Breaking News: Finalist as CABJ's Print Journalist of the Year!

I found out this morning that I am one of three finalists for the Colorado Association of Black Journalist's "Print Journalist of the Year" award!

This is a great honor because peers vote for whom they think deserve the award based on the quality of their work for that year. Given all the challenges the industry has faced in the wake of advertising declines, layoffs andhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif newspaper closures, it's a blessing that many Colorado journalists still have a job and continue to produce exceptional work. I feel honored to be one of many named and wish all of my colleagues luck. Winners will be announced at the CABJ 18th Annual Media Awards and Scholarship Banquet on July 22.

Congratulations to Patience and Jack!

I'm pleased to announce Patience and Jack, one of my wedded couples, are now the proud parents of their first child! Daughter Isabel was born a healthy 8 pounds 6oz. I photographed Patience and Jack's wedding at about the same time last year and had plans to complete some maternity photos for the couple as well, but illness and the busy holiday season prevented that. Now I hope to have the joy of shooting some newborn and family portraits of the newest Reuter family member. I am honored to be able to capture such wonderful and intimate moments in the lifetime of one family and look forward to memorializing more.

An Aside: Congratulations Russ, Outdoor Photographer's Newest Tipster!

Photo by Russ Burden

I want to congratulate photographer Russ Burden for an incredible career coup that is long overdue and greatly deserved. Burden's fantastic photo tips and techniques are now being featured on Outdoor Photographer's website!

My blog readers will recognize Burden's style and seemingly infinite fount of knowledge on Monday's regular "Instructor's Tip." Now, readers can find 16 of his articles each illustrated with one of his photos.

Go to the site and just under the top banner on the left side of the home page is a HOW-TO button. Click on it and drag to the Quick Tips title. You'll be brought to a page that has nine of his articles. Click on page 2 and you'll see another seven.

To thank Russ for his willingness to help other photographers grow, I encourage you to read the articles and please leave comments. The more positive feedback he gets, the better it will be for him to continue having his work appear on the website.

"The more people who read the articles, the more will know just how much photography means to me," Burden says. "I'm hoping this helps reinforce to everyone just how important our wonderful art is and that I'd love to share my knowledge, enthusiasm and passion for it with each and everyone of you on a nature photography tour. I need to fill them all, especially in that I have to send my son to college this fall!"

Nice job Russ! You rock, and I'm so happy for you!

Congratulations November Monthly Photo Contest Winner: Sean Donnelly

© Image by Anthony Sean Donnelly

Congratulations Sean for winning November's monthly photo assignment contest! The theme was WINDOWS. Sean gets to choose December's topic, and I will post his choice on Monday.

Congratulations October Monthly Photo Contest Winner: Matt Lewis

Image by M. Lewis

Congratulations Matt for winning October's monthly photo assignment contest! The theme was HIGH NOON. Matt gets to choose November's topic, and I will post his choice on Sunday.

Congratulations August Monthly Photo Contest Winner: Sheba Wheeler

Hey, the winner is me! YES! This is kind of odd congratulating myself for winning August's monthly photo assignment Rural Architecture, but the votes are in. Thank you everyone for taking the time to shoot, submit an entry and vote. Several people asked me where I took that shot of an outhouse. I captured it in a mountain cabin subdivision of Pine Junction, Colorado, where my friend Mike lives. Thank you Mike for allowing me to hike around your property. Many of the cabins where Mike lives were built in the early 1920s, and several of them still have the original outhouses. I used some sepia toning and a white vignette for an antique setting.

I will announce September's topic tomorrow when everyone is back to work from the holiday.

Congratulations July Monthly Photo Contest Winner: Anna Parsons

Anna Parsons is the July Monthly Photo Contest Winner with this entry for the "HISTORY" topic. Anna had this to say about her entry: "I am 100% amateur.... Thanks for giving me an excuse to get out there and do something creative!" Anna gets to choose what we will all shoot this month, and when she gets back into town, I will let you know what the topic is.