Your 2016 Award Winning Photography Facilitators!
2016 has been full of award winning adventures for Cassie and I. Most recently has been the AIPP Australian Professional Photography Awards. This 3 day national event draws the best photographers in Australia and some keen overseas talent as well! In addition to presenting a Birth Photography Q&A Session amongst it all, I also had the honour of judging the Newborn and Birth Categories again. Judging is certainly a humbling sport, but an honour I take very seriously. I'm very keen to defend prints when I can see the merit, which is particularly usefull when judging panels are made up of photographers who are perhaps less versed in operating within the birth space!
Cassie had a stellar portfolio which resulted in 3 Silver Awards, a result which had she not been a Kiwi, would have landed her as a finalist for the Category Win!
I was particularly excited about the scores for my portfolio. Not only did I achieve the points required to qualify as a finalist for the Category, but I also obtained my Master of Photography - a goal I've had for over 4 years. With 2 Silver Distinctions and 2 Silver Awards, I was thrilled to be a finalist for the category, particularly knowing that one of my workshop participants from 2014 actually won the title this year!
The New Zealand IRIS Awards resulted in some fantastic birth photography images being rewarded with praise and recognition. Cassie Emmett's submissions told the incredible story of becoming a father, a pin sharp documentation of natural breech delivery, a big sister's tender moment with her newborn sibling, and what happens when the dummy is just out of reach. The portfolio earned Cassie a Silver and 3 Bronze Awards.
My entries into the IRIS Awards were previous submissions to the Australian Awards which had all done well. Judging is always a subjective process, yet it was wonderful to have them all score well again, earning a very respectable Silver and 2 Silver Distinction Awards.
