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The Press Photographers Association of Greater Los Angeles is pleased to announce the results of our recent Election to the PPAGLA Board of Directors for 2018-19 Term.
The new Board Members are: Gerard Burkhart, Jay Clendenin, Amy Gaskin, Dave Seger, Lou Varela, and Marcus Yam.
Congratulations to each of you!
PPAGLA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Dick Smith, passed away Thursday after a long fight with Parkinson’s disease. Dick enjoyed a long and storied career at NBC, first as a film photojournalist and then EJ cameraman. He generously his knowledge and wisdom with many who followed in his footsteps. All admired him professionally and loved him as a friend.
Following a two-year stint in the Army (during the Korean War) and his graduation with a journalism degree from Stanford University, Richard K. (Dick) Smith joined the west coast bureau of NBC News in January 1958.
Starting as a production assistant, Smith entered the newsfilm apprenticeship program with NBC. Within months he had his first notable assignment, covering atomic bomb tests at the Nevada Test Center. He worked alongside cameraman Gene Barnes.
After becoming a staff news cameraman in 1961, Smith covered a brush fire near the old zoo in Griffith Park and received a 1962 Golden Mike Award for his photos of the distressed animals.
n 1964, Smith spent seven weeks covering the war in Vietnam, accompanying South Vietnamese troops in fighting the Viet Cong. His newsfilm was used almost nightly on the Huntley-Brinkley news program, also on an hour long “special report” in primetime for the network.
After his stint in Vietnam, Smith worked with correspondent Robert McNeil covering the Barry Goldwater presidential campaign, five weeks of grueling cross-country travel. The campaign airplane stopped in every state with the exception of Hawaii and Alaska.
In 1966, Smith joined the staff of the network show “First Tuesday,” a two-hour primetime documentary program. Alongside correspondent Tom Pettit, he made trips to the USSR (filming the first American tourist allowed in Siberia), to Johnston Atoll (America’s Nerve Gas Arsenal), and Tahiti (French President Charles DeGaulle inspecting French Foreign Legion troops stationed there).
In 1975, Smith traveled to Fort Dietrick, Maryland, to give NBC’s “First Tuesday” viewers a look at the U.S.’s Germ Warfare Program, which earned him a “Photographic Excellence Award” from the NPPA.
As newsfilm was phased out in 1976, Smith moved over to electronic journalism (EJ) and joined “KNBC’s Unit 4,” an investigative group headed by Pete Noyes.
Significant at that time was a trip Smith made to China with reporter/anchor Jess Marlow and soundman Jim Coughey to document, among other things, Bob Hope’s activities in preparation for an hour special on NBC.
These “other things” resulted in the Chinese government’s confiscation of their videotape as well as placing the group under house arrest in Beijing. After pleas by both Hope and Marlow they were released and sent home with their videotape.
Smith accumulated 11 awards in his 36-year career, the most notable being his photographic contributions to the Emmy-winning “First Tuesday” story on “America’s Nerve Gas Arsenal.”
Equally as important as his professional accomplishments are his personal accomplishments as a father and grandfather who has instilled in his family the value of hard work, commitment over the long haul, and the art of listening and not judging. Smith retired in 1994 and continues to live in his Studio City home with Ann, his wife of 53 years, and his four adult children and three grandchildren living nearby.
It is with great sadness that we pass along the news that Melanie Buck has passed away on December 3 at her home in Landers.
Most of you got to know Melanie through her husband Paul Buck, who is a past President of PPAGLA and currently a photographer for the European Pressphoto Agency.
Melanie and Paul welcomed their only child Joe Claude Buck into the world just five weeks and 2 days before her passing. Melanie was 41 years old.
The Buck’s loved living on their little piece of heaven in Landers where the pair own and operate a small farm with chickens, Nigerian pygmy goats, geese and dogs and cats.
Melanie was employed as Library Assistant and Youth Services Lead at Joshua Tree Branch Library, a job she dearly loved. She also served as a board Member on the Landers Community Association and the Morongo Basin Historical Society.
The community of Landers has embraced Paul and little Joe Claude after Melanie’s passing by helping with meals, and donations of mothers milk for the baby Buck. A go-fund me campaign has been started to help Paul with the expenses that he will likely face in the months to come.
To contribute please go to: www.gofundme.com/the-buck-family
By Louis Gabriele
Four days of technical sessions, credentials could be picked up as early as 7:00AM. The conference wasted no time getting started.
Standing room only!
“Anacleto and I have been best friends over 30 years — mountain biking, skiing, hiking, climbing and raising our children. We worked together over 20 of those years as photographers at the L.A. Times.
On the front door of Anacleto’s locker next to mine to this very day is the following quote by Henry David Thoreau … “The woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sing the best.”
Anacleto encouraged ALL of us to use our talents. Photojournalism can be a very competitive, high-stress field, and photographers can be an insecure group yearning for validation. Not Anacleto — he was confident and always prepared.
Anacleto was a remarkable photographer in every way. He had a keen eye with attention to composition and detail. His images spoke volumes. We would talk about how great photographs are made when preparation meets opportunity. He loved the art of photography.”
2017 Exposures in Journalism Gala Opening.
What: Visual journalism show highlighting professional and student winners in
still photo and video categories.
Show comprises of:
· Professional still and video winners from the Press Photographers Association of Greater Los Angles (PPAGLA) 2016 competition.
· The past twelve years of PPAGLA Student photojournalists of the year.
· The results of an area-wide student visual journalism competition with competitors from Los Angeles vicinity colleges and Universities.
When: Saturday September 16, 2017, 6pm-8pm
Where: Santa Monica College
Drescher Hall
1900 Pico Boulevard
Santa Monica California, 90405
INFO: www.smc.edu/photojournalism
RSVP: corsair.eij@gmail.com
Round Table Discussion
When: 4:30-6:00 p.m.
What: Roundtable discussion; What is journalism education’s role in countering “Fake News”.
Who: PPAGLA Professionals and students from the contest.
Hosted by:
· The Corsair News, the award-winning student publication of Santa Monica College.
· The Press Photographers Association of Greater Los Angeles, representing media professionals since 1936.
· The Santa Monica College Photo Department offering a comprehensive suite of classes covering all aspects of commercial photography.
Judging for the area wide student competition was provided by Los Angeles Times staff photographers and editors.
Event Organizers
Gerard Burkhart
PPAGLA Board Member and Education Co-Chair
gbpix@earthlink.net
Amy Gaskin
PPAGLA Board Member and Education Co-Chair
Thanks to Sponsors and Supporters -
Nikon
Sponsoring the PPAGLA Student of the Year Competition and the Exposures in Journalism Gala
Canon
Sponsoring the PPAGLA Videographer of the Year
The Icon
Generously underwriting and provided the student contest prints for 2017.
Epilogue Inc
Generously printing the 2016 PPAGLA winning photos
Los Angeles Times
Judging for the area wide student competition was provided by Los Angeles Times staff photographers and editors.
It was the spring of 1985, and the Lakers stood one victory away from avenging a painful history of playoff losses to the Boston Celtics.
Watching on television from home, the long-retired Tommy Hawkins — who had played for the Lakers when they moved from Minneapolis to Los Angeles — couldn’t help digging through his closet, searching for his old uniform.
That was how Hawkins spent the final game of the NBA Finals that year, wearing a jersey and shorts, jumping up and down in his living room as his former team won the title at Boston Garden.
“I really got into it,” he told The Times.
- http://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-sp-tommy-hawkins-obit-20170816-story.html
PPAGLA will be hosting a CPR seminar along with the Los Angeles Fire Department on Saturday, Aug 26, 2017 at the Community Room in Fire Station 87, 10124 Balboa Blvd, Garanada Hills, CA 91344.
RSVP to info@ppagla.org or this Facebook Event to attend the 2 hour seminar covering Hands-Only CPR, Public Access Defibrillator use, and emergency bleeding control.
“The city of Los Angeles is banning photography at free concerts in a public park, and photographers aren’t happy about it. Several prominent photographer, journalist, and civil rights organizations have joined forces in writing a letter that protests the policy.
Pershing Square is a one-block public park located in downtown Los Angeles, California. The Pershing Square Downtown Stage is a series of free summer concerts that are open to the public. This year it runs from July 8th through August 27th.”
Here are the still photo Finalists for the 2017 Exposures in Journalism Contest.
Judges were Ken Kwok, Hal Wells, Calvin Alagot and Kirk McKoy of the Los Angeles Times.
Congratulations to all the finalists and thanks for participating.
Winning places will be announced on the show night September 16, 2017.
Entertainment:
Matthew Martin, Santa Monica College
Venice Bids Farwell to The Freak Show
Venice Freakshow performer Asia Ray, resident Sword swallower and fire-eater, shows off her skill of sword swallowing during the Venice Freakshow Farwell Party on the Venice Boardwalk in Venice, Calif., on Sunday, April 30 2017. Ray has been with the freak show since her father Todd Ray opened this house of wonders in 2006 and “made the most of [her] final performance for the Venice Freakshow enthusiasts.”
Daniel Bowyer, Santa Monica College
Lauren Schnapper a member of Millennium Dance Complex, performed with her company as the countdown began for NYE - LA Countdown to 2017, New Years Eve December 31, 2017, at Grand Park, in Downtown Los Angeles.
Jintak Han, UCLA
Ryan Tedder, the lead vocalist for OneRepublic, hits the high notes for "All the Right Moves" on the rooftop of the Beverly Hilton on Feb. 8, 2017.
Feature:
Zane Meyer_Thornton, Santa Monica College
Parents photograph their child at the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve in Antelope Valley California on April 8, 2017 at 11:19 AM.
Matthew Martin, Santa Monica College
Los Angles International Pillow Fight Day Celebration
Two young pillow fight participants hurry to get out of the cross fire of feathers and pillows during the annual International Pillow Fight Day event which took place in Pershing Square in Downtown Los Angles Calif., on Saturday April 1 2017. Hundreds of people traded soft blows in a giant pillow fight that dwarfed even the biggest slumber party slugfest, for children, teens, adults and seniors all swung pillows at one another for over 2 hours during Saturdays event.
Damiesha Williams, Pierce College
Kids playing tag in water at Universal City Walk, March 17, 2017.
General News:
Joshua Miller, Long Beach City College
HEATED DEBATE: Joshua Gonzalez, 17, of Anaheim, left, argues with Chad Towe, 46, of Sacramento, at a Donald Trump rally in Anaheim on Wednesday, May 25, 2016.
Kristie-Valerie Hoang, UCLA
USAC Election dominated by independent candidates
Independent canidate Chloe Pan,the UCLA student association council's newly elected 2017-2018 external vice president, is overcome with emotion following election result announcements in Meyeroff Park on May 8, 2017.
Zin Chiang, Santa Monica College
Father feeds his infant son a banana during a protest against the Immigration Ban of travelers from 7 Muslim-majority countries at Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles, Calif. Jan. 28, 2017
Helena Sung, Santa Monica College
Little Flag Waver. A little girl perched atop the shoulders of another young protester waves a rainbow flag at a double decker bus blasting pop music and filled with dancing protesters at the Pride Resist March in Los Angeles, CA on June 11, 2017.
Picture Story:
CUBA by Jose C. Lopez, Santa Monica College
A man sits on the rocks at the Malecon seawall area enjoying the ocean view along with fishermen and divers in Havana, Cuba on May 3, 2016. The Malecon is a popular social destination for many Cubans who may have plenty of time to spend but little money. In the day its a place for bathing, while at night the sidewalk along the Malecon will become active all night long transforming into social hotspot alternative to clubs.
GABRIEL PITERBERG by Jintak Han, UCLA
Protesters gather outside a classroom on Jan. 9, 2017, in Royce Hall at UCLA waiting for history professor Gabriel Piterberg, who has been accused of sexually assaulting graduate students in 2013. Piterberg settled out of court in 2016 for a sexual assault lawsuit brought by two of his former female graduate students.
SHOWN: Piterberg dismisses his class about 20 minutes after it started, an hour before its scheduled end time. Piterberg was unavailable for comment.
CARRION by Ruth Iorio, Santa Monica College
Pigs sit quietly on the two storey metal truck taking them in through the gates of Farmer John, a meatpacking facility in the city of Vernon, Los Angeles, CA. Activists claim that the pigs receive no food or water during their journey, which may take several days from farm to slaughterhouse.
Portraits:
Joshua Miller, Long Beach City College
REFLECTION: Carlos Vasquez of Hollister prepares to ride his green 2003 Suzuki Intruder motorcycle, Sunday, July 3 during the 69th annual Hollister Independence Rally. The city of Hollister, California is known throughout the biker community as being the “birthplace of the American Biker” and is said to have been the inspiration for the 1953 movie, The Wild One, starring Marlon Brando.
Richard Martinez, Los Angeles City College
TEMPEST: Mimi Tempest lets her hair fly during a photoshoot on April 22, 2016 at Plaza de la Raza in Lincoln Park to promote her new album, “The Ego Trip”.
Daniel Bowyer, Santa Monica College
May 7, 2017. The Writers Bloc, a nonprofit organization invited Senator Bernie Sanders to talk about his book, 'Our Revolution'. Sanders shares his personal experiences from the campaign trail, recounting the details of his historic primary fight and the people who made it possible. Saban Theater, Beverly Hills, California.
Sports Action:
Kristie-Valerie Hoang, UCLA
UCLA Women's Gymnastics
Freshman Kyla Ross delivers a flawless split jump on the balance beam, resulting in a 9.925 that helped the Bruins defeat their competitor UC Berkeley on March 5, 2017.
Jintak Han, UCLA
UCLA guard Aaron Holiday (3) pushes past Oregon forward Dillon Brooks (24) to score a layup at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, Calif. on Feb. 9, 2017. Holiday's layup started a seven-point scoring streak for the Bruins that turned the lead to UCLA in the final minutes, winning them the game 82-79.
Jayrol San Jose, Santa Monica College
Asher Bradshaw showing off his skateboarding skills while filmilng at Venice Beach Skate Park on April 11th, 2017.
Sports Feature:
Matthew Martin, Santa Monica College
Frustration On The Court
Santa Monica College Corsair freshman Abby Mullins (#2, singles) crouches down and grabs her head in annoyance as she loses a game during her 2 – 0 (6-2, 6-1) set victory, which was part of the Corsairs 7 – 1 blowout victory against the Ventura College Pirates at the Ocean View Park Tennis Courts in Santa Monica Calif., on Thursday, March 23, 2017.
Daniel Bowyer, Santa Monica College
(Right) #67 Defensive Tackle, Omarius Bryant of the Los Angeles Rams playing with young fans at the Friday, June 16, 2017, 'Playground Build'. Figueroa Street Elemenyty School. 510 West 111th St., Los Angeles, California.
Jintak Han, UCLA
Oregon forward Dillon Brooks screams into the crowd after scoring a game-winning 3-pointer against UCLA with less than a second left on the clock at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore. on Dec. 28, 2016. Brooks ended UCLA's 13-game undefeated streak with a final score of 89-87.
Spot News:
Jintak Han, UCLA
Students burn a Donald Trump piñata as part of a spontaneous protest that erupted on campus on Nov. 8, 2017, after Trump won the presidency. By the time the protest reached Westwood Village, at least 2,000 students had joined, according to LAPD.
Ruth Lorio, Santa Monica College
Vegan Activist Brad Bethell sits with his parents and a family attorney in his room at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Beverly Hills, an area in the city of Los Angeles, CA, shortly after being admitted to the hospital with several broken ribs, a broken jaw and nose, and serious internal bleeding from being assaulted 24 hours previously by a bouncer at local Venice Beach bar 'The Other Room'. Brad was showing the bar's patrons a slide show of animal abuse on a laptop thrust into their view from the street outside the bar, an action which angered security. Brad has no health insurance and is homeless: his impending surgeries are adding onto an ever increasing medical bill he does not know how to pay. Photo by Ruth Iorio on May 7th 2017.
Zin Chiang, Santa Monica College
Protestors against Immigration Ban of travelers from 7 Muslim-majority countries intermittenly stops traffic at Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles, Calif. Jan. 28, 2017
Will Lester / Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Will Lester / Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Thomas R. Cordova / Daily Breeze/Press-Telegram
Terry Pierson / The Press Enterprise
Ed Crisostomo / Orange County Register
Ringo Chiu / Los Angeles Business Journal / Freelance
Ed Crisostomo / Orange County Register
Will Lester / Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Mindy Schauer / Orange County Register
Terry Pierson / The Press Enterprise
Terry Pierson / The Press Enterprise
Terry Pierson / The Press Enterprise
Terry Pierson / The Press Enterprise
Terry Pierson / The Press Enterprise
Terry Pierson / The Press Enterprise
Terry Pierson / The Press Enterprise
Terry Pierson / The Press Enterprise
Terry Pierson / The Press Enterprise
Terry Pierson / The Press Enterprise
Terry Pierson / The Press Enterprise
Mindy Schauer / Orange County Register
Will Lester / Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Terry Pierson / The Press Enterprise
Thomas R. Cordova / Daily Breeze/Press-Telegram
Mindy Schauer / Orange County Register
Terry Pierson / The Press Enterprise
Thomas R. Cordova / Daily Breeze/Press-Telegram
Terry Pierson / The Press Enterprise
Terry Pierson / The Press Enterprise
Rebekah Branham, of Eastern Michigan, lies on the track holding her injured ankle after stumbling in the 800m College Open Section 3 event at the Mt. SAC Relays at are El Camino College in Torrance Friday, April 14, 2017.
Keith Birmingham / Pasadena Star-News
Bill Alkofer / Orange County Register
Frank Perez / Freelance
Terry Pierson / The Press Enterprise
Mindy Schauer / Orange County Register
Mindy Schauer / Orange County Register
Thomas R. Cordova / Daily Breeze/Press-Telegram
Terry Pierson / The Press Enterprise
Terry Pierson / The Press Enterprise
Thomas R. Cordova / Daily Breeze/Press-Telegram
Mindy Schauer / Orange County Register
Richard Koehler / Freelance
Thomas R. Cordova / Daily Breeze/Press-Telegram
View clip contests results here
Last year we moved to a new system for the monthly clip contest where our professional members could vote on the best photos of the month. A website was setup where members could login and cast votes on images submitted that month. Based on member feedback we have decided to move back to the traditional judging system for 2017 entries.
The difficultly in the past was finding a group of judges able to have the time to meet and review contest entries. To help with this, the current voting website will be used to allow judges to view and vote on photos remotely. We will also be facilitating services like Google Hangouts to allow judges from different locations to conference together.
The board has been on the search for judges interested in voting if you know of anyone interested in voting please forward on their names and we will get in contact.
Exposures in Journalism
The 2017 Photojournalism Show at Santa Monica College.
Region wide call for student entries.
Sponsored by The Corsair, SMC’s student publication, the SMC Photo Department and The Press Photographers of Greater Los Angeles (PPAGLA).
Show Date: Saturday, September 16, 2017.
Enter at www.ppagla.org/studentcontest
Show will include the student winning entries and the First-Place professional winners from the PPAGLA 2016 competition.
“Gary Friedman, a longtime photojournalist who over the decades covered presidential elections, Olympic games and the devastation of the 9/11 terror attacks for the Los Angeles Times, has died after a long fight with cancer. He was 62.
Friedman, who died Wednesday in Los Angeles, had an expansive career, covering landmark moments such as the breakup of the Soviet Union and small yet tender stories of triumph, like his gripping photos of twin women who were conjoined at the head. The photos won a World Press Photo award in 1981.
A self-avowed eccentric, Friedman was known as a master of being able to wiggle into news events while other journalists waited patiently for credentials or official escorts.”
Mike Nelson / EPA
Shanghai, The City of Innovation Photography Exhibition at Ontario International Airport will feature pictures from PPAGLA members Nick Ut, Ringo Chiu and Mike Nelson as well as Chinese photographers who documented the city of Shanghai.
Opening reception is at 10 am on 7 June at Terminal 4 at the Ontario International Airport and will run until 11 June.
Address: 2900 E Airport Dr, Ontario, CA 9176
RSVP for opening reception to info@edimediainc.com
An article in the San Bernardino Sun on the exhibit: http://www.sbsun.com/arts-and-entertainment/20170528/whats-so-cool-about-next-art-exhibit-at-ontario-airport
The International Photographers Association of Los Angeles is having an exhibit featuring award winning PPAGLA member, Libby Cline Birmingham. They will be featuring her recent travel to China and other photography.
You can come to view her work this Friday, June 2, 2017 from 7:30p - 9p at the International Association of Los Angeles. The address is 5930 Temple City Blvd., Temple City.
Congratulations to all the winners of this year's award luncheon! Winning photos and videos can be viewed at the link below, the page is photo and video heavy so allow some time for everything to load -
Submit your best of 2016 work now for the Annual Still and Video contest! Awards will be presented Saturday, April 1, 2017 at Almansor Court in Alhambra.
The deadline to submit photos is Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.
The PPAGLA Annual Awards Banquet Luncheon will be held at Almansor Court in Alhambra on Saturday, April 1, 2017. The price will be $40 per person and $50 at the door.
Almansor Court
700 S Almansor St, Alhambra, California 91801
11am-3pm
Purchase tickets at - www.ppagla.org/2017dinner
Professional members can vote now up until Dec 31 for your 2017 Board of Directors. Ballots are cast online only and will only take a couple of minutes. The election is only open to Professional Members. Associate and student members cannot vote.
Your vote is important to all of us - Please VOTE by December 31!
PPAGLA was honored today to induct longtime and esteemed journalist, Pete Noyes, as an honorary member.
Pictured are all of Pete's colleagues at the News Geezers luncheon who have worked with him over his 60+ year career in print and broadcast journalism.
Photo by John McCoy
Congratulations to board member Jim Ober for being inducted into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame!
Left to rIght: 2016 Inductees Tracy Valenta and Larry Ragland, ORMHOF Chairman Mark McMillin, 2016 Inductees Jim Ober, Bud Feldkamp and Don Amador.