The Professional Photographers of America (“PPA”) is the largest and longest-standing nonprofit photography association, and a valued and reliable resource for education, professional development, and community for more than 30, 000 professional photographers from more than 50 countries around the world. Among other events, the PPA hosts an annual International Photographic Competition. (I’ll be honest — it can be a bit nerve-wracking and agonizing to participate in photography competitions. Nevertheless, I have found that the benefits gained from participation — critique-driven refinement of photography techniques and attention to detail; honed editing skills; an appreciation for image presentation aesthetics; and, with any luck, recognition of one’s work — ultimately outweigh any downsides.)
With respect to the PPA International Photographic Competition specifically, photographers may submit a total of four images to be judged by a panel of esteemed professional photography jurors. If each one of a photographer’s four entries receives a merit award from the jury, the photographer earns a Bronze medal. During PPA’s 2021 International Photographic Competition, only 58 photographers were named Bronze medalists, and I am incredibly honored to be among them! I was disappointed not to be able to attend PPA’s Grand Imaging Award ceremony this year to see my images exhibited in person (this was the first time in many years that PPA’s annual conference and exhibition was held in the Washington, D.C. metro area!), but I am very grateful for the recognition, and am excited to be one step closer to my Master of Photography degree. 😊
