Jury picks the best of Estonia's photojournalism in 2002

Tallinn, Feb 20, 2003. A jury of the Estonian Newspaper Association on Feb 5 picked the best of Estonia's photojournalism in 2002.

The best news photo of 2002 is a photograph taken by Rauno Volmar of Eesti Päevaleht at the Centre Party's election night celebration after the local elections in October 2002. The photo depicts the Centre Party Chairman Edgar Savisaar observing the dance presentation of some sexily clothed girls. According to the jury, the photo, which was published in Eesti Päevaleht on 22 October, has masterfully caught one of Estonia's leading politicians from
an unexpected perspective.

Photo by Rauno Volmar

Of the news photos published in regional newspapers, the winner was Tartu Postimees photographer Ove Maidla with the photo depicting a sheep farmer with her sheep as they were surprised by the early snow. The photo was published on 10 October.
 

Photo by Ove Maidla

In the feature photo category, SL Õhtuleht photographer Tiina Kõtsini's photo series of a public paid-for toilet in Toompea was considered the best. The series depicts a woman using the back wall of the toilet, which cost a controversially high sum of 2.3 million kroons to be built, to release herself. The series, which was published on 17 January, has captured an embarrassing moment which as such becomes a multi-layered symbol of the present state of the Estonian society.
 

Photo by Tiina Kõrtsini

Tiina Kõrtsini's series faced considerable competition from Ingmar Muusikus's photo series depicting the Teelahkme residence area which has been ironically dubbed the new Lasnamäe, named after the infamous area of tower block houses in Tallinn. The photo was published in Eesti Ekspress's Reporter supplement on 11 April.
 

Photo by Ingmar Muusikus

Eesti Päevaleht photographer Rauno Volmar's portrait of 'Aunt Maali' was also highly ranked in the feature photo category. This was the last ever photo taken of the symbolic heroine of the Estonian media, who has become a unique representation of common people.
 

Photo by Rauno Volmar

Eesti Päevaleht photographer Marko Mumm's photos of the Youth Song Festival, published on 1-6 July, were also considered masterful in their vivid details.

Among the feature photos published in regional newspapers, Ants Liigus's photo was selected the best. The photo showed a pig at an exhibition in Pärnu as both as an exhibit and as a viewer. The picture was published in Pärnu Postimees on 13 April.
 

Photo by Ants Liigus

Altogether, 38 news photos and 38 feature photos were sent in to the competition. It was for the first time in the six-year history of Press Award photo contest that the news photo and the feature photo were awarded separately.

The award for the news photo of the year was 10,000 kroons and the news photo of the year of regional papers 2,500 kroons.

Members of the Jury were the following: photographers Tiit Veermäe, Toomas Volmer and Meelis Lokk; Roosmarii Kurvits, lecturer of newspaper design; Kertu Ruus, editor of civil society newspaper Foorum and Tarmu Tammerk, managing director of Estonian Newspaper Association.
 
Estonian Newspaper Association