Smiley Pool

Recipient of the Star Photojournalist of the Year award in The Charles E. Green Awards (2015)

Smiley Pool
The Dallas Morning News

Judge’s Comments:

“The Star Photojournalist of the Year award goes to Smiley Pool for his unique perspective in covering stories that could have just as easily been documented with conventional images. For instance when making a hot weather feature, often the bane of a photojournalist’s workday, Mr. Pool goes under the surface of the water to show a young boy swimming toward the outstretched hands of his father. Or when covering a flood, he brings an artistic view to a spot news story by finding an elevated position (whether aerial or a geographic high point) for an overall view of a washed out roadway. His patience allowed for the perfect placement of pedestrians within the frame, and with the curve of the road, it all adds up to an interesting photo that also tells a story. A youthful yearning for ice cream makes for a wonderfully delightful photo. Mr. Pool had the foresight to be inside the ice cream parlor while not forgetting what is happening outside the door. Again, it shows patience pays off when seeking a telling moment. The lost helmet tackle is a great moment, as is the more subtle image at the dog park.

While some might argue a large market offers far more opportunities for making strong images, it’s how each assignment is approached, and how the photographer seeks out a different perspective, or waits for a significant moment, or works to dig below the surface that really matters. Smiley Pool has a portfolio that shows all that and more. He has a strong eye for detail, a working knowledge of equipment that helps him translate what he sees into a lasting image, and the ability to watch, reflect, and react.”

Cliff Schiappa
Development Director,
Heartland Men’s Chorus
and former AP photo editor

Cliff Schiappa’s career as a photojournalist began in high school at a weekly newspaper founded by Walt Whitman in his hometown of Huntington, NY. He earned his bachelor’s degree in photojournalism at the University of Missouri and spent two summers interning at the Providence (RI) Journal. He was a stringer in college for the Associated Press, covering mid-Missouri. Upon graduation, Schiappa served as contest coordinator of Pictures of the Year, and his first full-time job was as a photographer and photo editor at The Kansas City Times which included a major project about non-military foreign aid. He also documented the changing culture of the Missouri Ozarks. Schiappa began a 23-year career with the Associated Press in 1984 as a photographer, digital technology advisor, assistant bureau chief and Midwest photo editor based in Kansas City.

He covered major stories including the summer Olympics in Seoul and Barcelona, papal tours of the United States and South America, presidential campaigns, conventions and inaugurations, Hurricane Katrina, 1993 Midwest floods, the Final Four, World Series, Super Bowl, Goodwill Games and 8-man football in southern Kansas. In the early 1990s Schiappa visited newsrooms of 120 U.S. newspapers, teaching journalists how to operate the LeafDesk, the first electronic darkroom that transformed the industry. He was among the first to use digital technology, including digital cameras, film scanners and transmitters. In 2000 in Kansas City, Schiappa became the first AP photographer to be promoted to an assistant bureau chief position. In 2004, Schiappa became Midwest photo editor responsible for AP photo coverage in 13 states. He has received top honors from the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, National Headliner’s Award and the National Press Photographers Association. Schiappa has served as a member of the board of directors of the NPPA and a trustee at the William Allen White Foundation at the University of Kansas. He is a board member of Literacy Kansas City and is employed as the development director of Heartland Men’s Chorus where he also sings low bass.

To see photos from Smiley Pool’s prize-winning coverage, please click the links below:

Smiley Pool Photos Part 1
Smiley Pool Photos Part 2
Smiley Pool Photos Part 3
Smiley Pool Photos Part 4
Smiley Pool Photos Part 5 

Judge’s Comments:

“The Star Photojournalist of the Year award goes to Smiley Pool for his unique perspective in covering stories that could have just as easily been documented with conventional images. For instance when making a hot weather feature, often the bane of a photojournalist’s workday, Mr. Pool goes under the surface of the water to show a young boy swimming toward the outstretched hands of his father. Or when covering a flood, he brings an artistic view to a spot news story by finding an elevated position (whether aerial or a geographic high point) for an overall view of a washed out roadway. His patience allowed for the perfect placement of pedestrians within the frame, and with the curve of the road, it all adds up to an interesting photo that also tells a story. A youthful yearning for ice cream makes for a wonderfully delightful photo. Mr. Pool had the foresight to be inside the ice cream parlor while not forgetting what is happening outside the door. Again, it shows patience pays off when seeking a telling moment. The lost helmet tackle is a great moment, as is the more subtle image at the dog park.

While some might argue a large market offers far more opportunities for making strong images, it’s how each assignment is approached, and how the photographer seeks out a different perspective, or waits for a significant moment, or works to dig below the surface that really matters. Smiley Pool has a portfolio that shows all that and more. He has a strong eye for detail, a working knowledge of equipment that helps him translate what he sees into a lasting image, and the ability to watch, reflect, and react.”

Cliff Schiappa
Development Director,
Heartland Men’s Chorus
and former AP photo editor

Cliff Schiappa’s career as a photojournalist began in high school at a weekly newspaper founded by Walt Whitman in his hometown of Huntington, NY. He earned his bachelor’s degree in photojournalism at the University of Missouri and spent two summers interning at the Providence (RI) Journal. He was a stringer in college for the Associated Press, covering mid-Missouri. Upon graduation, Schiappa served as contest coordinator of Pictures of the Year, and his first full-time job was as a photographer and photo editor at The Kansas City Times which included a major project about non-military foreign aid. He also documented the changing culture of the Missouri Ozarks. Schiappa began a 23-year career with the Associated Press in 1984 as a photographer, digital technology advisor, assistant bureau chief and Midwest photo editor based in Kansas City.

He covered major stories including the summer Olympics in Seoul and Barcelona, papal tours of the United States and South America, presidential campaigns, conventions and inaugurations, Hurricane Katrina, 1993 Midwest floods, the Final Four, World Series, Super Bowl, Goodwill Games and 8-man football in southern Kansas. In the early 1990s Schiappa visited newsrooms of 120 U.S. newspapers, teaching journalists how to operate the LeafDesk, the first electronic darkroom that transformed the industry. He was among the first to use digital technology, including digital cameras, film scanners and transmitters. In 2000 in Kansas City, Schiappa became the first AP photographer to be promoted to an assistant bureau chief position. In 2004, Schiappa became Midwest photo editor responsible for AP photo coverage in 13 states. He has received top honors from the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, National Headliner’s Award and the National Press Photographers Association. Schiappa has served as a member of the board of directors of the NPPA and a trustee at the William Allen White Foundation at the University of Kansas. He is a board member of Literacy Kansas City and is employed as the development director of Heartland Men’s Chorus where he also sings low bass.

To see photos from Smiley Pool’s prize-winning coverage, please click the links below:

Smiley Pool Photos Part 1
Smiley Pool Photos Part 2
Smiley Pool Photos Part 3
Smiley Pool Photos Part 4
Smiley Pool Photos Part 5