As a creative we constantly want to do better and have doubts about our work. As a perfectionist and a creative this can be even tougher. I am a serial learner, always striving to improve my craft and in turn give a better, more valuable experience to my clients.
One of the ways a photographer can get validation of their work is by entering awards & accreditation programs. I personally started this last year just to confirm that my work was to a professional standard and so far I am very happy with the results I have achieved. I am still all very new to this and entering awards is a whole new learning experience.
I have entered The Portrait Masters awards 3 times now and I have received an award for every photo I have entered and my average score has also increased each time I have entered. These international awards are judged by a panel of Master Photographers and they determine whether your work is of a professional standard. I am also working towards my “Associate Photographer” level of accreditation within this group and although I know this doesn’t mean an awful lot to clients, it does give them the reassurance that they are in good hands.
I have also entered a couple of monthly awards programs and have received gold, silver & bronze awards and even won the overall judges choice award
Chasing awards was never the reason behind my photography but it not only gives validation, it also pushes me creatively, challenges me to think out of the box, to learn new editing skills and to create stories in my photos so for this reason I will continue to enter them.
The two images below were awarded 'Bronze with Distinction' and are my highest scoring images from The Portrait Masters awards so far.
Who knows maybe you will feature in my next entry to these awards
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