Halftime horns and hoops (October 2019) by Caleb Melville

At the National Scholastic Press Association awards ceremony, held virtually on the afternoon of Nov. 21, 2020, as part of the NSPA/JEA Fall National High School Journalism Convention, senior Caleb Melville earned first place in the nation for feature photography in NSPA’s Photo of the Year competition. Caleb won for this picture of the Blue Brigade performing at halftime of the varsity football game at Seguin High School on Oct. 18, 2019. How does it feel to be a national champion, Caleb? “It’s surreal at the moment, but it’s a great feeling after trying for so many games to get the perfect shot,” he said. “I gotta say it’s definitely easier to take a good picture when you’ve got a good subject.”

MacJ co-adviser Dave Winter selected this image as one to celebrate on World Photo Day.

“What impresses me the most about this picture is that Caleb imagined this image before he even saw it, then made a plan to capture it and then stuck with it until he produced the picture he had envisioned,” Winter said. “It is a lesson for all photographers. Plan ahead and then be ready for the moment so you can capture it. And if you don’t get it the first time, don’t get discouraged. Be ready for the next one. Moments like this mean a lot to all of us and we have them preserved thanks to you and the other student photographer working so hard to capture them.”