AWARD-WINNING

Every year, the Professional Photographers of America conducts an international photographic competition to select outstanding images in categories such as portraits, wedding, landscape and nature, pets or animals, newborns, and commercial.  Photographers from all over the globe compete to have their images selected into the prestigious Image Excellence Collection publication.

What does it take to get your photograph into the prestigious Imaging Excellence Collection? A selected team of esteemed judges review each on 12 criteria.

  1. Impact.  Viewing an image for the first time always evokes feeling.  Sometimes they force us to look inward at ourselves. That’s called an impact, and the more powerful the image, the more powerful the emotional response of the viewer.
  2. Technical Excellence.  This is the print quality of the actual image itself as it’s presented for viewing. There are a lot of aspects that speak to the qualities of the physical print. These can include Retouching, Manipulation, Sharpness, Exposure, Printing, Mounting, Color correction.
  3. Creativity. Your point of view is exactly that– yours. And it’s unlike anyone else’s. This element speaks directly to that perspective. It shows your imagination and how you used the medium to convey an idea, a message, or a thought to the viewer. This is how you differentiate yourself from others.
  4. Style.  There are many, many ways to apply this element to your work. Maybe you use light in a specific way on a subject, or maybe you make a technical decision for the express purpose of underscoring desired impact. When subject matter and style come together in an appropriate manner, the effects on an image can be spectacular. 
  5. Composition.  When all the visual elements of an image come together to express intent, that’s when the magic of composition happens. Good composition captures a viewer’s attention and directs it where you, the artist, want it to be. Depending on your intent, you can make something that pleases the viewer– or disturbs them.
  6. Presentation.  How you showcase an image is just as important as how you compose it. Everything in the presentation should work to enhance your image and not distract from it. Keep this in mind when choosing mats, borders, and everything in between.   
  7. Color Balance.  Proper color balance can bring a sense of harmony to an image. When the tones all work together to support an image, the emotional appeal is that much greater. But color balance doesn’t have to be used to bring harmony to an image. You can use color balance to evoke any number of feelings from a viewer. 
  8. Center of Interest.  This is where an image’s creator wants a viewer’s attention focused. Sometimes there can be a primary and a secondary center of interest. Sometimes everything in an image will work together to create that center of interest.
  9. Lighting.  The use and control of light influences every aspect of an image. It informs dimensions and shape, it sets tone and mood, and, like every other technique, proper lighting can be used to enhance your image while improper lighting can detract from it.
  10. Subject Matter.  Even though it lacks words, your image is still telling a story, and your subject matter is central to that. So, make sure that your subject matter is right for the story that you’re trying to tell.
  11. Technique.  How you choose to execute your image is key. It’s also a holistic decision. Technique informs everything in the creation of your image. From lighting and posing to printing and presentation, it all works to show off the techniques that you’ve mastered and applied to your craft.
  12. Story Telling.  What does your image evoke in a viewer’s imagination? What do you want your image to evoke in a viewer’s imagination? Keep in mind: You are creating art. And while the act of creating is a personal thing, so too is the act of viewing. Your image is a story, and the one it tells your viewer may be one you never knew you were telling.