Because, yes, I certainly needed to waste even more time just days before the deadline by writing a blog post…
What’s in your case?
Some of you have your cases entered and shipped.
Some of you don’t.
Some of you are looking at the calendar and counting backwards from Thursday night at midnight.And being a lot more optimistic than you ought to be.
My friend Ted said this morning “I’ve got TONS of time.”
Yeah, buddy, I’ll be checking back with you about 10pm on Thursday. I bet you’ll be singing a different tune, then.
Pot, meet Kettle, because I’m pretty much frozen in place this year. I still have not committed to my 4th entry. I have three sealed entries from the Northeast District, but one didn’t cut it, and I’ve got a decision to make. A rather complex decision, it turns out.
Part of me wants to just fling the 79 into battle and be done with it. My patience with competition this year is wearing thin. It has seemed like an incredibly long competition year, and I’m ready to wrap it up and move on.
Part of me wants to drag this out until the bitter end, the last possible minute, and I’ll be pushing the deadline hard, creating one last outstanding entry…
Why?
Because I set a pretty big goal for myself this year, and I’m not quite sure I’m going to achieve it. I’ll be honest – I’m scared of failing. Every year I want to beat my performance from the year before, and when that doesn’t happen… it’s a little bit embarrassing; humbling, even.
It’s a way of keeping myself on my toes and making sure I don’t get too big for my britches at the same time, I guess.
So – my quest to kick my own rear end… is kind of kicking my own rear end. But, I’m sure it will pass. Hopefully. Before Thursday would be good.
I imagine I’m just on a bit of image competition overload – go figure, right? Besides eating and breathing print competition, I speak, judge, write and teach it. And it’s been a very busy year for all of those things.
I know I’m not in a frame of mind to make my final decision right now, so I’m just waiting…
One of the benefits of joining professional photography organizations is the opportunity to meet and network with fellow professionals. Over time, those connections you make may develop into more than just “fellow members.”
I’d like to tell you about one of those connections.
Robert Kunesh, M. Photog. MEI. Cr., CPP
I don’t remember meeting Bob, but I remember always knowing who he was.
There are always those, especially in print competition, whose names are bandied about often enough that you know they are within the backbone and framework of the accomplished artists of the organization. They are the ones that have been around long enough to know everyone. The ones that have been in the industry longer than you’ve been an adult. The ones that go up front to accept a trophy. And then another. And another.
They are the ones with more letters after their name than in it. The ones with so much bling around their necks that you wonder how they stand up straight.
They are the ones you respect, admire, and more often than not, envy.
They are the ones you want to be like when you grow up. (I think we might be in a little bit of trouble if this pans out.)
Bob is more than a photographer. He is an artist. He is a teacher. He is a mentor. He is a friend. We have taught together, laughed together and worked together. He’s been beside me at the teaching podium and behind the curtains at print competition judgings. He’s my convention date when our spouses don’t attend and the one I call to share good news.
IUSA 2015 – PPA Charities “Boots & Bling” event.
He has inspired me to become more than a photographer. Because of him, I am embracing the concept of photographic artist.
I am grateful to have met him and thankful that he has played such an important role in my growth as an artist.
He recently was the subject of a short film by Ryan J. Koppelman: Beyond Passion.
Glimpse into the mind and work of a man who has given me much to think about…
*****This post is SAFE for 2015 IPC/GIA Judges*****
It is done. The whirlwind that is PPA District competition season is over.
Thank. Goodness.
SIDEBAR: In addition to entering two districts, I spoke and judged at the state conventions for Montana and West Virginia as well as worked the Ohio Convention/Northeast District Competition. *whew!* Obviously my time management skills need refined in a major way – my hat’s off, once again to the judges that have done this for years, you obviously have this down to a science and possess superior organizational skills.
For you results oriented folks – the official results are HERE.
For you number-crunching geeks – by my calculations (unofficial, of course) there were 959 total entries, 439 scored 80 or above (45.78%) and 520 (54.22%) did not. There were seven 100’s. Seven.
Yes, I know that IPC has yet to open, but that’s a whole other blog post all by itself. I’ll get to that later.
And now, for a story:
My first PPA-level competition was the 2010 Mid-East Regionals. It was the last year before PPA reorganized us into Districts.
Back then, image competition was prints only, and I remember that I ordered 11 physical prints of 4 image files in order to get my final case of 4 entries. I don’t know if money was growing on trees back then, or what, but I ordered multiple copies of almost every image. Some on different papers, some from different labs, and some were reprints after making “one last tweak.”
I had absolutely no idea what I was doing.
Five years later, in 2015, I prepared to enter the Northeast District with quite a different set of circumstances.
I had changed my attitude about print competition a number of times over the past year. I tried a variety of new things. Probably too many. OK, definitely too many. Like the kid in a candy store, I flitted from one shiny thing to another until I’d made myself quite dizzy. And sick.
In my twisted journey of discovery, I went in so many different directions that I wound up with 8 possible images for Northeast District. I’m sure some are envious of such a “problem,” but for the artist in me, it caused me great consternation.
I had absolutely no idea what I was doing.
Again.
By the time I whittled those eight down to the final four, my case was a reflection of the turmoil I’d felt as an artist over the past number of months. It was split down the middle. Two color images and two black and whites. Those who know my work, know me to work almost exclusively in black and white portraits for competition.
But this year, I was questioning… my art… my self… my style…
For the first time my case did not contain four portraits.
For the first time, I created images as an extension of my soul – from anger to annoyance to spite to heartbreak; I can point to each image and tell you what corner of my heart it came from. Some of it was a pushing of my technical skills and some of it was just pushing my heart.
For the first time I paid for someone else to retouch and print some of my entries. I’ll get to that later, too.
For the first time I entered in other states’ competitions as a non-member. Yet another topic we’ll chat about later.
For the first time I entered more than one district. My scores at Northeast were 88,83,82, and 79. I took the 79 , changed it and added in 3 more portraits to make a case for Southeast District, where the 79 blossomed into an 85 and the three portraits got 80’s.
I still wound up with 2 competition prints I didn’t use at all. And I have this perverse need to reprint the 79/85.
And at the end of it all, I still have no idea what I’m doing.
Or at least it feels that way.
I feel a little sorry for the 3 80’s from my SEPPA case. I feel like I just orchestrated a print competition version of Survivor…
Yeah, I sent you guys to tribal council. Sorry for your luck, you’re outta here.
Although I have not made my final choices for my IPC 2015 case, I have narrowed the field and here are the images that did not make the cut.
These two orchids were shot in 2014 and reworked so many times I’m just tired of looking at them. Since the bulk of my work is low key portraits, I know these high key florals are just about the exact opposite and some of my meh attitude is that they are so different from the norm. They don’t interest or excite me. I don’t know – they really never had a chance. They never made it into comp. They’re the old maids of image competition. I also worked them up and had them printed VERY early, like back in December-early, so they were at a bit of a disadvantage to begin with. Poor little things – at least they have each other…
Orchid 1 – RejectedOrchid 2 – Rejected
Next up for eviction are these three portraits. The each scored an 80 at SEPPA (not my district so they didn’t “seal”) but for me, an 80 isn’t a strong enough score to indicate to me that it’s the best choice as the 4th image for my IPC case.
So, torches have been extinguished for:
Jonathan, the tribe has spoken…Bryon, the tribe has spoken…
and last, but not least…
Kyle, the tribe has spoken…
Stay tuned for the next episode of Survivor, IPC 2015 …
Second in the self-portrait series is artist Amy Feick from Port Huron, Michigan. Amy is a Master Photographer, Certified Professional Photographer and operates Twin Shutterbug Studios. Amy shared her images with me during her post-processing workflow and I must say how intrigued I am by the influence that songs and lyrics have within her work. Although the end result is a two-dimensional image, it’s interesting to me that an additional art (music) played a large hand in its creation.
*****
“Held by My Demons” by Amy Feick. Feick utilized this image at her state and district competitions in 2014.
1. Tell about your main comp image. Why did you create it? What about yourself were you trying to say?
A few years ago, I created a self portrait expressing how I feel bound and silenced by photography sometimes. At IPC, it failed to merit. At the time, I was encouraged by Christie Kline to try again the following year with another self portrait. Until this point, most of my competition entries had always been client work. Instead of improving the same image, I wanted to try for a different story. Throughout my life, like many people, I’ve turned to music to help express what I’m feeling. I’ve always been drawn to introspective lyrics, and this is what inspired my image.
“I wanna feel the change consume me, Feel the outside turning in. I wanna feel the metamorphosis and Cleansing I’ve endured within My shadow.” *
*lyrics by Tool, “46 & 2”
While the inspiration comes from the whole song, these lyrics just gave me a starting point to visualize how I felt inside. There is that strong desire for change, to let go of the past, but the fear keeps me held in place. As women, we tend to find all of our flaws, and magnify them. I’m a very modest person by nature, and it took a true leap of faith for me to be willing to silence my fears and allow myself to be bared (soul and otherwise) for the story I wanted to tell.
2. How did you execute the shot?
I used a self timer, but a remote would be much easier. I’d set a stuffed animal where I knew I was going to be, auto-focus, then turn it to manual. I’d take about 25 shots in each set, and then review. One of the hardest things was to make sure the light made sense. The light couldn’t be too pretty, even though this was a fantasy piece.
3. Tell us about your post processing & presentation. Print or digital ?
Print. Always print.
I had a lot of little pieces that got composited together for the image. A hand from this frame, face from this one, etc. I created the demons in Corel Painter, and then overlaid them in Adobe Photoshop. I have several layers of texture added, including the cracked texture over my skin. I faded the lower half of my body to black and white, to help symbolize the emerging from the dark.
4. The journey of this image through comp. Different levels you put it through, scores, challenges, advice for changes & any changes made, competitor angst while waiting, etc..
This is not the image I ended up sending to IPC in 2014. I had entered “demons” first at our state competition. Putting an image of yourself out there is harder than entering any other image. It’s YOU getting critiqued. My goal was entirely self expression, what it scores is just the icing on the cake.
At PPM it received a score of 87, and had much discussion. I listened to several of the changes suggested, but chose to ignore others. One suggested changed was the expression- it was much too complacent for the image. That expression was exactly what I was going for, so I chose not to change it. I didn’t want a pained expression, I felt like what I was trying to express wasn’t a pained feeling.
At districts I changed the title and made a few other tweaks. The title change proved to be fatal. The image scored a 78. The title was a big part of what held it back per the critique, but so was the expression. Title is very important to the story you want the judges to see!
I went to work trying to photograph a more pained expression for the image, finally willing to give in. In the process I decided that my first image told the story I wanted it to tell, and I didn’t want to change it. Since this image was about self expression more than it was about what it would score, I decided to not make any changes and leave it as it was. In that decision, I knew I also didn’t want to send it to IPC.
The image I did submit to IPC, Almost Broken, gave me the same sense of self expression, without having to compromise what I wanted to be in the Demons image. Broken is much more simple. It did merit at IPC, but failed to go Loan. I didn’t get the critique because I had three seals, so I don’t know why it wasn’t loan. It could’ve come down to paper choice, or many other factors. There are a few tweaks I could’ve made, but since I shot this image 2 days before the late deadline, I didn’t have time.
“Almost Broken” by Amy Feick. PPA 2014 General Collection.
5. How you feel about this image now? Did you successfully execute your plan and convey your message?
During PPM competition one of the judges said that he could really relate to the image. Who hasn’t felt held back by the things they keep inside? I think in both images that what I was trying to accomplish was done.
I’ve done quite a bit of healing thru the process of self portraiture and I’ve discovered things about myself I never knew. I don’t love images of myself, and it’s been a goal of mine to learn to be okay with being photographed. I’ve had others tell me that these two images have resonated with them. These things are more powerful than any score or award.
*****
Thank you, Amy for sharing your creative process with Wootness readers.
If you or someone you know would like to be featured in this series, please email christine@wootness.net for consideration
One of the great things about image competition is that you can utilize it to challenge yourself in a variety of ways. When I teach my print competition classes, I talk about the variety of ways I’ve challenged myself – but one of the challenges that I respect wildly, but have yet to approach myself is that of creating a self-portrait competition entry.
Over the course of the last few years, I’ve learned of a number of artists that challenge themselves in this way and I’ll be bringing you their stories – let’s call it a series, shall we?
The first featured self-portrait guest competitor is Master Photographer, Photographic Craftsman and Certified Professional Photographer Christie Kline from Illinois featuring her 2014 image competition entry “Soul Salvation”. (WEBSITE)
Why did you create it?
I have made it a competition goal to do a self portrait every year. This portrait is meant to show me and where I am in my life at that moment. We all experience different things through life. Some people are a closed book and some are wide open. I experienced something at a young age that destroyed me and my walls built up and I was a closed book for many years. Two years ago there was the start of a transformation a “salvation”. We all have insecurities, these insecurities could have formed from things we have gone through? Being told you aren’t good enough, your body isn’t what it should look like, being bullied in grade school. All these “things” we go through make us who we are and then you have a life changing experience that is just the icing on the cake. The book that was written starting at a young age closed up and had a dead bolt on it. We have the freedom of waking up and making choices. I woke up and made the choice to face this all head on. Facing those demons that you kept in for so long and opening that book. The image “Soul Salvation” is so many things for me. It was me putting my self out there like an open book. Realizing these experiences I had gone through have made me who I am. Embracing who I truly am and loving myself. In the midst of all this coming to know who I really was, I met and fell in love with a man that supported me, loved me, pushed me,trusted me and this was the most freeing amazing feeling I have ever felt. He was a huge part of “Soul Salvation”.
How did you execute the shot?
I had the idea of what I wanted. First time attempting I was on a dark background, with the white cheesecloth and my studio strobes. 142 exposures and I wasn’t happy. It simply wasn’t what I had in my head. Frustrated at the time I just let it be and walked away from it for a few months. Second time attempting I stained the cheesecloth, chose a lighter background and used window light. 190 exposures in I thought I had to have had something in there I was happy with. That lucky 178th image was it! When I do my self portraits I setup the camera on a tripod and place a full length mirror in front of the tripod. For this image I had a background stand setup above where I would be standing, that is where the material used hung from. I use a tiny remote when doing these. You have to focus your camera on something where you will be then go to that spot. If you do not use the remote in a certain amount of time you have to start over.
Where do you hide the remote ?
For this specific image the remote was in the cup of my right hand. It is not easy to hide I have learned over the past couple years.
Post processing & presentation. Print or digital?
After I did my normal retouching to the image the manipulation began. I switched my hands from a different image to get it exactly how I wanted. I had to straighten the material above me. To get the long and skinny composition I had to stretch the image a bit. Made the image black and white pumping the contrast making the highlights and shadows more pronounced. Added a tiny bit of grain. Then I made a new file the same size as my cropped image making the background white. Bringing my original file on top of the new file and lowering the opacity down to 50% for a faded black and white. I printed on a watercolor paper and did a simple double white mat on top of that.
The journey of this image through comp. Different levels you put it through, scores, challenges, advice for changes & any changes made, competitor angst while waiting, etc….?
I usually take advantage of all the levels of competition to get a good feel on how my images will do. This time I skipped the state comp and went into district. I am a print competition junkie and I love going and watching front and center at the actual competition. Receiving a text message saying your image “Soul Salvation” is now in que to be judged. My heart started pounding from deep within, palms starting to clam up. Sitting there and every time they read a title anxiously awaiting for your title to be read… about 10 minutes later the turn table starts to rotate with the little sliding noise we all know all too well and the Jury Chair reads “Soul Salvation”. There it is… in front of the panel of judges that is going to place it into a category by putting a score on it. I now feel like my heart is going to jump out of my throat, nails are digging into the leg of the person sitting next to me and drops of sweat are beading up while I watch every single judge get up and inspect the image sniffing every inch of it. They all sit down and seconds later the Jury Chair said 88. Whew, I gasped and was so excited! This was the highest score I have ever got out of the box!!! And then I heard CHALLENGE! Oh my here we go, back to my chest pounding and anxiously awaiting what each judge had to say about it. Listening to all the things they loved or disliked about the image. It is really all a blur everything that was said.
The challenged score was announced as a 98. Whew, I can breathe again. After that the judges all took a 10 minute break. We all resumed back into the room for more judging. The first thing the Jury Chair says is we have a challenged print… “Soul Salvation”…. I’m thinking, wait… what???? Oh my gosh AGAIN??? So here we go again after I had gotten my heart rate back to normal. It was one of the quickest challenges ever all the judges said why isn’t this at 100? I literally about wet myself… a 100?!?! One of my images? I couldn’t believe it. Still to this day I am in shock. This was one of the coolest most rewarding experiences I have ever had! Receiving the CPP award, lexjet award and highest scoring case for the North Central District I was on cloud 9 and in disbelief. A few months later it also went loan at the International Photographic Competition.
How do you feel about this image now, did you successfully execute your plan and convey your message?
I am very proud of this piece now. What I learned in the process is to keep trying if you do something and it is a fail… try again and try harder. I have the post it note the print committee used during the competition stuck on my computer to remind me that I can meet my goals and to never give up.
Thank you Christie for sharing your image and process with Wootness 🙂
2015 Montana PPA Judging Panel Back: Kari Douma, Allison Watkins, Robin Spencer, Christine Walsh-Newton Front: Dennis Hammon, Cheri Hammon, George Dunlap Photo credit: Jamie Walters using George Dunlap’s cell phone 😉
I recently returned from Bozeman, Montana, the location of the 2015 Montana PPA convention. Aside from the location, I could swear I’d been in Ohio, except I didn’t know any of the faces or names of those around me.
Even though I brought a camera and three lenses, this iPhone capture was the best shot of the weekend. Go figure.
It’s delightful to meet a group of people that are more friends and family than colleagues. The Montana group is on the small side, compared to my home state, but their hearts are extremely large.
This was the first time I flew to another state convention and from the very beginning, my trip and details were handled with the utmost care. Business Manager Heather Parker booked my flight and hotel and basically was a sweet little sister during the convention, always armed with a smile and inquiry as to my well-being. Even though she was supremely busy with all things convention, she still made time to check in with me. When she learned I was hankering for some cowboy bling to take home as a souvenir, she introduced me to member Lissa Barber, who facilitated a quick shopping trip to downtown Bozeman, complete with fancy coffee, rhinestones and coveting a $7000 lens at the local camera store. Thank you for your hospitality, ladies !
Heather is on the left, with member Bill Blake and incoming president Jamie Walters. Jamie was my initial contact with the Montana group and represents the group solidly; professional, detail-oriented and lots of fun. LOTS of fun! Thank you so much for inviting me to Montana and teaching me about bull puppies. I wish you the best as you lead Montana PPA during 2015/16.
Heather Parker, Bill Blake, Jamie Walters. Photo credit: Leslie Bohle
The day before judging, I was treated to a visit to the studio of Kathy Wierda. She kindly opened her doors and hosted Dennis Hammon’s class on Saturday. I was impressed and delighted by her studio. This creamy feminine corner especially caught my interest. If you have not yet visited Kathy’s studio, you are surely missing out on a good bit of inspiration, from the gallery-sized art on her walls to the expertly-appointed studio – this place is the bomb!
My favorite corner of Kathy Wierda’s Studio
Kathy was named the 2015 Master Photographer of the Year with a delightful collection of images and was also presented with the ASP Elite award. Thank you Kathy for sharing your studio and congratulations on your well-deserved achievements!
Kathy Wierda being presented with the ASP Elite Award by Jury Chair Dennis Hammon. Photo credit: Leslie Bohle
I would be remiss if I did not mention a fellow that I think deserves extra claps on the back; Ross Magnuson. Ross achieved his Certified Professional Photographer designation just three short weeks before convention. Just in time to qualify for the Highest Scoring Image by a CPP award. Which he won. And then he went on to be named Montana’s Photographer of the Year. Way to go, Ross!. That’s Wootness, right there! You are a perfect example of someone utilizing the pathway to success that I outlined in my presentation!
Ross is shown here, receiving his award from Montana CPP Liaison, Tina Haines. Tina extended a lovely welcome to me before I’d even left Ohio. I loved that she reached out and welcomed a fellow CPP Liaison and I’ll be making sure I follow her lead in my own state 🙂 [I also adored her sense of humor and wonder if the PPA knows they’re breeding stand-up comedy acts among their CPP representatives.]
Ross Magnuson, with CPP Liaison, Tina Haines. Photo Credit: Leslie Bohle
And last, but not least, special recognition goes to the young lady on the left, Melissa Reynolds. She is shown here with fellow print crew member, Rebecca. Melissa not only ran the print room like a boss, she went to the stage a number of times to accept awards for her images. Perhaps it’s the print room boss in me, but I felt a special appreciation for her. She ran the competition seamlessly, even though she was utilizing a brand new scoring system as well as running a digital competition for the first time in addition to the print competition. All while juggling the responsibilities of the mother of a newborn. You go girl! Wootness 5 star award for you!
These folks are just a few of the special ones – there were many more members who made my trip memorable. I engaged in delightful conversations almost constantly and was made to feel a real part of the Montana group, not just a visiting judge and speaker. Montana now has a permanent place in my heart and I will always be a bit of “rancher girl” deep down inside. 🙂
2015/2016 Executive Board: The Professional Photographers of Ohio
In our journey in and out of our professional organizations, we take on a number of roles. Members, committee members, chairmen, board members, executive board members. Maybe not all of them, maybe only one of them. And most likely, not in any specific order.
At some point in time, you might find yourself in a board of director’s seat. And I think it’s very important to decide, in advance, what kind of board member you will be.
Once upon a time, I was the president of a non-profit organization. A 501c3 organization. In my state there are guidelines for non-profits and one of those guidelines is “duty of loyalty.” At the end of the day, when the meetings are over, I must exit my board meeting willing to support the decisions that we made as a team for the organization. Even if I did not agree with proposal or vote in favor of whatever action we took, I supported the decision that was made by the board as a whole. I didn’t get to say “I didn’t support that”, or “I didn’t vote for that.”
When I was nominated for the position, I stood and introduced myself to the general membership. And I was honest. Very honest. I told them I’d be the one that was the pain in their rear end. I’d be the one with the policies, procedures and bylaws in my hand. I’d be the one that questioned everything.
And 9 months later, when the board voted to sweep a financial mishandling/loss/theft under the rug, I resigned. I’m a black and white gal and when areas of gray start interfering – that gets my dander up – I don’t support dancing around with rules and laws and I didn’t agree with failing to take action to address a potential theft. I quietly resigned, took some time to think, filed a complaint with the Attorney General’s office and went on with life.
Yet, here I am again. In spite of that experience, I’ve sucked it up and took the step onto the executive board at the Professional Photographers of Ohio. That took a lot of reflection.
A lot.
And so I feel the need to create my manifesto – my list of things that I will die on a hill for, or at least put up a struggle over….
I believe in honesty. In telling the truth and doing what’s right, even when it might be embarrassing or painful.
I believe in transparency. My actions and words will always align. You won’t be left wondering where I stand.
I believe in loyalty. I will do my best job for the organization I am tasked to lead. It is now a priority and I will do everything in my power to serve its needs. I am one of its protectors. A knight of its round table, if you will.
And because I believe that boundaries should be clearly defined:
I do not believe in politics. And I know about three smart-alecs just quipped in their heads about not believing in something that exists, so I will re-define; I will not participate in politics. If it makes you happy as a clam to let other people dictate how you handle something because of favors wanted/needed/owed or personal biases – then bully for you. But that’s not how it works for me.
I will do what I believe is right for the organization. Period.
So yes, I’m gonna be a pain in your rear end. I’m going to ask questions. A lot of questions. And when things don’t make sense or seem to be going against a policy, procedure, bylaw or law, I’m going to open my mouth and say something.
I have a heart, and I have empathy. But I also have a good old-fashioned conscience and a grasp on what is right and what is not.
Yes, it’s true! The PPA rules allows its members to enter any other PPA district competition for SCORE ONLY. You may also order the optional critiques. You WILL NOT earn seals and you ARE NOT eligible for district awards.
If you’re like me and like to see official proof, please go HERE to see it for yourself on the PPA website.
For those of us that aren’t all that happy with the results of the Southwest, Northeast, Northcentral or Western district results – we have an unofficial do-over – kind of – sort of. We’ve got the opportunity to make some changes or substitutions to the images that didn’t do so well, and place some alternate images before a set of affiliated judges. We can also take advantage of the critiques, which are available for an extra fee.
Now, I’d be irresponsible if I made any claim that one can be assured of a merit at IPC if one gets a 80+ score at Southeast District. For my own self – I only need one new entry for my IPC case, I’m going to see what happens at Southeast District and most likely will choose whatever scores the highest. Maybe. Because you just never know what might happen. Sometimes “different day, different panel” kicks in with more vengeance than usual and things just don’t go your way. So – take it for what it is – an opportunity to get a little more feedback on a couple of images you’re considering for your IPC case.
Now – there’s one more thing – so listen up –
I’ve been hearing a variety of folks registering for the Artist Category by mistake instead of the Photographic Open or vice versa.
READ THE BUTTONS…
There are two different links to register, one for each category – so go to the right one. Go to the PPA website to see the page with both options and then pick the right one. We’re grown adults, now, and can read, so let’s do this right, ok?
Alrighty then – if you suck it up and take a risk at Southeast District, let me know and I’ll watch with you – we will have a “I hated my district case so much I entered it twice club” viewing.
Entries open: March 23, 2015
Judging dates: May 1-May 3, 2015 Charlotte, NC
Entries close: April 24, 2015
This past weekend I had the pleasure of judging and speaking at the Professional Photographers of West Virginia’s annual convention. I can’t recall having spent a more delightful time at a convention in a very long time. I’d just finished helping with my own convention, and two days later traveled to PPWV. It was a refreshing change of pace and it seemed like a bit of a convention vacation convention. Or something like that.
I enjoyed judging the 195 entries by talented makers and was moved to tears by a special album. I was impressed by the quality of work by first time entrants as well as established Masters. I had a number of delightful conversations with members and competitors after the judging was over and was glad to be able to stay for the awards banquet and see the surprise on their faces as they were presented with placements and trophies.
I enjoyed being allowed to chat with a room full of PPWV members about print competition. For three whole hours. Uninterrupted. A very nice audio visual guy hooked up my projector and computer for me (after having a throw down with the laptop settings) so I could talk about my work. And then some more about print competition. I had a great time and hope everyone else did, too. Special thanks for those I had stand up or answer random questions, especially the PPA National Award recipients, Barbara Sullivan and David Hasselhof.
Someone arranged for me to have a set of bluegrass musicians as my subjects for the Friday Night Lights event and when I was done shooting them, they had a mini-concert right then and there! That was very cool! I heart musicians and people dressed in black and you came through with both. Yay!
I was pleased and somewhat overwhelmed by the receipt of the West Virgina Honorary Masters Degree – I will treasure the memory of such a unique ceremony. And I’ll try to forget the taste of moonshine. 😉
G. Bob’s Inappropriate Auction was rampant with antics, tomfoolery and shenanigans and of course, I owe you all a special thanks for helping me prank my buddy Ted, who hopefully has learned the advantages of showing up at his own awards banquet to pick up his trophies in the future. (He tried telling me he was shooting a wedding – It sounded kind of sketchy to me.)
The PPWV is a very unique group in that I sensed a deep degree of closeness and mutual respect among the members. I didn’t mention many names, because frankly I pretty much suck at remembering them – but rest assured, if we chatted or interacted – I have fond memories of at least your face.
Ya’ll are truly a family and I was honored to be a guest at your reunion. Thank you for making me feel welcome.
