NPPA student chapter of the National Press Photographers Association ritnppa@gmail.com

Last Updated: March 25, 2018 by ritnppa

Category: Portraits

Congratulations to the winners of the portrait category! Brittainy Newman won first place, Mustafa Hussain won second place, and Daniel Vasta won third place! Congratulations to all!

First Place: Brittainy Newman

Joan Fernandez Cabrera poses for a portrait as Cantata the clown in Santiago, Cuba on Jul. 15, 2017. After becoming the first Cuban circus clown to perform with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Joan Fernandez Cabrera, 30, saw that dream disappear this past May when he learned that the 146-year-old circus closed its curtains for good. He and 500 clowns, acrobats, and stage crew members were left scrambling for new jobs at the end of an era. Motivated by the American value system, he looks for success back in his home country of Cuba by joining the Cuban National Circus.

Second Place: Mustafa Hussain

Michael Lowery’s musical abilities changed after a severe stroke put him into a coma. His stroke also triggered his genetically predisposed schizophrenia giving way to a new voice, a new identity – ‘The Composer’. Michael Lowery, 48, lives in Rochester, NY and works as a custom framer at Michael’s Arts and Crafts. Lowery had a severe stroke in 2012 while at work and subsequently went into a coma for three days. Before his stroke, Lowery was a graphic and fashion designer. As a child, he played the piano and continued to practice music throughout his college career. However, after his stroke, Lowery lost his aptitude for design and struggled with speech and written word. His stroke triggered and expressed his genetic schizophrenia, giving way to a ‘second voice’ that is constantly composing music. Six months after his stroke, Lowery found himself playing pieces of music that he had never played before and mastering new instruments.

Third Place: Daniel Vasta

Florentina Mehmeti, 27, rests with her husband, Gazmend Vrankaj, 32, after having suffered a heat stroke earlier that day, in her home within the Gurrakoc Prison, Gurrakoc, Kosovo, Aug. 7, 2017. The Gurrakoc Prison is a former prison that closed during the Kosovo war in 1999 and later converted into a shelter. The building has now become home to several families whose personal and cultural history have placed them in dire need of housing. Family sizes range from 1 to 6 children, and most living quarters per family consist of 1 or 2 small rooms.

Category: 2018 What We Do