Vital Statistics

In my excitement and LACK of patience I didn't wait to look through NZ Geographic to get all the statistics on the Photographer of the Year Competition. So here are some pretty cool stats taken from the magazine to show you what Sam was up against:

"Two Thousand, four hundred images were entered in this year's New Zealand Geographic Photographer of the Year competition, from nearly 1000 different photographers"

"This year, the Society & Culture category (Sam's Category) was particularly strong. The potent image of a young boy beneath a billowing Tino Rangatiratanga flag on Waitangi Day...In each case, timing was crucial and the presence of the photographer didn't intrude on the scene, even if he or she was in close proximity. This was life captured as it happened, and the candour made each image stronger."

I didn't even explain the picture and the significance. Waitangi day is in February and is a public holiday where ceremonies are held by the Maori people (the indigenous people of NZ) and the white people. It is interesting because there was an agreement made to take the land from the Maori people years ago and this day "celebrates" it. It is a controversial subject as you can imagine. And many times Maori people DO NOT like white people taking their pictures or being in their faces on this day. It is a very heated topic in the country. Sam's ability to be stealth and blend in making one on one conversations quietly while valuing the person is what makes him a GREAT photojournalist. This was definitely the case this day. He was up at 5:30am (an hour that rarely sees Sam's face) and he ran up the Mount, where a ceremony was being held, because he was a little late and didn't want to miss anything. This wasn't an assignment just something that Sam saw was a story that needed to be told. This little boy was at the top of the Mount over looking the city. He was absolutely WIPED out that day, but the shots he was able to get were breathtaking.

The flag the little boy was holding is the Maori Flag (Tino Rangatiratanga is the official name of the flag). It has, as well, been a hot topic in politics with questions as to whether the flag should be an official flag in NZ. The picture is great, and the story behind it speaks to the heart of NZ.

All in all it is a bit surreal for Sam (and me) still. He has copies of the magazine and was also given a movie poster size print of the front cover we want to frame and a smaller print of his image with the NZ Geographic logo and the caption he submitted with his picture. It has yet to come out in stores, but to walk by the magazines and see his photo sitting there on one of the, if not the best, magazine in NZ is going to definitely be a moment to stop and thank God for blessing Sam with gifts and allowing him to walk in his dream.

Click here if you want to look at Sam's website more.