Photography Awards and Achievements
Andrew Bowen, M.Photog., CPP
Photography is a career of life-long learning. And sometimes, along the way of learning, your peers bestow some honor and recognition upon your art. While it is nice to say that I am an award-winning photographer, the real accomplishment is the learning along the way and the artists who have graced my studio and enriched my life.
Master of Photography
Earning my Master of Photography (M.Photog) Degree from Professional Photographers of America (PPA) highlights my photography career. The multi-year effort required accumulating 12 PPA-approved education credits by attending several classes and earning 13 merits in International Print Competition (IPC). With the results of IPC 2020 (judged in October), I accumulated the required merits. I am thrilled and humbled to have the work that I create for clients be judged so favorably and amazed by how much I’ve learned in my journey. Thank you to everyone who has been part of the journey thus far, and I look forward to seeing what new worlds we create together.
“So many people have taught, challenged, inspired, and provided reality checks along the way. I have been privileged to learn from amazing artists and business professionals throughout my career. I look forward to many more years of inspiration and challenge. Thank you, Emme, for being an honest and generous guide along the way, taking in a time-challenged neophyte, and making him feel worthy. Most of all, I want to thank my wife and daughter for their love and support throughout the time of success, doubt, expense and mental thrashing along the way”
-Andrew at 2021 Degree Ceremony
During the Covid-19 crisis, I chose to do something I had been putting off: becoming a Certified Professional Photographer through PPA. The certification process includes a test that assesses the photographer’s knowledge of a range of technical skills, including lighting and light, color theory, camera operation, optics, lens behaviors, and editing tools. There is then an image submission that demonstrates the application of your technical skills. I am proud to say that I passed my exam on my first try with 96% and had my images accepted on my first submission.
International Print Competition
Since 2016, I have participated in the Professional Photographers of America’s International Print Competition (IPC). IPC is a juried competition where images are judged against 12 factors, including impact, presentation, technical skill, and overall impression. Each year, only four images may be submitted for consideration. While not required by rules, all submitted images are work that I have done for clients.
The merit means that the judges have deemed the image to be of excellent quality and artistry. Some photos are considered to be exceptional and are selected to be part of the Imaging Excellence Collection (which was renamed from the Loan Collection in 2021). The official IPC presentations are then held at the Exhibition at the Imaging USA Conference held in January of the following year.
- As of the 2021 IPC (held in September), a total of 16 images have been accepted.
- In 2021 my submissions received a bronze designation for having all four photographs judged for merit. Only about 10% of photographers receive this designation in a given year.
- In 2021 I received Top-10 designation in the portrait category of the Southeast District Print Competition for my image “Heart of the Sunrise”.
- In 2020 my first images were accepted in the Loan Collection, which represents the absolute best of the photos for the year.
- In 2019 I received a bronze award at IPC for having all four of my photos merit.
IPC Merit and Image Excellence Photos
Pas de Deux Photography Competition
Pas de Deux is a photography organization dedicated solely to dance photography. In 2020, it held its first photography competition, with incredible judges including photographers Andrew Eccles and Lois Greenfield, along with dancers Jacqueline Green and Lloyd Knight. In an international field of over 2000 entries, I’m pleased to have had all of my images awarded as finalists.
The 2022 competition in February was incredible! With teen photography separated from general studio photography, the teen dancers were no longer in direct competition with the pros. Andrew Bowen Studios took home the 1st and 4th place awards in Teen Dance Photography, along with the 8th and 9th place awards in Studio Dance Photography! Twelve other images were considered finalists. To cap it all off, we earned 8th Place in the Overall Grand Prize judging. I am grateful to the jury of Ashley Bouder, Melody Mennite Walsh, David Cooper, Levente Szabo, and Phil Livingston for their favor.
Innovation + Design Show
I received the People’s Choice Award in the Photography Competition at the 2021 I+D Show in High Point, NC. Innovation + Design is a furniture design competition under the hospices of the International Society of Funiture Design. The photography competition required taking a piece of furniture from the show and photographing it in an interesting way. This 6-foot pendant lamp by Ashoke Chhabra (ashokechhabra.com) was an obvious first choice, and incorporating a dancer into the design was a foregone conclusion.