CPOY 2008 winners announced

The annual contest marking the best work coming out of college photographers announced their picks for 2008.

A lot of familiar names on there and a few really gripping images to.

Although some of the images left me scratching my head, I won't name names but how it is in one breath we denounce overdoing toning in photoshop (Patrick Schneider) and than at the same time applaud those who have obviously done the same with contrast ratios and levels?

And in some of the stories I can't see a narrative thread. Yes all the pictures are extraordinary and I'm better for seeing them, but where is the storytelling?

This is a touchy subject, and I'm trying to be very careful in what I say as not to appear bitter or elitist. Well, first I didn't enter so I can't be bitter and I'm a nobody so I have no reason to be an elitist. (So that's settled.)

All the folks that won are obviously talented and I'm very glad I clicked on the pictures, don't get it twisted, I'm just thinking out loud here.

On another note, it's nice to see some of the multimedia work coming out of schools these days. There is so much cool, moody, thoughtful, informative, intimate and at times inspiring work to check out. I haven't even got through it all yet (there's so much!) but I can see there are some really nice projects there.