But this morning, I woke up to the WPJA Q4 results. Still groggy from waking up…I started scrolling through the list of winners and found my name listed! I had only previously entered one WPJA contest early last year (winning images post here), but made it a point to enter the Q4 contest after some friends suggested I do so- Photographers from all over the world enter this contest and it is a real honor to have an image place 1st!

So much to do today after being gone for a week, but before I get on with work today, here are the two winning images!

1st Place – Creative Portraits
This photo also won an Award of Excellence at WPPI this year. (see blog post below)

JUDGES COMMENTS: Very clever. Technical is excellent–it could have been sharper, that’s true, but in this case that could have hurt the image. The soft nature of it emphasizes the dreamy quality of the situation. Great lens selection. This works because it has room to breathe.

JUDGES COMMENTS: This image involved creativity, planning and perfect execution. The couple illuminated in the separate elevators were placed perfectly against the graphic of the building.

3rd Place – Cake Cutting

JUDGES COMMENTS: Cutting of the cake is secondary to girls faces. I love the way it’s composed. The two hands and knife cutting the cake frames the girls faces, and lined up nicely.

JUDGES COMMENTS: The photographer made a great choice to focus on the kids watching the cake cutting. I mean, who really cares about the cake? Kids, that’s who. You get a two-fer on this one. Foreground and background. The B&W probably saved this picture from being really distracting color-wise.

Another photo of mine won an [AG]WPJA award early this month.

8th Place – Kids (being kids)

Judge’s Comments: I love the little girl up on her toes. Nice moment.

Thanks for reading…and here’s hoping for more consistent blogging here on out! =)