Why I enter wedding photography competitions
I’ve been a qualified member of the Master Photographers Association (MPA) for some years now. Joining a professional qualifying body was always part of my business plan to confirm my status within the photographic industry and give my clients an assurance of quality. Becoming a qualified member requires references, proof of sound business processes, professional insurance, and passing a photographic examination. However, I don’t want that to be the end of it. I want to continue to improve.
I have photographed hundreds of couples but it is always my aim, on every wedding or photo-shoot, to get something I would be proud to put in my portfolio. In short, I’m always trying to do the best I can or better. One way of doing this is to regularly submit my photos for critique and judging. For the past year I have been entering the MPAs monthly wedding photography competition. This is a UK-wide competition showcasing some of the best wedding photography of some of the best professional photographers working today.
Nearly every month I have collected an award for my work (I was too busy in December because the deadline was new year’s eve). I should also mention that we are only allowed one win per month, no-matter how many great photos we might have. Mostly I submit newly completed work from the previous month even though the rules state the work must be less than 12 months old. So, while my entries are a “best-of” they are the best I’ve done in the last few weeks. I am extremely proud to receive these awards, not just because they are difficult to achieve but because I also hope they show the consistently high quality of my work and the level at which I am working right now. This the standard I aim to maintain and improve upon every month, every week, and every wedding.
I hope you enjoy my award-winning portfolio below. I have also included my images which have won awards at the MPA Scotland Annual Awards the last two years running too.
You can also visit my portfolio to see more here.
