This year I had a pretty successful outing at the 2013 Queensland Professional Photography Awards, with two Silvers and two Silver Distinctions, as well as picking up the category award for Emerging Photographer of the Year. With that under my belt, I had the guts to enter the AIPP Australian Professional Photography Awards for the first time. That’s a big step up – having your work judged alongside the country’s top-tier photographers is a little daunting!
A few weeks back at the opening of an exhibition of some photographer friends, Ian Poole (respected Queensland photographer and APPA judge) said one of the most important things you can do as a photographer is to nail your work on the wall and walk away. You’re not there to defend your work; your work has to defend itself. So I’m glad I have the confidence to give that a go!
As an Emerging Photographer, I may enter up to three prints in the APPAs. I’m pleased to say that two of my prints (the ANZAC memorial, and “Angry Steve” as I’ve started calling it) each earned a Silver award. My third print was only a few points off of Silver, still professional quality, but not quite medal-worthy. Could I have done better? Sure. Am I happy with how I went? TOTALLY! As high as the standard of prints at the QPPAs were, the standard at the APPAs appeared to be much higher, something my spies at the awards agreed with. Knowing a few of my prints were hung on the Silver wall next to some pretty amazing work? That’s awesome.
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I have to thank Shane from Shane McCaffery Portraits – smcportraits.com for his help with matting my prints for the APPAs. He took time out during a pretty busy time for his family, and I really appreciate it.
There was a little added bonus at the end of all that. Somehow, chance favoured me, and I was one of 6 winners of the Canson APPA Print Competition. It’s a two-day trip to the Mornington Peninsula for a Landscape Masterclass with Peter Eastway and Les Walking! (Non-photographers, those names are your cue to Ooh and Ahh.) Landscape photography is pretty challenging to me – it should be an excellent chance to learn and really push myself.
I owe my wife Wanda massive thank-yous; she helps me think, critiques my stuff, pushes me to do better, and supports me all the way. She rocks, and I love her to bits.
