"More Winners..." Feb. 2012

Kinda starting the year off right with a (small) announcement that an image of mine was awarded a second place (top) in the NPPA - MNCC (National Press Photographer's Association - Monthly News Clip Contest) for last October. The image that's come to be known around the office and with colleagues as "The kid with the cellphone..." has easily become a favorite of mine. I've explained that covering a fire (or any spot or even general news event) isn't only about photographing the actions unfolding right in front of you. Firefighters, cops, EMS personnel working a hectic scene, or even a "guy at a mic" (politicians and executives of any stature delivering a speech come to mind here) become the "locator" images or even the ones that will serve as an historical reference for later use. Editors live to see these straight ahead photographs. Images of burning buildings, twisted metal, and gurneys on the street just mean you got there in time at a breaking news event and made some timely pictures. Old school photographers know of the saying, "f/8 and be there..." when it comes to shooting spot news. Sometimes you have to walk around the building, scene, or even meeting room or lecture hall, and make it a point to change lenses, and just "see what's going on" away from the main action. Listen to neighbors or onlookers, because they may have "seen something" that you're not quite aware of yet. It also can't hurt if you hustle to a fire like this on your day off... ~cg.

Here's how the original looked with the complete caption info:

A boy uses a smartphone to photograph exposed flames burning through the rear of a 3 - story house during a three-alarm fire at 488 Liberty Street in Newburgh, NY on Sunday, October 23, 2011. Nearly a dozen people were left homeless after the fire erupted in the multi-family home when a resident was cooking in a second-floor apartment in the rear of the building. All the occupants got out safely and there were no injuries. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record

"Another Winner..." NPPA 2nd. Place Sports for June 2011

Well, a second place ain't too bad in the National Press Photographer's Association Monthly News Clip Contest for June 2011. I wrote a bit about how I made this image back during the high school baseball playoffs in an earlier post here on the blog, and have re-posted it below (so you don't have to click on another annoying back-link to find it...). ~cg.


*This is why I like utilizing long glass for sports; no matter the event, venue or level of competition. Peak action, fast shutter speeds, relatively clean or out of focus backgrounds at wide apertures, nice light... (yea, I was 'sitting' on the shortstop and sort of guessed right when he dove for this line drive right toward me as I was 30' or so past first base up the right field line with my trusty 300mm and a 1.4 tele-extender welded on.) Just like we used to do down at the big ballparks in the Bronx and Flushing, NY... ~cg.

(3) - Livingston Manor shortstop Ken Fisk (#14) dives but can't make the play on a ball hit by Tim Steffens (#9) of Smithtown Christian during the fourth inning of their New York State Class D regional final at Pine Bush High School in Pine Bush, NY on Tuesday, June 7, 2011. Livingston Manor defeated Smithtown Christian 5 -3. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record

*More NPPA Winners... (for Nov. 2010)

Newburgh Police Crime Scene Detectives and funeral home personnel remove the first of two bodies from 12 Liberty Street in the Heights neighborhood of the City of Newburgh, NY on Friday, November 5, 2010. Two men were the victims of a double homicide last night. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record

Another winner in the National Press Photographer's Association (NPPA) Monthly Clip Contest for last November. This image was made during another day-long stakeout at the scene of a double homicide here in Newburgh. Again. What made this a long day was that I'd already made the location or "safe" images of the house and the cops on the street, and had actually moved my images and video clips from back home only a few blocks away. I decided to return when the reporter told me the coroner's office people had arrived, and ironically one of their officers is the former Newburgh chief of police. We don't usually publish "body bag" photos in our paper; but this one proved to be a big case, as the victims were a former cop and his nephew. The photograph appeared on our front page the following day. The perps of the crime have since been caught as well as the mastermind who ordered the hit. It's going to be an interesting trail later this year that's for certain... ~cg.

*More NPPA Winners... (for April 2010)

The NPPA / MNCC (National Press Photographer's Association / Monthly Clip Contest) finally got around to posting their April winners. More props on a regional and national level, which is always good for the soul... ~cg.

April 2010: 1st. Place General News (Story)

April 2010: 2nd. Place Feature / Multiple Picture Story.

2 More Winners for July. NPPA Monthly Contest.

It's always nice to be recognized by the National Press Photographer's Association (NPPA) Monthly Clip Contest for work during the calendar year. Here are two winners from back in July. Hard to believe that the two 12+ hour days spent on the Chelsea Clinton stakeout in tony Rhinebeck was four months ago. ~cg.

Click HERE to see my original post from the two days' coverage of the "Chelsea Wedding Watch" and HERE to see my paper's Chelsea page. Funny, I remember backing up and bumping into Chelsea while covering her mother's announcing her run for the NY Senate race over in Westchester when Bill was still a sitting president... ~cg.

*December 2008 NPPA Winners...

Three of my multiple-picture feature stories published last December were recognized by the NPPA's Monthly News Clip Contest (National Press Photographer's Association), earning a 1st., 2nd., and 3rd. Place for the month. Here's the link to the NPPA's results page above:
NPPA / MNCC. December 2008 Region 2

I had written earlier about each assignment and you can find those earlier posts here on the blog by clicking the links here:

"The West Point Experience..."
"Overnight Repairs on the TZB..."
"109th. ARMY - NAVY GAME. Philadelphia, PA. 12•06•08..."

*I must say it's very rewarding professionally and even a little humbling to be continually recognized by the organization I've been a member of for most of my photojournalism career. -cg.