Photography & Audio - Natural Sound
This work features still photography paired with ambient sound and character interviews. The category recognizes the art and skill of recording natural sound, editing and the partnership in storytelling between audio and photographs. No reporter-driven narration is accepted.
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First Place
Black Hearts
NPR
The region around Kandahar, Afghanistan is the Taliban's birthplace and breeding ground, making it crucial to the U.S. military's security efforts. In a region where friend and foe are indistinguishable, the 101st Airborne Division's mission is two-fold: chase out the Taliban and win the trust of locals - if they can.
Photographer, Producer: David Gilkey
Audio Editor: Laura Krantz
Senior Supervising Producer: Keith Jenkins
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Comments
We loved the images in the story. Nice use of nat sound throughout, but we wished there had been boots walking in the beginning instead of relying on text for story explanation. The interviews make the story pretty clear. Fewer cross dissolves/fades and a lot fewer moves would have strengthened the editing.
This story was the most sophisticated combination of photography and audio in this category. The nat audio added texture and information for the next layer of the story.
The audio of the bullets and pacing of the images created immediacy and urgency. The best emotion came toward the end of the piece; could have been tighter in front to be more engaging quicker. It was a little long. Tight is still important.
Second Place
Homeplace
NPR
When Sarah Hoskins started taking photographs in the tiny towns around Lexington, Ky., she hoped to bring a historic part of America's post-Civil War past to life. Ten years later, she's become part of the community she came to observe.
Producer: Claire O'Neill
Photographer: Sarah Hoskins
Reporter: Jacki Lyden
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Comments
Again, starting off with text is too easy. The story can unfold without using text. Good use of cuts to each picture; good use of the map, but moving "in" instead of "out" seems to make more sense. The nat sound could have been better by taking advantage of some of the interactive situations within the pictures. For example, audio of people talking to one another in a scene. Think about audio in "scenes" for character building, which will strengthen the story.
Third Place
Creating Art From Haiti's Rubble
Affliation
WHaitian sculptor Andre Eugene not only continues to create art post-earthquake but is newly inspired. As he creates sculptures from scraps found around town, art provides Eugene a way to (literally) be constructive amid rubble - a way to interpret profound loss and find meaning in the day-to-day.
Photographer, Producer: David Gilkey
Audio Editor: Laura Krantz
Senior Supervising Producer: Keith Jenkins
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Comments
We were drawn to the strong photography and a unique story that talked about hope amid the ruin and gloom. Again, the story didn't need to start with text and there were a few too many moving pictures. The storyteller was engaging, but we longed for more nat ambient sound - kids working on art work and playing perhaps - to add texture, build character(s) and to build the story.
