Amidst all the happenings in the world at the moment, I had a win, well a Bronze and it wasn’t a 32 pack of toilet paper! (At this point in writing this, I’m yet to secure one of those elusive treasures! lol!)
Last year was starting to get busy when I was diagnosed with Early Breast Cancer. I’m all good now – I’m in remission – but it slowed me down and made me see I needed to take care of myself! I was so excited to plan a few shoots for some images to submit in the Portrait Masters Awards and Accreditation.
I am so happy to say that this round I submitted 15 entries with all 15 receiving a Bronze Merit. A couple of the images we shot were planned by me, ideas I have had for a while that finally got to come to life. Other images, I let the kids plan. This is one of my favourite ways to shoot and it’s how I plan for a regular portrait session – the kids or my clients tell me how they would love to be photographed and we go from there. It turns into a fun session & the kids get to express themselves and their creativity.
The Portrait Masters Awards and Accreditation is an International competition founded by Master Photographer Sue Bryce. (check out her amazing insta page) This year there was 11,051 entries from around the world. There are nine categories, Contemporary, Family and Group, Maternity, Children, Teen, Boudoir, Newborn, Creative and Pets. Each entry is judged independently by 5 International Master Judges and each image is given a score. A Bronze, 70-79 score, indicate images have a high professional standard of technique and communication and earn .5 accreditation points. A Silver, 80-89 score, images have exemplary execution of technique and visual presentation and earn 1 accreditation point. And a Gold, 90-100 score, images exhibits excellence in all technical fields with outstanding creative communication and narrative and earn 2 accreditation points. Different competitions have different judges & scoring parameters. The Judges are looking for expression and connection, styling, storytelling, lighting, composition, posing, retouching, focus and overall technique. My goal is a Gold one day & my next step in Accreditation to being an Associate Photographer.
While entering photographic competitions is a relatively new thing for me in the last few years, I have to say, I’m loving it! It makes me think, play and work harder. It makes me study and learn new techniques and dream of images I’d love photograph, yes, I have a book with all my ideas I keep adding to! At the moment my studio is packed away (something very exciting is coming on the other side of all this) and I can’t wait to get back into creating again!
A really BIG thankyou to Nays from Miss Noir Hair & Makeup, Jules, Serena, Narelle, Elliesha, Trish, Louise and Tina for loaning me your precious children! And of course thanks to the kids… Miss S, Miss S, Miss I, Miss L, Miss, A, Miss T, Mast T, Mast M and Mast B… You are all awesome!
