Contact Us

Use the form on the right to contact us.

You can edit the text in this area, and change where the contact form on the right submits to, by entering edit mode using the modes on the bottom right. 

501 W. Glenoaks, #655
Glendale, CA 91202
USA

Photo Contest Winners

2025 Q1 Singles

Khai Le

Points for Q1 PPAGLA Quarterly Contest

Cristina Salvador Klenz                                                        230 points

Ringo Chiu                                                                              170 points

Robert Gauthier                                                                    160 points

Jill Connelly                                                                             150 points

Robert Hanashiro                                                                   130 points

David Swanson                                                       110 points

Patrick Fallon                                                                            90 points

Terry Pierson                                                                             90 points

Thomas Cordova                                                                       90 points

Keith Birmingham                                                                     90 points

Brandon Richardson                                                                 70 points

Genaro Molina                                                                          60 points

Mindy Schauer                                                                           50 points

Mike Goulding                                                                            50 points

William Liang                                                                               40 points

Amy Gaskin                                                                                   30 points

Michael Coons                                                                              30 points

Gina Ferazzi                                                                                   20 points

Dana Rene White                                                                          20 points

Scott Mitchell                                                                                 20 points 

Quarter 1 judges, jAMIE rOSE & JOHN CHRISTOPHER ANDERSON

General News

This was a good category. Hard to choose the winners.

First Place: There were a ton of images from this scene in this category and this one captures the real emotion of the day. There’s a great Fibonacci spiral in the hands and faces while also showing the visual elements of the vigil without being overwhelmed by them. 

Second Place: There is a moment here captured like he is holding her up after sifting through destroyed belongings. The photographer was ready and got it. .

Third Place: The raw and true emotion comes through with this frame. The photographer had to be on their game to know exactly where to be positioned at the moment of judgement and that takes good news sense and proper preparation, not just luck. 

Honorable Mention:
We liked the scene setter here.  It shows the scope of the news event.

Honorable Mention:
The person with the flashlight realty made this photo and good on the photographer to wait for that and get it in the frame.

Feature

First Place : The color stopped us but the caption sealed the deal. The delicate beauty of the flowers that survived and the use of narrow depth of field was really well for this. 

Second Place : There are so many powerful elements (body language, framing, angle of view, use of black and white) here but the quality caption with storytelling and important data showed this photographer was dedicated to the story, not just being a voyeur.  

Third place: This is a lovely moment with great layering. When covering events, getting in early and staying late can get the best images and this behind-the-scenes moment shines in that regard. Kudos the editors too who let them spend time with this so they could document the quiet moments and not just peak action. 

Honorable Mention: This is a classic photojournalism feature! Loved seeing a spontaneous moment that causes a giggle but also has great composition and expression. 

Honorable Mention: This is a classic photojournalism weather feature! The fact that the photographer was literally on the dirty ground to get the reflection and has great red color repetition shows they are dedicated to their craft even while doing feature hunting. 

Portrait

There were a lot of images in this category that stretched the definition of portrait. Many were grabbed during events and some were even taken during key action. However, the ones who won seemed to put effort into making sure they talked to their subjects, found a way to show their personality with framing/light/gesture, and took time to compose. 

First Place: The position of the subject, the lighting, and the background show great control of their portrait environment. The texture and detail are very nice and clean. Given the subject, a longer, more detailed caption would have been great. We also would have loved to see this in color, but it speaks to the strength of the image that it plays so well in black and white too. 

Second Place: The use of a deep aperture, beautiful framing, and excellent positioning really make this portrait sing. The expression is one of power and strength. The crispness of this frame is really well done. 

Third Place: The use of the sign and the expression along with the sharpness and clarity of this portrait is well constructed. The caption with name, age, and story helps to show the photographer took the time to talk to this man, get to know his story, and be a good human and good journalist. 

Honorable Mention: This is a nice, clean portrait with good light. Additionally, it’s also the only one in the mix that is both outside and where a photographer chose to back off from their subject and give them space in the frame.

Honorable Mention: The storytelling elements, pose, and solid control of light here helped to elevate this one. There is a lot to take in with the frame. It’s slightly chaotic but that fits the personality of the subject well. 

Pictoral

First Place: So well-conceived and shot! To see that many layers and find a way to create a frame that is artistic, sentimental, and emotional is hard to do. It almost looks like a multiple exposure. The caption helps to shine a light into the photographer’s thoughts and process which demonstrates that they see in a very creative, out-of-the-box way. 

Second Place: The perspective and angle of view on this is well executed. The rim light works so well here. And each of the 3 figures facing the camera while one is in profile was a solid editing choice. 

Third Place: The color of this is, of course, arresting and beautiful. But it was the composition’s perfect execution that we really liked. The frame would not be as strong without the silhouettes adding a human element to it. The running figures give a sense of life and energy, which seems appropriate for the fanciful amusement park rides on the boardwalk. Very nicely constructed!  

Honorable Mention: This is a nice beach scene.  The man in the center makes the shot but the photographer should have bent down and got him more in the sky to help separate him from the palm trees.

Honorable Mention: This is also a nice moment with dynamic light and use of the fence for composition.

Spot News

First Place: This shot was cropped nicely to not be distracted by the background. Also the man’s face made this shot.

Second Place: The expression on this women’s face makes you wonder if she is witnessing something or is trying to express her feelings.  It is a good image captured.

Third Place: The framing is great and liked that the photographer backed off to show the entire scene and important storytelling elements.

Honorable Mention: The framing and angle of view here are well done. The composition of the frame is clean and sharp. The expression of the man in contrast with the officers who seem completely oblivious to the man is a good edit for this scene. 

Entertainment

First Place: Great use of color, framing and silhouette. 

Second Place: While it is a concert constructed moment, to back off and see the form and shape with the excellent framing on the eye lid was a great way to see. 

Third Place: Red carpets are full of staged pageantry, but this is a genuine moment that the photojournalist saw. 

Honorable Mention: Solid form and gesture and lighting is spot on. 

Sports Features

First Place: Whimsy and childhood wonder combine so nicely here with all the technical elements of the frame. The expression of the child shows the utter joy of sport that so many feel when they are at that age and the photo evokes the emotions he seems to be feeling. The framing and composition are nicely done and the light and color blend well with the exposure settings. 
Second place: This is a really fun feature that shows the photographer was able to take their head out of the game’s action and be aware of their surroundings to find a funny moment of fandom levity. Its composition makes for a balanced frame so the eyes can dance around the frame at the many faces and expressions. 
Third Place: There were a lot of joyful reaction images in this category but very few that showed the power of defeat or loss or even a quiet moment after the chaos of a game’s peak action. This is great framing, use of thirds, and exposure to get the rain sharp. The expression and body language captured is evocative and empathetic. 
Honorable Mention: In the overwhelming number of celebration images in this category, this one stood out for the clean composition, The foreground blur is just enough to show the crush of fans but not make them overwhelm that horizontal third of the frame.

Sports Action

Each of the top 3 winners in this category did not rely on the elements of the game to make the moment but instead chose to pull from techniques in their visual skills to try to push the boundaries of finding a great composition in the action. While getting the perfect dunk or the peak moment of impact of a shot is challenging, making artistic or even humorous frames can be even more so. Each photographer showed they not only can cover a sporting event but can be creative while doing so.

First Place: This frame is tack sharp and we love that the photographer got the frame so well composed. No background noise or element to distract using the telephoto, the ball is positioned close enough to the body but no obscuring the face, the expression is clear on the pitcher. It’s well executed and a nice risk to take during a game. 

Second Place: This has emotion, competition and peak moment.  We really liked this capture

Third Place: This is a nice super clean shot that was captured perfectly

Honorable Mention 1: This frame as some really nice features like positioning themselves to get the smoke/dust with the rim lighting. Layering of the different bodies positioning their car.

Honorable Mention 2: It’s rare to find humor in a track meet image but this photographer pulled it off nicely. The background has just the right amount of blur. The hands and feet are well positioned in the frame. Overall, a fun surprise in a category like this. 

Fire

We were commenting how exceptional it was that everyone captured a variety of human, property, and natural impact in these frames. You all deserve to be commended for putting your lives on the line to capture these images and show the world the absolute heartbreaking devastation you witnessed. Thank you for being the truth tellers of this very important story. 

This was a hard category to narrow down.

First Place: Both judges said simultaneously, “WHOA!” when this popped on the screen. What a powerful image. The framing is perfect. Each element of foreground middle and background are valuable and given the right amount of scale in the frame. The confidence to also go far away from the main action speaks to the photographer’s good visual decision making. Just so well done. 

Second Place: This is iconic and quiet, which was rare for this category. The body language of the subject who doesn’t look like he’s in a hurry but prioritized the importance of not letting the flag burn even though it is likely the entire house will be gone soon enough is really powerful visual storytelling.  

Third Place: The use of wide angle and framing truly shows the massive scale of the fire. One judge commented, This photographer was really brave to be right up in there. The other noticed after zooming in to 200% that the person is still sharp which speaks the importance of knowing your gear so well you can use it perfectly in a high-stress situation like this. 

Honorable Mention 1: This inferno with the cross is mind-blowing and puts the fires into a very powerful context. It is reminiscent of Nachtwey’s 9/11 image of the church with the towers in the background.

Honorable Mention 2: The touch of a human element here without being obvious about it is well done. The photographer not going to the face of the firefighter and instead making them be a hint of a specter that will ultimately probably not be able to save the house from the coming destruction is very done. 

Meet our judgeS

Jamie Rose is co-Founder and COO of Momenta Group, LLC, which operates Momenta Workshops, Momenta Creative, and manages Wildfire Media, a nonprofit dedicated to documentary storytelling. Her early career was spent in the halls of power as a Press Corps photojournalist covering Capitol Hill and the White House, primarily as a long-term contract for The New York Times. 

Her passion for working with nonprofits led her to documentary coverage of humanitarian and health crises in Africa, North and South America, and the Middle East. Her clients included organizations such as Doctors Without Borders, The Calvert Foundation, The Global Fund, and Physicians for Human Rights. 

In 2011, Jamie was awarded the United Nations’ Photographers Leadership Award. Her long-term photo projects have won acclaim from the Alexia Foundation and The White House News Photographers’ Association for her portfolio of Doctors Without Borders (MSF) health care workers in wartime Northern Uganda.

Jamie is considered an expert in nonprofit communications and has been interviewed about the importance of storytelling in nonprofit communications by The Candid Frame, Photo District News (PDN), Creative Marketing & Business Podcast, and News Photographer Magazine, among others. She has been an invited lecturer at Harvard University, Columbia University, Georgetown University, University of Oregon, the Northern Short Course, and her alma maters.

Jamie holds degrees in Literature and Communications from American University and Visual Interactive Communications from the S.I. Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University. She also runs the popular blog Jamie’s List, which promotes jobs and opportunities for creatives. 

She lives in the mountains of Oregon with her husband, co-founder of Momenta John Chris Anderson, and their rescue dogs, Cody and Malcolm. 

John Christopher Anderson is the founder and CEO of Momenta Group. He has been an active player in the photographic and communications industry for more than two decades. His background includes roles as a photojournalist, daily news and travel photo editor, and Photo and Illustrations Editor for National Geographic Society. This collection of experience, plus a passion for the craft of Concerned Documentary Photography, helped him find the inspiration to launch Momenta. 

Momenta has divisions in creative consulting, specializing in nonprofit and strategic communications, and International educational workshops. In 2017, Chris helped Momenta launch a charitable nonprofit called Wildfire Media, which provides capacity-building and development assistance along with a dose of inspiration to under-supported NGO communities charities and documentarians around the world. 

The challenges of using powerful visual messaging and open-source research content as a vehicle for educating the public has grown into his biggest passion of late.

John lives with his wife and business partner, Jamie Rose, in the beautiful mountains of Oregon. When he’s not working on Wildfire and Momenta, you can find him blazing down a singletrack on his dirt bike, perfecting a carve on a snowboard, or hiking the backcountry trails with Jamie and their rescue pups.