PPA International Print Competition

June 12-16th found me heading to Atlanta, Georgia, to judge the International Print Competition for the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) www.ppa.com. was one of 50 judges selected from a total list of only 125 qualified jurors who, over a four-day period, judged over 5,500 entries from PPA’s 20,000 plus members.

We broke new ground this year by scoring all the prints digitally using an Apple iPad as our key pad. All the print scores and judging stats were sent to a central server via our own wireless network in each room. Pretty cool! We already judge digital albums, but next year we will have digital prints as well.

To become part of this esteemed group of jurors, I first had to become a Master Craftsmen Photographer with PPA, then judge for many years at the local, state, and regional competitions, followed by completing a series of judging classes, and finally a review of my background and submissions of my work for review by other judges. Over the years, I have also had many opportunities to judge the international print competition for the Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI). By judging these international print competitions, I get to see thousands of prints from photographers around the world. This allows me to stay in touch with the latest trends and styles in photography and, most of all, to always provide fresh perspectives and ideas for my clients.