Photojournalism contest winners announced
6/5/2013 3:00:26 PM
Charlotte Gardiner of Glovertown claimed third in the College of the North Atlantic Journalism department’s 2013 Take Your Best Shot! international photojournalism competition with a stunning image of a model set against an industrial background. Blake Walters of Port Rexton received a well-deserved honourable mention in the College of the North Atlantic Journalism department’s 2013 Take Your Best Shot! international photojournalism competition for his portrait of a young woman looking out over the ocean.
Twenty-year-old Yasser Alaa Mobarak of Egypt took first place in the College of the North Atlantic Journalism department’s 2013 Take Your Best Shot! international photojournalism competition with a photo of a little boy leaning against a weathered door. Michelle Chavez of the United States took second in the College of the North Atlantic Journalism department’s 2013 Take Your Best Shot! international photojournalism competition for the photo of a protest in her nation’s capital.
The Journalism department of College of the North Atlantic (CNA) is proud to announce the winners of its 2013 Take Your Best Shot! international photojournalism competition.
Egypt’s Yasser Alaa Mobarak took first place with his striking portrait of a little boy leaning against a weathered door, while Michelle Chavez of the United States took second with a powerful image from a protest in her nation’s capital.
Two Newfoundland shooters rounded out the top four with Charlotte Gardiner of Glovertown taking third with a stunning image of a model set against an industrial background, and Blake Walters of Port Rexton received a well-deserved honourable mention for his portrait of a young woman looking out over the ocean.
Mobarak says his winning image was part of an ongoing project to showcase traditional Egyptian society using environmental portraits.
“It means a lot to me to win (this) Canadian contest,” said 20-year-old Mobarak. “I feel honoured that my photograph will be shown in Canada.”
Mobarak is a member of the non-profit group Youth Journalism International. It helps mentor aspiring journalists from across the globe and works to ensure a free youth press.
“Photojournalism is powerful weapon to make (a) real difference in the world,” Mobarak said.
Second-place winner Chavez says her success in the competition just reinforces her desire to become a photojournalist.
“This is another confirmation that I am effectively telling a story through my photography, which is the goal of any photojournalist,” said Chavez, who is also a member of Youth Journalism International. “My hope is that my skills in various forms of journalism can converge so that I can better keep the community informed through my reporting.”
Chavez is 18 and lives in Silver Springs, Maryland, USA.
For Charlotte Gardiner, 16, pictures are worth at least 1,000 words.
“Sometimes the emotion in a picture can tell more than the accompanying text and that's very important,” said Gardiner.
CNA photojournalism instructor Jeff Ducharme says all the images were impressive.
“When you see young people who are so passionate about photojournalism, it really makes you feel good about the future of the craft,” said Ducharme. “Each one of these young people believes they can change the world with their photography, make it a better place, show what needs to be shown and in the end, that’s what photojournalists should strive for.”
For more information about CNA’s two-year diploma or one-year post-diploma program in Journalism visit www.cna.nl.ca.
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Media Contact:
Glenda McCarthy
Public Relations Specialist
College of the North Atlantic
709.643.6408
glenda.mccarthy@cna.nl.ca