytelling abilities.
What will judges look for?
Judges want to know that the photographer did not just “get lucky,” and seeing a range of work will show consistency of skill and artistry.
Some advice from veteran judges: Your portfolio is only as strong as your weakest image, so judges advise you to NOT include 12 images just to be including the maximum entries. If you have 12 terrific images, by all means, use them all. The best portfolios tell stories, often include themes, and the photos don’t all “look the same.” Put your strongest image first, second-strongest goes last. Consider sequence/flow, and variety/diversity. Variety = different subjects, camera angles, POV, and shows style as well as tech ability, but should still have your “voice” as a photographer.
Check out www.zachhenrick.com for a good example of an online portfolio.
Check out http://studentpress.org/nspa/winners/photo12.html for a wide range of national award-winning photographs from the past school year. You need NOT include examples of your work in all these award areas.
Who may enter?
Each current CHSPA member medium may sponsor ONE portfolio, by ONE student photojournalist. Entrants may be of any grade, but must have been a staff member of at least one student medium at the school. However, photographs in the portfolio need not have been published to qualify.
How do we enter?
Carefully gather high resolution JPG copies of your best work since last August and rename them in this format: 01Kenerskiportfolio.jpg, 02Kenerskiportfolio.jpg, etc. (so judges will know the order you wish them to see your images).
Place them in one folder, which you share through Dropbox or some similar file sharing site, or share through your Flickr account (or some similar service), or through your own page on a website. Everything must be shared with [email protected] – and then the portfolios will be distributed to the judges by CHSPA.
Each entry must include a completed official entry form, which you will find here: 2013 photographer of year contest entry form
When is the deadline for submission?
Entries must be submitted by midnight April 15.
When do we get results?
Judging will be finished by May 1, and CHSPA will announce first, second and third place winners, plus any honorable mentions awarded by judges, during the first week of May. Certificates will be mailed to schools that week, in time for end-of-year celebrations and award ceremonies.
There are no enrollment classifications for this contest.
Top portfolios will also be shared through the CHSPA website (www.chspaonline.org).
What if we have more questions?
Contact Jack Kennedy at [email protected] or call 303-550-4755.
