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I was very honored to have two images from my year-long project on F-16 fighter pilots recognized in the top 25 images of American Photo Magazine’s “Images of the Year” photo contest. My image of Staff Sergeant Joseph Imeraj (foreground) and Technical Sergeant Daniel Bateman of Colorado’s Air National Guard 120th Fighter Squadron returning from a tour in Iraq was the contest’s Photojournalist Runner-up. This is one of my favorite images, as it was an incredibly powerful experience witnessing 250 airmen welcomed home by a large crowd of loving family and friends. I was wiping tears away while shooting these airmen embracing their loved ones for the first time after a 60-day tour in Iraq. This image was made using a Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III camera and a EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens at 1/25th sec, f/6.3, ISO 400.

The second image of an F-16 fighter pilot flying above two other fighter jets during a training flight in Colorado was the Personal Project Runner-up. I shot this image from the backseat of an F-16D fighter jet using a Canon EOS 5D Mark II camera and a EF15mm f/2.8 Fisheye lens at 1/200th sec, f/5.6, ISO 200.

The images were taken for an assignment on the fighter pilots of the 140th Wing at the Buckley Air Force base in Aurora, Colorado for the July 2010 issue of 5280 magazine.

I was very excited to hear that Southwest Airlines’ Spirit Magazine received four Pearl awards from the Custom Publishing Council for their June issue on former Marine Corps medic Jacob Hyde and his service dog Mya. I had the incredible opportunity to spend time with Jacob and Mya and photograph them for the touching piece “How Mya Saved Jacob.” The magazine won a gold award for best cover and best feature article (for another article in the issue) and silver for the feature article “How Mya Saved Jacob.” The issue also won a bronze award for best overall design award. The CPC created the award to honor excellence and success of custom publishers, namely magazines, web publishers and newsletters.

Many congrats to Spirit Magazine and to writer Kate Silver for her excellent piece on Jacob and Mya. To read the feature story “How Mya Saved Jacob” and see images from the issue, please click here.