Michelle Siu Named Tom Hanson Photojournalism Award Winner

TORONTO, Feb. 2, 2012 /CNW/ - The Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) and The Canadian Press are pleased to announce the winner of this year's Tom Hanson Photojournalism Award is Michelle Siu, a freelance photographer who caught the eye of the judges as an applicant the previous year and who will be joining The Canadian Press for a six-week internship this summer.

"I'm excited for the challenge of working for such a wide audience, for The Canadian Press and with their talented photographers, "says Siu, who is based in Toronto. "As a young new photographer, there aren't many opportunities to hone your skills and learn from more experienced photographers so I'm humbled and surprised to have this chance."

The jury, which included veteran photographers and members of Tom Hanson's family, reviewed a high number of submissions from early-career photojournalists. Heide Glorieux-Kaspar, Tom's mother and a member of the selection committee, said Siu had the largest number of strong photographs in relation to the number she submitted.

"Her photos were absolutely superb," says Kaspar. "I really liked the fact that almost all her pictures showed a large amount of human emotion and told a story, something Tom would have looked for and was able to do in many, many instances. For me it was not so much how good the photograph was technically, but what it could tell us."

Siu's submission included a range of subjects from Canada, Morocco, Burundi and Rwanda.

Graeme Roy, director of news photography at The Canadian Press, said he was heartened to see the award go to a female photographer, "given that women are underrepresented in our professional ranks."

Last year's winner Aaron Vincent Elkaim spent last summer with The Canadian Press photo team, shooting a range of subjects from the Rogers Cup to the death of Jack Layton to the Toronto International Film Festival. After finishing with The Canadian Press, he has been working as a freelancer on a major project in Alberta.

Siu will be presented with the award at the CJF's Annual Awards Gala on June 7 at The Fairmont Royal York in Toronto. View Siu's photos.

About the Tom Hanson Photojournalism Award
The Canadian Journalism Foundation and The Canadian Press teamed up in 2009 to launch a new photojournalism award in memory of Tom Hanson, an award-winning photographer who travelled around the world and across the country, shooting some of the most iconic news and sports images of the last 15 years. The Tom Hanson Photojournalism Award offers a six-week paid internship at The Canadian Press head office in Toronto for a photojournalist in the early stages of his or her career. For details of the award, visit http://cjf-fjc.ca/awards_tomhanson

Wendy Kan, Program Manager
The Canadian Journalism Foundation
[email protected] or 416-955-0630

Graeme Roy, Director of News Photography
The Canadian Press
[email protected] or 416-507-2167