May 15, 2013 – Ian Marynowski, Smoky Hill HS, was chosen 2013 CHSPA Photographer of the Year in the first year of this competition. Up to two photographers from each CHSPA member student medium could enter a 7-12 image portfolio of their work from the 2012-13 school year.

Second place goes to Payton Bonino, Brighton HS, while 3rd place goes to Lauren Binder, Rocky Mountain HS. Honorable mentions were awarded to Emma Roberts, Kent Denver School; Dominic Yang, Monarch HS; Rachael Pennington, Fairview HS; and Davis Livingstone, Rock Canyon HS.

Twenty portfolios were entered this year, and you can see the portfolios of the winners by clicking on their names above, which will take you to Flickr. Then play the slideshow to see the portfolios in the order the photographer chose.

Certificates were mailed to advisers of the honorees on May 14. The judges were very impressed, and insisted on four honorable mentions due to the high quality of portfolios. The 2014 contest deadline will be April 15, 2014.

Advice from a veteran portfolio judge: Think of your portfolio as telling a story about you as a photographer. Your first entry should be very strong, and your last image should be your strongest. Try to show versatility in everything from lighting to framing to capturing emotion to changing perspective. Seven very strong images are a more effective portfolio than including twelve images, with four of them being average in quality or repetitive in content.

Overall judging comments: Entries were technically very strong and the judges were impressed with the quality of work. The winners stood out for their ability to capture strong faces and peak impactful moments. The winners had the most photos that stick with and elicit emotion in the viewer. The winners also had well-rounded portfolios that featured student life as well as sports or pep rallies. The unexpected, candid moments of student life really stood out. The judges also enjoyed the photos that had strong quality of light.

Judges from the Seattle Times:
Sara Kennedy, Special Projects Editor
Erika Schultz, Staff Photographer
Ken Lambert, Staff Photographer