The time has come and gone. Here we are at the end of October 2015, and the Canon Australian Professional Photography Awards are done and dusted. This weekend just gone, is the weekend that many photographers make the journey to the awards judging. This year it was Melbourne, and Melbourne knows how its done.
Its a journey that is not taken lightly. There are months of preparation. Preparing the award prints, having them critiqued by amazing artists and judges, making infinite changes and adjustments, then to throw them in the reject pile, followed by pulling some out again. In one day, I can go from loving a print and being so amazed that I created it, to being ready to give it to my 6 year old to use as a placemat for his Spag Bol. And then somehow, it works its way back in the maybe pile.
When our 4 prints are finally perfected down to the tiniest of pixels, we have them matted, stick an id on the back, package them into the print case and pop it down to the post. The whole time in the line up at Australia Post I was second guessing what I’d done. It goes behind the counter and its gone. The next time I’ll see that case is when I’m back at home, either celebrating or commiserating.
So this year it was a bit of both. I did celebrate my two lovely silver prints below. And then there was the 78 and 77 (unawarded, although I did see mention the 78 is bronze, I still call it unawarded). It is ironic that my lowest scoring image had become my favourite, however, I digress…
Without a doubt, this years judging was the toughest I’d seen. This is as it should be. The standards are getting higher, making us, as photographers, better.
This is the best part – I have come to realise that it is through this process and this weekend, above all others, that I grow as an artist. I become better at my craft, I develop my skills, I improve my creative eye. In addition, my hunger for growth increases tenfold.
The awards process makes me a better photographer, and I can’t get any better award than that.
Silver Award, APPA 2015
Silver Award, APPA 2015
This was the infamous 78, otherwise known as standard professional practice. And yes, that is my daughter the scary book reader.
And here was the 77, also standard professional practice. Daisy the dog is gorgeous, and was not the intended subject of my photography session, but a by-product of seeing the light at the right time. She was born to pose!
And now, what will I do next year….