2022 Qtr. 1 Photo Essay

LYNNE SLADKY, Quarter 1 Judge

First Place

Some very strong images, but tighter editing would have made it even better.

Second Place

Some great moments, but try using more of a variety of lenses.

Third Place

Good to see an environmental story, with both sides being told. Good variety of angles and lenses.

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First Place: Ringo Chiu, FREELANCE

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Demonstrators carry flags and signs march during a rally in support of Ukraine in Santa Monica, California, on February 27, 2022.

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Demonstrators carry flag and sign march during a rally in support of Ukraine in Santa Monica, California, on February 27, 2022.

Stand with Ukraine Protest Los Angeles

A protester holding placards stands behind a tied up U.S. and Ukrainian flags during a rally to support Ukraine in Los Angeles, on March 19, 2022.

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A mother holds a placard and her daughter as wind blows during a rally to stop bloodshed in Ukraine and prevent global nuclear disaster, in Los Angeles, California, on March 5, 2022.

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Members of the Russian community demonstrate against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., February 24, 2022.

UKRAINE-CRISIS/USA

Members of the Russian community flash victory signs during a demonstration against Russia after it launched a massive military operation against Ukraine, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., February 24, 2022.

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A Ukrainian supporter holding a sign and flags demonstrates against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., February 24, 2022.

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A protest placard saying STOP WAR with a picture of a war victim is seen during a rally in support of Ukraine in Santa Monica, California, on February 27, 2022.

Ukraine Invasion California

Ukrainian supporters demonstrate after Russia launched a massive military operation against Ukraine, in Santa Monica, California, U.S., February 25, 2022.

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A protester is seen with a Ukrainian flag painted on her face during a rally in support of Ukraine in Santa Monica, California, on February 27, 2022.

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Demonstrators protest Russia's invasion of Ukraine in the Santa Monica, California on February 27, 2022.

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A banner over the rally in support of Ukraine in Santa Monica, California, on March 12, 2022.

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Second Place: Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register

Artur Shkodinov tries to keep his 1-year-old son, Damir, entertained on Wednesday, March 30, 2022 while waiting at the Tijuana border with his family for entry into the U.S. as refugees. For most people, it's a wait of at least a day now to get across the border.

Exhausted Ukrainian families arrive in Tijuana on Wednesday, March 30, 2022. Many of them have traveled about a month to reach the Mexican border and will have to wait sometimes more than 24 hours before they are processed through the U.S. as asylum seekers.

Ukrainian refugee Villi Mikhailov jokes with a Tijuana police officer while he and his twin brother Yan, help keep the asylum-seeking process running smoothly on Wednesday, March 30, 2022. Ukrainians helped with a waitlist for processing their fellow countrymen seeking asylum in the U.S.

Anton Shchuz, 22, comforts his wife, Polina Shchuz, 20, at the Tijuana border on Wednesday, March 30, 2022. Polina, who is Russian, fears she will not be allowed into the U.S. with her Ukrainian husband. After Russia invaded Ukraine, the U.S. agreed to grant asylum to 100,000 Ukrainians.

Ukrainian children waiting in Tijuana with their families while seeking asylum in the U.S., are given chalk by volunteers to help occupy the hours-long wait on Wednesday, March 30, 2022.

Rancho Mission Viejo resident and member of a Russian-speaking group of OC moms, Inna Levien, left, tries to brighten the birthday of Ukrainian refugee Karokina Melnychuk, right, who turned 10 in Tijuana. She and her family, including her mom, Marina, center, were waiting hours at the border while seeking asylum in the U.S. Once inside, their month-long journey will have taken them through six countries. Another refugee child gives Karokina an orange as a token gift on Wednesday, March 30, 2022.

Donated blankets are passed out to Ukrainian refugees waiting to get into the U.S. from the Tijuana border onWednesday, March 30, 2022.

A Ukrainian boy plays catch with his mother while awaiting entry into the U.S. as asylum seekers on Wednesday, March 30, 2022.

Elina Kiritsa, who escaped from Odessa, Ukraine, after Russia’s invasion, waits in Tijuana on Wednesday, March 30, 2022, for entry into the U.S. with her kitten Milka. The cat, she says, has suffered trauma from all her travels and isn’t eating. Kiritsa will be heading to Florida once she is admitted to the U.S.

Finally on the U.S. side of the Mexican border after waiting hours to be processed, Ukrainian refugee Volkov Dmytro bids “ciao” as he leaves with Calvary San Diego Church volunteers on Wednesday, March 30, 2022.

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Third place: Genaro Molina, Los Angeles Times

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The western section of the Jackson Demonstration State Forest is currently the focal point of the decades old fight between conservationists, who are trying to prevent trees from being harvested and the logging industry. Cal Fire, which owns and manages the forest, has nine timber harvest plans approved, under review or development, lined up for the western region of the forest over the next half decade. The harvests would selectively log around 6,400 acres of timber land, taking trees of different ages. Activist Alder rappels up a Redwood tree named Gemini where tree sitters have been, intermittently, camping out on a platform, center, top, to protect it from being cut down as part of the Caspar 500 Timber Harvest Plan in the Jackson Demonstration State Forest in Caspar on January 22, 2022. The Board of Forestry recently announced that there will be no additional timber sales in 2022. The Forest is a working “demonstration forest,” meaning that unlike in a typical state park, it was actually set up as a place for the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection or CalFire, to hone and practice logging techniques with the goal of demonstrating best practices for sustainable forestry.

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Youth activist Walker, 16, with Mama Tree Mendo, rappels up a Redwood tree named Gemini where tree sitters have been, intermittently, camping out on a platform, right, to protect it from being cut down as part of the Caspar 500 Timber Harvest Plan in the Jackson Demonstration State Forest in Caspar on January 22, 2022.

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Michael Hunter, left, chairman of The Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians, starts a demonstration criticizing the Caspar 500 Timber Harvest with a song in Pomo before marching through the Jackson Demonstration State Forest in Caspar on January 24, 2022. Activists with Mendocino Trail Stewards, Redwood Nation Earth First, The Mama Tree Network, the Environmental Information and Protection Center (EPIC) and dozens of others participated in the event. The Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians, is a tribe native to the area that has criticized logging activities in the forest and is pushing for collaborative management rights of the land.

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Youth activists Otter, left, and Sara Rose, both 15, stand on the stumps of fallen Redwood trees while participating in a forest defenders, “Safety First,’’ rally against logging activities at Camp One logging site in the Jackson Demonstration State Forest east of Fort Bragg on January 25, 2021. The gathering was near the site where CalFire Police recently arrested six activists during a blockade earlier this month and were cited with trespassing and false imprisonment. All were released on site.

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Youth activist Ashten, 15, places her hand over one of several Douglas fir and Redwood trees cut down by loggers while participating in a forest defenders, “Safety First,’’ rally against logging activities at the Camp One logging site in the Jackson Demonstration State Forest east of Fort Bragg on January 25, 2021. The gathering was near the site where CalFire Police recently arrested six activists during a blockade earlier this month and were cited with trespassing and false imprisonment. All were released on site. The western section of Jackson Demonstration State Forest is currently the focal point of the decades old fight between conservationists and the logging industry over how redwood forests should be managed.

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A western portion of the Jackson Demonstration State Forest (JDSF) in Caspar on January 25, 2022. The forest is a working “demonstration forest,” meaning that unlike in a typical state park, it was actually set up as a place for Cal Fire, or the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, to hone and practice logging techniques with the goal of demonstrating best practices for sustainable forestry.

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Forest defender activists dance and celebrate their efforts to bring a temporary stop of the Caspar 500 Timber Harvest during a, “Safety First,’’ rally against logging at the Camp One logging site in the Jackson Demonstration State Forest east of Fort Bragg on January 25, 2021. The gathering was near the site where CalFire Police recently arrested six activists during a blockade earlier this month and were cited with trespassing and false imprisonment. All were released on site. The western section of Jackson Demonstration State Forest is currently the focal point of the decades old fight between conservationists and the logging industry over how redwood forests should be managed.

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Chris Baldo, co-owner of Willits Redwood Company, left, oversees operations at the timber mill in Willits on January 26, 2022. Recent protests by environmentalists in the Jackson Demonstration State Forest to stop logging have effected the livelihood for Baldo’s business along with Anderson Logging who has been logging the JDSF.

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Chris Baldo, left, co-owner of Willits Redwood Company, and Myles Anderson, owner of Anderson Logging, Inc., talk about how recent activities from environmentalists in the Jackson Demonstration State Forest have effected their businesses in Willits on January 26, 2022. Anderson, a fifth generation logger, has been unable to cut trees in the JDSF and Baldo is loosing work due to this. Baldo, who co-owns the mill with Bruce Burton, have been in operation since 1976. “So we’re kind of at a crossroads here. We’ve got to fight to go to work. The protesters were waiting for us in the woods when we got there in the morning. They would come right to the tree and we had no choice but to stop. We would put their lives in danger and our lives in danger and so we left,” said Anderson. Anderson said that loggers called highway patrol, local sheriff and Cal Fire and no one would come out to help. “So here’s hard working, tax paying, law abiding citizens of our county being put out of work and nobody would do anything about it,” Anderson concluded.

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Cal Fire State Forest Program Manager Kevin Conway walks towards Redwood trees that are marked, left, to be cut down as part of the Caspar Watershed Experiment in the Jackson Demonstration State Forest (JDSF) in Caspar on January 25, 2022. Conway said that trees are being cut down to provide sunlight and nutrients to help younger trees, right, grow. “”We are leaving a lot more than what we’re harvesting,” said Conway about the Caspar 500 Timber Harvest.

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Honorable Mention: Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register

Huntington Beach Police Officers remove the flag from Officer Nicholas Vella’a casket on Tuesday, March 8, 2022. Vella died in a helicopter crash Feb. 19 off the waters in Newport Beach. He was an 18-year law enforcement veteran with 14 years on the force in Huntington Beach. Before joining Huntington Beach's department he worked in Laguna Beach.

Thousands attend the funeral for Nicholas Vella at the Honda Center in Anaheim on Tuesday, March 8, 2022. Vella died in a helicopter crash Feb. 19 off the waters in Newport Beach.

A procession down Katella Avenue in Anaheim takes place for Huntington Beach Police Officer Nicholas Vella on Tuesday, March 8, 2022. Uniformed personnel line the street and salute before the funeral service. Vella died in a helicopter crash Feb. 19 off the waters in Newport Beach. He was an 18-year law enforcement veteran with 14 years on the force in Huntington Beach. Before joining Huntington Beach's department he worked in Laguna Beach.

Ray Trosper, a Marine veteran with the Patriot Guard Riders, shows support for Huntington Beach Police Officer Nicholas Vella, who died in a helicopter crash Feb. 19 off the waters in Newport Beach. Funeral services were at the Honda Center in Anaheim on Tuesday, March 8, 2022.

Fire fighters hustle to get control of a wind-whipped flag before the funeral procession for Huntington Beach Police Officer Nicholas Vella in Anaheim on Tuesday, March 8, 2022. Vella died in a helicopter crash Feb. 19 off the waters in Newport Beach. He was an 18-year law enforcement veteran with 14 years on the force in Huntington Beach. Before joining Huntington Beach's department he worked in Laguna Beach.

A procession down Katella Avenue in Anaheim takes place for Huntington Beach Police Officer Nicholas Vella on Tuesday, March 8, 2022. Uniformed personnel line the street and salute before the funeral service. Vella died in a helicopter crash Feb. 19 off the waters in Newport Beach. He was an 18-year law enforcement veteran with 14 years on the force in Huntington Beach. Before joining Huntington Beach's department he worked in Laguna Beach.

A woman in the funeral procession down Katella Avenue in Anaheim records as street-lined officers salute on Tuesday, March 8, 2022. Huntington Beach Police Officer Nicholas Vella died in a helicopter crash Feb. 19 off the waters in Newport Beach. He was an 18-year law enforcement veteran with 14 years on the force in Huntington Beach. Before joining Huntington Beach's department he worked in Laguna Beach.

Bagel, with HOPE, Animal-Assisted Crisis Response, was on hand to lend support during funeral service for Huntington Beach Police Officer Nicholas Vella, who died in a helicopter crash Feb. 19 off the waters in Newport Beach. Services were at the Honda Center inAnaheim on Tuesday, March 8, 2022.

A riderless horse with reversed boots symbolizes the last ride of fallen officer Nicholas Vella who died in a helicopter crash Feb. 19 off the waters in Newport Beach. Funeral services took place at the Honda Center in Anaheim on Tuesday, March 8, 2022. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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Meet Our Judge, LYNNE SLADKY

After graduating from Kent State University in Ohio where I studied photography, I started my career as a photographer at a weekly newspaper in Cleveland, the Sun Newspapers. I later freelanced for numerous publications in Cleveland, including United Press International. I became a staff photographer with UPI in Miami in 1985. I then worked at the Palm Beach Post for two years before joining the AP photo staff in Miami in 1990, where I’ve been for 32 years and counting. I’ve been in Miami for most of my AP career, but I also worked in London for three years, and in San Juan, Puerto Rico for five years covering the Caribbean.