I almost gave up...

I almost didn’t enter…

I almost gave up this year…

I really didn’t like how they changed the rules in the middle of the fight…

Today, I’m talking about image competition, specifically, Professional Photographers of America’s International Print Competition. In what would have been my 8th season… they changed the rules.

I have always said I compete because I know of no other way to improve in my craft as quickly or as thoroughly as through competition with other professional image creators. There is no single class, or group you can join, or program you can follow, that will demand excellence from you in the same way. And I strive for excellence!!! 

The awards were secondary. They became a way my clients grew in their trust of me. It isn’t “Kat is at the best photographer in Prairie City” or “Kat is one of the best in Iowa!” It became - “Wow! Kat is recognized internationally as a fantastic image maker!”

The awards were against an industry standard, and even if it was difficult, the criteria was clear: create images worthy of recognition and be recognized. 

But this year, there is no award against a professional standard. (That got moved to a new thing called Merit Image Review - a story for for another day.)

This year, only the Top 32 images in each category would be recognized, and then they would be judged head to head. Yikes!

That was when I almost gave up. My first thought was, “Why would I bother? What are the chances of me being in the Top 32 in a sea of thousands of images…”

And then my friend Allison Russell reminded me, “We do it anyway.”

We do it for ourselves. We do it for our clients. We do it because we value excellence.

So I got back to work. I created artwork I was proud of PERSONALLY, and do you know what happened? It was recognized PROFESSIONALLY.

I am so thankful to be able to share that I am a 2024 Finalist in the International Print Competition in the High School Senior category!!! The next round of judging begins January 9th and I’m on the edge of my seat… 

But no matter what the final results, I am proud of the work I created.

Do you know someone who would benefit from our unique approach to excellence in portrait art? Most of our first quarter is behind the scenes marketing work for individuals and businesses who care deeply about their professional image, especially executive teams that want to represent their companies as best in class! If you know of a company that could use our expertise in making every person look their best in pictures, I would appreciate an introduction!

With much love this New Year,

Kat