On Saturday, Feb. 8, I went to the White House News Photographers Association Eyes on History Television Contest at National Geographic Studios in DC (that place is really cool, I'm going to have to check it out sometime). I actually enjoyed the event more than I thought. (While I still would have preferred not to have gotten up so early on a Saturday morning with only five hours of sleep, the contest was still good. Because I got there so early, I was able to eat some of the breakfast spread they set up for the judges. YUM!)
I looked at clips in both divisions: photography and editing, but I chose to spend most of my time in photography, which was pretty interesting. The judges were serious about their job, but they kept the atmosphere pretty light-hearted. It was funny because they were allowed to skip certain clips and it was pretty obvious after the first 10 seconds whether a piece would win a placing. For a couple of the clips, the judges didn't even wait that long! :-/ Some photographers didn't stand a chance. I did see some of my teacher's work submitted, which was also weird (mainly because I wanted her to win but there were a lot of good pieces! ) We weren't allowed to talk (or interfere) during the judging, so I couldn't put in a good word for her. Sorry!
The judges were great. I learned so much from just listening to them banter. I don't necessarily have a photographer's eye (yet) but I do have a bit of a stepping stone now.
Some of my favorite pieces from the photography division were in the “spot news” and “general news categories.” Although, “Rally against the Iraq War” won second place in the spot news category, I believed it should have won first. The camera work for this particular piece certainly stood out among the rest. The camera’s “strobe effect” gave the piece more of a documentary-style, even though it was a “breaking news event” that was “shot, edited and aired within 10 hours.” I also enjoyed “Viet Vets Remember Fallen Bros” from the general news category. The work included close-ups of some of the emotional veterans. At moments, I found myself becoming teary-eyed, because the piece drew me into the pain of the surviving veterans. Because the piece was so crisp, I initially thought someone at washingtonpost.com did it. I found out later that my guess was correct. I found the online organization stories much more intriguing because they were done in style that is quite different from television reporting, which I see all the time.
The judging helped me to better grasp what I should keep in mind when I start filming for this class. I learned about some photography terms and gained a stronger understanding of what makes certain shots great and other ones boring. Overall, I enjoyed the experience at the competition. Everyone was friendly and willing to answer questions or explain what some things meant. Yet, just by simply listening to the judges, I was able to gain a great deal.
Yeah...so, it was worth only getting five hours of sleep to come and see the judging...in addition to free lunch, I was able to take a three hour nap when I got home. :-)
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