OK, Mistress will do….. only kidding! I was recently conferred the Master of Photography degree by the Professional Photographers of America, which is the highest honor in this worldwide association of more than 22,000 members! It is one the most prestigious awards that can be earned in professional photography. Begun in 1937, PPA Degrees are professional recognition of accomplishment in photographic competitions for those individuals who have consistently excelled in the peer-judged PPA International Print. Artists all have our own paths to perfecting their art and their craft. Print competition has always been one of mine. Year after year, it has forced me to look at my work more critically and develop the skills needed to grow as an artist. I remember when I started doing competition I would sometimes not score as highly on an image that I loved. I would get angry at the judges, of course, but when I brought out the image a year later, I would see their point and I would grow. A wonderful compliment that I received last year from a judge was, “here is a photographer that knows the “rules” so well, they can break the rules, and it works”. As artists, we don’t always want to believe there are “rules”, but by internalizing them, we no longer have to think about them. Art is an ongoing process for me, always searching for perfection and never quite achieving it. I’m treating myself in 2010 and I’m not doing competitions. Sort of a little break! I’ll be back in 2011 to do competitions again, not for the glory but for the growth.
