The judges had a difficult time selecting a winner in this category. There were a few stories that shined above the others. The judges felt many of the pieces were either technically solid with a very good story, or technically superior with stories that fell a little flat where some great moments were involved. Overall the judges felt there were very strong efforts all around, especially when time constraints were figured in.
In the end, the judges recognized, "Apt. Fire" as the top choice. They felt at first glance, it appearded to be your typical "spot" piece, your average apartment fire story, but it was strong in so many areas. "It grabbed us from the start, we definitely felt as if we were there" the judges remarked. They saw great visuals, with wonderful storytelling technique. One judge said "the photographer did a great job with action/reaction and rock solid tripod work put this one over the top. This was a piece that was truly technically outstanding...a lot to learn from this photographer. It could've been an average spot news piece, but it was anything but average."
