An International Award
I won something! I only submitted 13 photographs at some point last year, as I wasn’t at that stage too sure about how Pixoto worked.
So, it’s really gratifying to come in the top 10% of wedding photographs from around the world on the site (and another two images of mine came in the top 20%). And doubly gratifying in that is the signature image I chose for the front page of my web site!
There were over 150,000 photographs submitted, and over 10 million (!) votes cast by the viewers on the Pixoto site.
The result is here on the Pixoto site
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Scotland’s top award winning photographer
Some great news from the International Wedding PhotoJournalists Association – I have just been awarded 2nd and 9th place for two wedding photos I took this year. The judges – who included two Pulitzer prize winning photographers – were kind enough to say “Simply said, this image is a wonderful moment ‘noticed.’” and ” This image was a tough contender for first place.” Full comments are below, beneath each photo.
Ironically, both these images were taken at the English wedding of James and Twanette. Yet under the points system used by the Wedding PhotoJournalists Association I am now, jointly, the top award winning photographer in Scotland (along with my colleague Nick Kirk from Glasgow.)
You can see all the results – and some truly inspiring wedding photography from around the world – on the WPJA web site.
JUDGES COMMENTS: Wow, a black cat at a wedding? Has to be one of the more interesting moments I’ve seen at a wedding and it’s perfectly framed in the center so the cat is silhouetted with the bride’s white dress behind it. Love the element of the groom’s expression as he looks back. The flowers to the right and left nicely frame the photo.
JUDGES COMMENTS: An image like this might not have as much meaning to some cultures, but for many, a black cat crossing your path is considered a sign of bad luck. This image was a tough contender for first place. I’ve judged photos at some of photojournalism’s top contests – including this one and I’ve never seen a more forebodingly funny image from a wedding. Let’s face it, getting married is scary enough, but when a black cat strolls past the frame, one has to wonder what comes next. The groom gives the cat a rather smirking smile. I know what he’s thinking.. “Blame it all on the cat.” At least in this case, the black cat brought better fortune to the photographer who captured a fun moment with excellent lighting and composition.
(Personally, I always believed that a black cat crossing your path was good luck!)
JUDGES COMMENTS: Here’s a photo that rests in the confidence of a moment. Moments are the life blood of great photojournalism. They don’t require a great deal of technical fuss other than abiding by the “laws” of basic photography. However, they do ask us to be sensitive and aware. They ask us to notice. Simply said, this image is a wonderful moment “noticed.”
I think this comment sums up my approach to Wedding Photography: I’m sensitive, aware, and I notice what’s going on!
How much should I expect to spend?
There’s a fantastic blog piece by one of the UK’s top wedding photographers, explaining why you get what you pay for:
The Price of Wedding Photography & How Much Should I Expect to Spend?
I don’t charge anything like the author (I wish I could!) but the principles are the same. The wedding photographers fee is not just for his or her work on the day, it’s also for all the other work involved that goes into making up a superb memory of the day.
An International Wedding Photography Award
Well – sort of. I’ve just been awarded 18th place in the Wedding PhotoJournalists Association quartery competition. Eighteenth doesn’t seem much to boast about, but it is an international competition, and there’s an awful lot of very, very good photographers around the world! Including my colleague Nick Kirk from Lanarkshire, who was awarded 4th place.
The photo below was taken at Gemma and James’ wedding at Wedderburn Castle, and was entered in the ‘creative portrait of bridal party’ section.
You can see all the award winning photos on the WPJA site.
An Award Winning Photograph
I’m not one to blow my own trumpet for 8th place, but as this is an International competition, it doesn’t seem so bad!
The International Wedding Photojournalists Association said this about my photograph from Joanne and Rich’s wedding at Thainstone House Hotel near Aberdeen:
“JUDGES COMMENTS: One of my very favorite photographs. What a terrific moment, excellent composition and use of light that together capture the ambiance of the place and a child’s perspective of the event.”
Full results are here on the WPJA site.
