MPPA News

Detroit Free Press photographer Rashaun Rucker was named Photographer of the Year by the Michigan Press Photographers Association March 2 at its 55th annual Pictures of the Year contest. Rucker, 29, is the first African American to win the award, which celebrates a year’s worth of exemplary visual storytelling.

“I almost cried,” Rucker said. “Even though I won, this is recognition for all the people at the Free Press who helped me throughout the year.” Rucker’s body of work in 2007 included a months-long project documenting the care, abuse and impact of pit bulls in metro Detroit, the release of Nathaniel Abraham from prison, and a photo-video package on feather bowling.

Jeana-Dee Allen of Flint, a student at Michigan State University, was named the College Photographer of the Year for the second straight year.

Steve Jessmore, formerly of the Flint Journal, won the prestigious Barry Edmonds Michigan Understanding Award for his photo column, “Sense of Community.” Jessmore is now the Photo Editor at the Sun-News in Myrtle Beach, SC.

Ryan Wood of the Midland Daily News was named Photo Editor of the Year, also for the second straight year.

The contest was judged by: David Stephenson, photojournalist at the Lexington Herald Leader, Sue Morrow, deputy director of photography at the Sacramento Bee and Chad Stevens, a multimedia specialist at MediaStorm. The contest drew 1,554 total entries from more than 20 newspapers around the state of Michigan in 22 photography, editing and multimedia categories. 105 people entered the annual contest.

All of the winning images and pages are available here.