KOMU's Scott Schaefer receives photojournalism awards

Scott Schaefer won honors from the National Press Photographers Association.

By Angela Case

Published Feb. 20, 2009

As a journalist, he's covered magic trees and Vietnam. Outside of work, he bakes and plays the organ. And now KOMU/Channel 8 videographer Scott Schaefer is a nationally recognized photographer.

Schaefer won three awards from the National Press Photographers Association, which were announced late in December 2008.

The association holds quarterly regional TV photography contests, and in the fourth quarter of 2008, Schaefer won first place in one category for his "Honor Flight" clip. He also received top honors in another category for "Magic Tree."

At the end of the year, the points received by each photographer are added up to determine the Regional Photographer of the Year. Schaefer placed third overall in region seven, which encompasses Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. While Schaefer has won quarterly awards in the past, this is the first time he has placed in the yearly competition.

KOMU news director Stacey Woelfel said Schaefer is the first KOMU photographer to win the Regional Photographer of the Year award.

Schaefer also has other talents besides photography. He is an accomplished pianist and organist. One of his most high-profile jobs was in 2006 and 2007, when he played at a series of St. Louis Cardinals games at Busch Stadium.

KOMU executive producer Holly Edgell said Schaefer often treats his coworkers to his musical talent.

"We have a piano in the studio, and occasionally he'll bring music and a bunch of us will sing along to his tunes," she said.

Schaefer said "Honor Flight," which profiled a program that raises money to fly veterans to visit war memorials in Washington, was a difficult story to cover because of the fast-paced nature of the journey.

"I followed them through a day trip," he said.

Although it was hectic, the story had emotional moments as well.

"Some of the World War II veterans don't have the finances to fly to Washington, so seeing their reactions to the memorial built for them was very touching," Schaefer said.

"Magic Tree," which covers the Magic Tree created by Columbia resident Randy Fletcher, was also a challenge, Schaefer said.

He said he spent more time on "Magic Tree" than he has on any other story in his career.

"The whole process took two-and-a-half months," Schaefer said. "I went out there about 15 times. I ended up with four-and-a-half hours of video."

Woelfel also said the story stood out among Schaefer's works.

"The 'Magic Tree' story was better than anything I've ever seen him do," Woelfel said. "It really showed his dedication and commitment."

Schaefer said the two award-winning stories stood out for him among his clips.

"They were both difficult," he said. "I think they were both very good efforts."

Schaefer, who began working at KOMU in 2001, is one of the youngest photojournalists to receive the award.

"He's really competing against people who've been doing this for 10 or 20 years and in much bigger cities, such as St. Louis and Kansas City," Woelfel said. "It really shows off his talent."

Schaefer said he was honored to receive the award despite his age.

"It's always a good feeling to know that your stories are good enough to be compared with what the most experienced photographers are turning out on a regular basis," Schaefer said.