Best news photos of 2001 selected

Tallinn, Feb 4, 2002. The photo jury of the Estonian Newspaper Association's annual press awards has selected the best news photos of 2001.

The jury selected as the best news photo of 2001 a picture by Toomas Huik, photographer for the Postimees daily. The photo, which appeared on March 16, 2001, gives a vivid story of what the board members of the privatization agency think of the judge who was presiding over this complicated court case.

A close second to the Best of the Year was a photo by Rauno Volmar, (May 10 issue of Eesti Päevaleht). The photo shows a cruel fight for cut-price TV sets during the opening of a new store. The jury also praised a masterful photo by Ingmar Muusikus in Reporter, a supplement to Eesti Ekspress. The photo shows an unusually canny expression on the face of Arnold Rüütel, who was waiting for the vote count which made him president of the country.

Among the news photos in the regional press, the best one was in the April 12 issue of Sakala, where photographer Elmo Riig had caught a humorous picture of a bear who had come to inspect how people live.

The jury also praised the photo "Mobile Seto" in Koit, in which Aare Plakk had captured a cute detail on a woman wearing traditional Seto folk costumes while campaigning against the construction of a mobile telephone mast in the region. Also worthy of merit was a discreet photo by Urmas Luik in Pärnu Postimees, which shows the mass funeral of victims who died after drinking some poisoned bootleg drink. 

The jury made the selection out of 68 photos sent in by 28 photographers.

The quality of photos was better this year, the jury noted. The photos were more tied to the news events and the accompanying articles, and more full of dynamism than in previous contests. There has also been an improvement in cropping.

The winner in the national category received a prize of 10 000 kroons, and in the regional category, 2 500 kroons, from a press contest fund set up by newspapers.

The jury members were photographers Tiit Veermäe, Jüri Vendelin and  Toomas Volmer, newspaper desing lecturer Roosmarii Kurvits and Estonian Newspaper Association's managing director Tarmu  Tammerk.

Estonian Newspaper Association (EALL)