Hey, I Won a Photography Medal! See my Winning Images Here.

I am so incredibly honored to share some VERY exciting photography-related news with you!

This year I began competing, and after entering my first major competition, I was named a Bronze Medalist in the Professional Photographers of America’s (PPA’s) 2018 International Photographic Competition. This is a big deal for me, folks. It’s the most prestigious photography competition of its kind, and 5,073 photographs were entered by photographers from all over the world!

I’m so excited by this process. I learned so much through preparing images for the competition, and critiques that I received back from the judges. I feel that it really helped my skills to grow exponentially. I’m very honored to have merited all four images when entering for the first time. Only a little over half of the images that were entered received merits. It’s not as easy as one might think.

The twelve elements the judges looked for in each image are:

• IMPACT: Compelling images evoke emotion—laughter, sadness, anger, pride.
• TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE: The quality of the actual image as presented for viewing. Aspects such as retouching, sharpness, printing, color, and exposure should be spot on.
• CREATIVITY: The image is original, fresh, and an external expression of the maker’s imagination.
• STYLE: The subject matter meshes with the presentation. Style can also include the characteristic ways that an artist applies his or her specific lighting, posing, or compositional style to underscore the desired impact.
• COMPOSITION: The visual elements of an image come together to express intent, whether that’s to please the viewer or otherwise. The viewer’s attention is captured and directed where the artist plans it to be.
• PRESENTATION: The way an image is showcased gives it a finished look. Everything in the presentation—mats, borders, color choices—should work to enhance the image.
• COLOR BALANCE: Color work together to evoke feelings in the viewer. For example, it can bring harmony to an image and enhance the emotional appeal. It can also be incongruous to arouse diverse feelings.
• CENTER OF INTEREST: This is where an image’s creator wants a viewer’s attention focused. There may be primary and secondary centers of interest. Sometimes all the elements in an image work together to create the center of interest.
• LIGHTING: The image demonstrates excellence in the use and control of light, whether natural or additive. Light informs dimensions and shape, sets tone and mood, and enhances the image.
• SUBJECT MATTER: The subject matter is central to the story being told, so the subject should sync with the story.
• TECHNIQUE: The approaches used to create the image—lighting, posting, capture, presentation—work together to be effective.
• STORY TELLING: The image evokes the viewer’s imagination. While the act of creating is a personal thing, so too is the act of viewing. Each image is a story, and the one it tells a viewer may be unique to that person.

Telling a Story through Photography

In my personal opinion, story telling is the hardest part when you work full time as a portrait photographer. I fall in love with my client images for so many different reasons, and I don’t often think of it as telling a story. I only created one image specifically for the competition, and the rest were pulled from my every day work.

The image that I created for the competition was the one titled, “Never Again.” The week that I was planning to create the image was very shortly after the Parkland School shooting, otherwise known as the Valentine’s Day Massacre. I had planned to photograph a friend’s daughter, who was in high school. I live in the same county where this tragic school shooting occurred, and there wasn’t a second that went by that I didn’t think about it. I was initially inspired, like so many others, by the speech that was televised by Emma Gonzalez, a grieving Parkland student. She emitted such strength and bravery, and I was inspired by her to create the image “Never Again.”

Here are my photography images recognized for the bronze medal honor and information on the contest:

The entries were judged against a standard of excellence by 32 highly-regarded jurors, and about half of them were selected to be included in the prestigious General Collection. Only 10 percent were chosen to be included in the Loan Collection, which is published in the “Loan Collection” book. Marathon Press also publishes the “Showcase” book, which includes 365 images from the General Collection.

Want to See The Images Up Close?

My award-winning images will be on display at the Georgia World Congress Center, in Atlanta, Georgia, from January 20-22, 2019. It’s part of the International Photographic Exhibit, which is held in conjunction with Imaging USA—an annual convention and expo for professional photographers.

Here’s How the PPA Photography Contest Works:

The photograph entries are not judged against each other. Instead, they’re judged by a predetermined standard of excellence. The judges examine each image carefully and give points for each standard achieved. The highest honor an image can receive is to be accepted into the PPA Loan Collection. You must get a minimum of 85 points to be included. The Loan Collection is a big deal because it means your photos go out on tour and are displayed at photo exhibitions, conventions, and other photography events.

Each of the four images I entered achieved a high score in 12 different elements, making them worthy of Merit—a mark of quality and honor. Out of over 5,000 photographers, I was one of only 208 to be named a Bronze Medalist!

About PPA:

Professional Photographers of America (PPA) is the largest international non-profit association created by professional photographers, for professional photographers. Almost as long-lived as photography itself, PPA’s roots date back to 1869. It assists 30,000 members through protection, education, and resources for their continued success. Find out more at PPA.com.

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