top of page
Photojournalist of the Year Submission
Jon Rose
A powerful “RAHHHH” echos through the arena as Pensacola Ice Flyers goalie Sean Kuhn glides through the tunnel and out onto the ice. This is Kuhn's first time starting in net as high hopes and pressure surround him.
This photo was a lesson for me. It taught me the importance of learning an organization and their background instead of just blindly shooting. I followed the Ice Flyers as a photographer as well as a fan. I’ve had the opportunity to take tunnel photos previously, but I could feel the significance of this one as soon as I looked down at my display.
Kicker Will Reichard, Long Snapper Peter Bowden, and Punter Tory Taylor jokingly discuss the differences between NFL and college footballs at the Reese's Senior Bowl. The Senior Bowl is an invitation-only bowl game featuring players from across the NCAA to give NFL teams one final look before the Draft.
This was an incredible experience. Sports photography is something I'm passionate about and getting to shoot players that are going to "The League" was really special. I applied to be there months in advance and also connected with important Senior Bowl staff online, but I was still excited to see my credential request accepted. Shooting in the NFL is a goal I've had since I started photography, and this felt like the first big stepping stone.
Surrounded by smartphones and smiles, Waka Flaka Flame shouts “LISTEN TO THIS TRACK!” as he performs his hit "No Hands" at the University of West Florida 2022 Colchis show.
Photographers at this show had access to a narrow section between the stage and the barricade. I had crowd noise in one ear and strong speakers in the other. I could feel the beat pounding through my chest as I stood with one foot on a small stool in our section. Balancing myself and two cameras I had to find focus and shoot into the crowd from just above everyones’ head. With some skill - and an insane amount of luck - I caught the star and the emotion from everyone around him.
Daryel Garcia lets out a celebratory shout after scoring a run-in touchdown at the University of West Florida game against the Chowan University Hawks.
Sometimes it takes 10,000 shots to get a good one. When I got home and started editing my photos, I was really unhappy with my work. Out of all the shots, this was one of the only ones worth editing but I believe it's pretty special. It represents so many of the emotions within football: On the left, you have a lineman finishing his block; on the right, you see sportsmanship after the play. Dead center, you see the joy of the sport in Garcia's face as he celebrates adding six to the scoreboard.
After a long career serving the students of Gulf Breeze High School, Principal Danny Brothers is ready for retirement as he laughs with a student while he finishes some work.
This was a powerful shot for me. Principal Brothers was always loved by students and has been part of the school for a long time, even attending as a student. I personally built a strong relationship with him and he was always a big fan of my work, so I felt melancholy to hear he was leaving. I am very thankful that I was able to capture some of his last moments as principal.
A Dolphin in his natural habitat. Gulf Breeze High School football enters a new era as long time head coach Bobby Clayton is replaced with newcomer Jeff Gierke, who brings a fresh brand and new approach to build excitement around the Dolphins. Coach Gierke brought Senior QB Battle Alberson and several other starters to create a splash at Pensacola Beach.
Out of the hundreds of thousands of photos I've taken, this may be my favorite. Since I built a reputation as the "photo guy" at my high school, someone told our new head coach to reach out to me about a photo shoot because he wanted to "rebrand" the team. We got connected and came up with this concept to put the Dolphins in the water. He chose a couple of key guys and we went out to the beach one morning and just had fun with it.
As the smoke clears, Michael Fannin is seen standing atop his Mercury Grand Marquis, celebrating with the crowd as the last survivor in a 14-car battle to the death. Fannin took home the first place cash prize as winner of the annual Five Flags Speedway Demolition Derby. Fannin did almost all his damage in reverse, killing enemy engines with his trunk and rear bumper.
This shoot was different from anything else I have ever captured, but it was incredibly fun and filled with adrenaline. The smell of burning engines and oil was exhilarating. During this shoot, I stood in the infield of the racetrack, separated from the action by just a short cement barrier. My dad was at the event standing behind me as a spotter, and he actually had to yank me back a few times to avoid flying debris.
Lorelai Hart competes in a game of tug of war during the inaugural Zach Butler Sports Ability Games. This event was affiliated with the Special Olympics of Florida and took place at Gulf Breeze High School.
In my area, there are many resources for adults and children with special needs. I often volunteer with one of the organizations and have built connections with a lot of people in the scene. When I heard the Special Olympics were happening at my school I was excited to capture it.
Natalie Weiss and Jorel Laranang sing "Knowing Me, Knowing You" during Gulf Breeze High's production of "Mamma Mia!" on a silhouetted stage.
This was a happy accident. As a general rule with theatre, photography is forbidden, so as a member of the school press I got access to their dress rehearsal to take photos before opening night. When this happened I was really impressed by the lighting effects, but when I watched the show later I realized that was a technical error and the spotlight failed during that song. The actors kept the show going and it ended up causing a few very artistic photos.
Jumping off a ledge, Ryan Hoffman enjoys the Blake Doyle Skate Park, recently built and named in memoriam of a local skater.
This was definitely one of my favorite shoots. When our newspaper staff heard there was a new skate park being built down the road, I knew we needed to do a photo feature on it. I connected with my skater friend and we planned this shot out ahead of time. We found a ledge about 3 feet tall, and I laid down, camera up, on the ground right next to him. We had to find focus ahead of time guessing where his face would be. This was actually the first attempt, and none of the ones after it were even close!
bottom of page