The National Press Photographers Association has announced a new category in their annual photography contest ‘to recognize the best work being produced by publicly accessible journalism web sites.’ Rules are here. Last year’s winners are all online here, including an environmental picture story reporting on the impact of the Blue Ridge Parkway by photographer Josh Meltzer who works with my friend Natalee Waters in Roanoke, VA. This includes not only sites affiliated with traditional journalism outlets but also independent journalism sites. The NPPA contest has represented the very best of newspaper and magazine photography for years, so this really represents a watermark moment by this type of organization recognizing the value and quality of independent photoblogging. Now, I have to look long and hard to see if something in my gallery might be worthwhile…

Photo editors have a job to do. Part of that job is to make sure of the sources of the images they publish, especially gigantical, four-column monstrosities like the one in the Calgary Herald. Great image, illustrates the story well. Trouble is, this photo is from a tsunami that hit China a few years back. It’s easily found on the web via a google search. Turns out this is a two-year-old Reuters photo of a group of people who gathered to watch some large waves, and one turned out to be larger than expected. The mayor of Calgary had the image and showed it during a presentation for tsunami aid, and the Herald asked for the image, assuming that it was a current image. Ooops. Link to apology here.

Better late than never. Here’s a link to a grand collection of Quicktime VR’s from around the world on New Year’s Eve. Sorry, none from my in-laws living room in Sarasota playing Cadoo with our 5 and 8 year old nephews.

Okay, this is whacked. Photographs printed on grass. No, it does not involve tiny hedge clippers, nor a robotic lawn mower. Taking advantage of ‘the light sensitivity of seedling grass and its ability to record complex photographic images,’ these artists are creating site installations of photos captured on grass seedlings. These are serious artists – their work is, for example, on display at Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.