AP, Getty Lead Winners in Newseum Obama Photo Contest -- New Exhibit Opens

By: Joe Strupp The Associated Press and Getty Images were among the professional news outlets to win a recent Newseum competition seeking the best images from the election and inauguration of Barack Obama.

A new exhibit at the Newseum launched last week features the top 100 professional and amateur photographs selected from a field of more than 1,500 in the competition. The 2009 FOTOBAMA international competition is sponsored by the Newseum and FOTOWEEK DC.

"For FOTOBAMA, the Newseum and FOTOWEEK DC -- a nonprofit group dedicated to promoting photography -- solicited entries from around the world and convened a panel of distinguished judges," a release stated.

Photographs have been divided into two categories: Presidential Campaign and Election, which cover photographs from Jan. 1, 2007 to Jan. 14, 2009, and Inauguration Week (Jan. 15-21, 2009). For each category, first and second place professional and first and second place amateur winners have been selected, for a total of eight awards. In addition, a "Best in Show" prize has been awarded to a single image.

The exhibit opened May 7, on the Newseum's sixth floor. The winners posted in the exhibit are:

Presidential Campaign and Election - Professional

First Place and Best in Show
Supporting Hands
Chris Carlson, The Associated Press

Second Place
Whistling While He Waits
Jae C. Hong, The Associated Press

Presidential Campaign and Election - Amateur

First Place
Crowd-Surfing to Victory
Tucker Walsh

Second Place
Trading Places
Val Proudkii

Inauguration Week - Professional

First Place
End of Anonymity
Aude Guerrucci, Polaris

Second Place
Witness
David S. Holloway, Reportage by Getty Images

Inauguration Week - Amateur

First Place
Walking the Walk
Charlie Parker

Second Place
Inauguration 2009
Graeme Jennings

The winning images can be seen here.