2021 Qtr. 4 Picture Story

Randy L. Rasmussen & DON RYAN, Quarter 4 Judges

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First Place: Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News

Horn Blower Jay Cohen performs during Opening day of the winter-spring meet at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia on Sunday, December 26, 2021.

Fans look on during Opening day of the winter-spring meet at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia on Sunday, December 26, 2021.

Jockey John Valezquez riding Eight Rings finished third in the San Antonio Stakes (Grade II) race during Opening day of the winter-spring meet at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia on Sunday, December 26, 2021.

Horse racing fans are silhouetted as they walk through the grand stands during Opening day of the winter-spring meet at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia on Sunday, December 26, 2021.

The Malibu Stakes Grade 1 race during Opening day of the winter-spring meet at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia on Sunday, December 26, 2021.

Horse racing fans dressed up for the day during Opening day of the winter-spring meet at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia on Sunday, December 26, 2021.

Jockey Victor Espinoza (2) riding Express Train wins the San Antonio Stakes (Grade II) race during Opening day of the winter-spring meet at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia on Sunday, December 26, 2021.

Jockey Victor Espinoza (2) riding Express Train wins the San Antonio Stakes (Grade II) race during Opening day of the winter-spring meet at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia on Sunday, December 26, 2021.

Jockey Victor Espinoza riding Express Train wins the San Antonio Stakes (Grade II) race during Opening day of the winter-spring meet at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia on Sunday, December 26, 2021.

Jockey Victor Espinoza riding Express Train reacts after winning the San Antonio Stakes (Grade II) race during Opening day of the winter-spring meet at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia on Sunday, December 26, 2021.

A fan leaves the track at the end of the day during Opening day of the winter-spring meet at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia on Sunday, December 26, 2021.

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Second Place: Michael Nelson, Freelance

A man harvests world-renown Deglet Nour dates in the oasis of Kebili in Tunisia. The grouping of a dozen oases along the immense dry lake Chott El Djerid in the far south of Tunisia on the edge of the Sahara Desert is one of the hottest and inhospitable places in North Africa. However, because of a network of thermal springs along the ancient lakeshore it supports a string of date palm groves.

A date grove owner shows a damaged date that is only useful as feed for animals. Though there is plenty of water from the thermal springs, the broken cooling system of the spring that waters his date trees has damaged the soil making it less fertile and lacking in beneficial insects. He cannot rely on revenue from his 50 date trees and supplements his income as a teacher/

A hot spring structure steams as the boiling waters are cooled before they flow into date palm groves. There are dozens of structures - some four stories high that attempt too cool the waters sufficiently to irrigate the date groves.

A man baths in cascading hot waters of a thermal spring cooling structure. The hot springs waters are essential to irrigate date groves as well as supplying the local population with water.

Boys play around pools of hot spring storage reservoirs which are then used to water adjacent date groves.

A young woman rests next to a date palm as water flows through an irrigation canal into the grove.

As desert sands encroach on villages and towns along the oasis road, palm fond barriers are erected in an attempt to protect homes.

Two women sit atop a huge sand dune created by palm fond barriers as the moon rises between them. Though the oasis road region is very hot and dry, there use to be sufficient rainfall to periodically fill the giant lake each year. However, as climate change has reduced rainfall, the lake remains dry most years and winds bring sands from the Sahara Desert which are threatening to bury homes and villages.

A boy relaxes atop a sand dune with the top of a nearby mosque minaret rises above the dune. Though the oasis road region is very hot and dry, there use to be sufficient rainfall to periodically fill the giant lake each year. However, as climate change has reduced rainfall, the lake remains dry most years and winds bring sands from the Sahara Desert which are threatening to bury homes and villages.

A grave of a 8-year old child who died in 2010 is provided with water as is the custom in this region. The water is for birds and is thought to be a blessing for the deceased. Oasis life is harsh on the edge of the desert where summer temperatures routinely exceed 120 degrees F and winter temperatures can dip below freezing.

Camels feed on date stems. Date palms not only provide dates, but also the palm fonds are used to make furniture and cages and the palms leaves are woven into baskets.

An oasis resident passes by a mural depicting a woman using a traditional grinding pedestal. Each oasis town which usually has at least one hot spring water source, is surrounded by thousand of date palms that stretched to the edge of the dry lake shore where the salinity of the earth is unsuitable to grown anything.

Third Place: Aude Guerruci, freelance

A mother breastfeeding her two months old baby Gabriella, is part of a migrant caravan heading to the northern border, in Santo Domingo Zanatepec, Mexico November 10, 2021.Thousands of migrants, including many children, fleeing violence and poverty, are taking the roads through Mexico, trying to reach the US border and hoping the new Biden administration will make it easier for them to enter the United States.

A migrant pushes a wheelchair with the mother of a family he befriend, as they walk along a road in a caravan heading to the northern border, in Chahuites, Mexico November 8, 2021.

A migrant plays trumpet while resting with others migrants after a very early walk in Chahuites, Mexico November 8, 2021.

Mirgrants rest along the river after a very early walk in Chahuites, Mexico November 8, 2021.

A family takes a bath in the river after a very early walk in Chahuites, Mexico November 8, 2021.

Children play before resting for the night in Chahuites, Mexico November 8, 2021.

Migrants cheers after listening to a speech of Irineo Mujica, the caravan organizer, in Chahuites, Mexico November 8, 2021.

Migrants warm themselves with a fire before an early walk in Santo Domingo Zanatepec, Mexico November 10, 2021.

A migrant walks along a road in a caravan heading to the northern border, in Chahuites, Mexico November 8, 2021.

Migrants walk along a road in a caravan heading to the northern border, in Tapanatepec, Mexico November 9, 2021.

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Meet Our Judges, Randy L. Rasmussen & DON RYAN

Randy L. Rasmussen is a career photojournalist, beginning in high school working as a lab-tech and photographer for The Missoulian. From there, he moved to Los Angeles where he worked as a staff photographer for the Orange County Register and then as a staffer for the LA bureau of the Associated Press (and a member of PPAGLA). 

He moved to The Oregonian where he worked in variety of jobs, including staff photographer, magazine photographer/photo editor, news graphics editor, assistant director of photography and acting photo director. He left the paper in 2016, after 35 years, to freelance, which he continues to do occasionally. You can contact him at rlrx@yahoo.com.

Don Ryan spent 35 years as a staff photographer for The Associated Press based in Portland, OR. Ryan also spent three years as staff photographer at the Port Angeles Daily News in Port Angeles, WA and three years as staff photographer at the Gresham Outlook in Gresham, OR. He is now enjoying retirement in King City, OR.

Ryan graduated from Oregon State University in 1976 with a Major in Technical Journalism and Minor in Business Administration. His love of photography and photojournalism began in high school when he developed his first black and white photo and never looked back.