Last night Cath & I attended the 2015 AIPP EPSON Queensland Professional Photographer of the Year Awards at Hillstone, St Lucia. I had scored well in the Landscape Category over the judging weekend and I was hopeful that after 11 years of entering the awards I might finally have avoided the runner-up title. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride so to speak. Over the last 10 years we have won QLD Photographic Artist of the Year x2, QLD Wedding Album of the Year x3, QLD Wedding Photographer of the Year, and Highest Scoring Print… but never the category I love the most – Landscape.
The first award to be announced was the 2015 AIPP QLD Epson Signature Worthy Award which is chosen by the major sponsor, in this case Bruce Williams from Epson, and is an image which most impressed them. I was surprised but proud to have one of my landscape entries chosen as the winner. Bruce’s words describing how the print ‘spoke’ to him was very exciting to hear because many people have commented on this image also and it seems to have a universal effect on the viewer. This print scored 95/100, a Gold Distinction.
I had only got back to my seat without even sitting down before the winner of the Album/Book of the Year was announced, and again I was up on stage to collect this award for my radical book entry. I will reveal some images of the book very soon. Finally we get to the Landscape category and I’m just absolutely at maximum stress point but thankfully I snagged it and was so proud and elated to accept the award. Phew!
However the best was yet to come, and I had no idea. When they announced my folio as the winning folio overall and thus me as the 2015 AIPP EPSON Queensland Professional Photographer of the Year… well my face must have been hilarious to look at. First shock, then some sort of grimace like a ‘don’t lose it’ face. I just held it together enough to get the right words out and of course all thanks goes to Cath. I also have to thank Epson and all the associated sponsors for supporting the awards and the AIPP. I would also like to thank the overwhelming volume of congrats from my associates, friends and the always reliable support of my parents.
What a night! Here are the images for you to enjoy and of course limited edition prints will be for sale which I will have info for shortly. I know one or four are going on our wall at home! Enjoy!
