Albert Lea Tribune photographer Brie Cohen won four AP awards for her photography. She competed against photographers from newspapers in Minnesota with less than 20,000 circulation.

Cohen won first place for “Prom” in the multiple images category. Last spring, she spent time with Kelli Danner and followed the senior through her Prom experience from start to finish. It took two months.

She won second place for “Fish nap” in feature photography. This was a photograph of a Cub Scout who fell asleep on Fountain Lake ice.

“Domestic violence,” a photo from a candlelight vigil, came in at third place in the general news category.

And she won third place in the spot news category for “Bridge collapse,” her photograph of the Interstate 35W bridge over the Mississippi River that collapsed last August.

“I’m really excited, especially about first place in multiple images. If there was a category that I would want to get first place in, it would be multiple images,” Cohen said.

For a project in multiple images to be good, it takes a lot of time. Cohen offered thanks to the Danner family for “trusting me and letting me into their lives for a while.”

Cohen is a solid photographer and is a key member of the Tribune team, said Managing Editor Tim Engstrom. “We are proud of her.”