Award of Excellence: Vincent Alban
This premier category is open to all photojournalists -- independent, agency, wire service, or newspaper photographers. The spirit of this category is to honor a photographer who documents their own community. At least 60% of their portfolio must consist of local or regional coverage from their home or organization’s primary geographic market.
Absence
In 2021, Rochester was one among 16 cities across the country to break its record of homicides in one year. The community is reeling from grief, but many residents are working to turn the tide of the nationwide problem, a little bit at a time. What remains after the high emotion of a shooting is deteriorating corner memorials, life-size cutouts of victims, and the long, hard struggling days for the family and friends left behind after the loss of their loved one.
Father
A legal gun owner, barber, and activist are a few of the hats that Devon Reynolds wears as a community figure in the Maplewood neighborhood of Rochester, N.Y. but most importantly, he is a father to four young boys. The motivation to open a barber shop and a food pantry all comes down to the legacy he wants to leave for his sons. “They are my reincarnation,” said Reynolds. “To see myself reincarnate before I die is a blessing.” Reynolds felt the need to obtain his pistol permit in 2020 as a means of protection, which he received in 2021. “There’s a high volume of crime, a low volume of compassion, and I have four boys I have to get home to.”
Mother
“My kids’ fathers aren’t present at all, not one of them,” said Jasmin. “It’s sad to know that two of them have the opportunity to be there and they’re not, and the one that was there, got killed.” Zy’Rah Hernandez-Ruffin was 8 months old when her father was killed in a shooting. She never got to know him, yet her mother, Jasmin Vega, goes the extra mile to make him present in her life in whatever way she can, through stories and stuffed animals. As a single mother, her day-to-day life can be hectic, but Jasmin is dedicated to making sure her children grow up to be successful, including insuring that each of them are given the best education that she can find.
