Cliff Edom 'New America Award'
First place: Melanie Burford, Ohio University

Cliff Edom 'New America Award'
First Place: Melanie Burford, Ohio University
Second Place: Chris Tyree, The Virginian Pilot
Third Place: Nancy Pastor, The WashingtonTimes
Honorable Mention: Aristide Economopoulos, The Star-Ledger

Winner's Comments:
"Wow! For once in my life, I'm speechless! :)

I can't even begin to tell you what an extraordinary honor it is to receive Cliff Edom's, 'New America Award.'

The workshops that Cliff Edom created back in 1949 is the reason I'm in America. Exactly ten years ago I came to America from New Zealand to participate in the Missouri Photo Workshop in Lexington, MO. It was through the inspiration of that one workshop that I discovered story telling and promised myself that I would one day return to America to pursue documentary photography. I have now been in America for two years, and am continually humbled by the generosity of Americans and their pride and love of their country, no matter what their background, or where they live.

Hopefully it's not the photographs you see, but rather a woman called Juli who taught me about love, loyalty and standing up for what you believe in - all through the love for her daugher Michelle.

To my friends and family at Ohio University, across America and at home who have supported me, thank you. It's been an incredible journey! To Juli, Doug and Michelle - this one's for you." -- Melanie Burford

Overall judges' comments:
"This category is photographer's dream. They don't have to travel around the world. It could be in your own back yard. You could work on it on your own
time...The ideas are all around us and it's so perfect. And that is the
kind of thing that pulls at the heartstrings. It's the kind of stories
we need to share and get out there. "The winning stories, "they're the kind of solid picture stories that photo editors love and want to have to win this award so they can be published more often." ---MICHELE STEPHENSON

About the winner:
"This shows a human-sized America... A story like this works hand-in-hand with the set of values that Edom had for himself and others...it is the type of photography that he espoused. This is the kind of thing he would have liked to see. Here you have somebody who is fighting adversity and winning. She's getting back her daughter. It really has this insight."--- HORACIO VILLALOBOS, A former student of Cliff Edom's

"It had me going from when we saw the first pictures...Reading the whole saga of this little girl, what she's been through and what her mom's been through, through this dreadful situation. And you are seeing that she still has joy in her life. She's trying to have a childhood. And here's a wonderful picture of her jumping in the in the back of the bus with the reflection, it's just perfect...The pacing is great. There's a variety in the organization and the presentation, having fun. You can see that the mother can keep the connection and there is love there. Obviously, they are very comfortable with the photographer. The photographer is sympathetic, but still stays objective. This is a very telling comment on one little segment of America. But there are so many of those. I hope it does inspire other people to find those gems..." ---MICHELE STEPHENSON