State News photographers swept the category for the Michigan Press Photographers Association's College Photographer of the Year award at the organization's annual conference last weekend.
The category contains first, second and third ranking and two honorable mentions.
The MPPA honors professional and student photographers from across the state for submissions in categories ranging from feature photos to sports photos. The College Photographer of the Year award is given based on a student's portfolio of photos taken in the last year.
Journalism junior Dave Weatherwax was named 2004 College Photographer of the Year; Amanda McCoy and Clint Spaulding received second and third places, respectively.
Journalism senior Mike Itchue received an honorable mention for Sports Action, and journalism senior Tyler Sipe won honorable mentions for General News and College Photographer of the Year.
MSU alumna Mairin Chapman received second place for Portrait Personality and honorable mentions for College Photographer of the Year and Spot News.
It's the eighth year in a row a photographer from The State News has placed first in the Photographer of the Year category, and the award is Weatherwax's first from the MPPA.
He will receive the $500 Kristoffer Marc Gillette memorial scholarship.
Weatherwax won for photos he has taken at MSU and during an internship with The Grand Rapids Press.
Weatherwax said his favorite piece from his portfolio is from a photo story about a family of Bantu refugees in Lansing. The image shows two children trying to operate an old television, which, to them, was unfamiliar technology.
"It was a killer image," said The Oregonian Senior Editor for Visuals Randy Cox, who was one of three awards judges. "There was great variety within that photo."
Judges chose Weatherwax's portfolio from 12 entered by photographers throughout the state.
Cox said entries were judged on variety, excellence of work, strength of composition and editing.
Weatherwax is now in his fourth semester at The State News and currently is the photography editor. Through time and experience, Weatherwax said he's grown as a photographer.
"I used to point and shoot, but now I know that there's a lot of thought that goes into what I do," Weatherwax said. "It takes a lot of patience to get the right moment that captures the moment and tells a story."
Weatherwax said he doesn't know where photography will take him, but this summer he will intern at the Muskegon Chronicle.
"As long as I'm taking photographs, I'll be happy," Weatherwax said. "I can't imagine doing something else and enjoying it like I enjoy this."
History senior Amanda McCoy was awarded second place for College Photographer of the Year.
Her portfolio included images from her time at The State News, as well as from her internship at the Peoria Journal Star in Illinois. She also has worked at The Lima News in Ohio.
McCoy said she wants her photography career to focus on important issues about minorities that are often overlooked. During her internship at The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune this summer, McCoy hopes to do just that.
"I just want to work really hard and get some really in-depth documentary photography down there," McCoy said.
Journalism senior Clint Spaulding received third place for a portfolio that included work from an internship at The Bay City Times and a trip to New York. Spaulding will head back to New York City after graduation this semester for a photography internship with the Patrick McMullan company.
Spaulding said he wants people to take their own meaning from his images.
"I want them to leave it open to their own interpretations," Spaulding said. "I hope it communicates a feeling or an idea."
