I’ve been a professional photographer for more than 30 years. My BFA in Photography gave me a foundation, but experience, the industry, and life itself have continued to teach me and shape my craft. Photographic competition through PPA and PPANI is one of the ways I continue to challenge myself and grow.

This year across two competitions, several of my images merited and received President’s Awards, earned Honorable Mentions, and two images earned Best of Category in Portraits (Children, Teenage, Seniors), and Portraits (Groups & Families). I was very grateful for the results!

However, the awards aren’t what draw me to competition. For me, photographic competition has never really been about going up against other photographers.

It’s about competing with myself.

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Image titles:

Banner - Virtuosa

Below - The Rivalry of Sisters

Why Competitions Matter to a Working Photographer

What Makes a Merit Image?

When I enter an image into a competition, it is evaluated by a panel of experienced photographic jurors. They aren’t simply deciding whether or not they like the photograph. There are established elements used to evaluate the craftsmanship, artistry and impact of an image.

PPA identifies 12 Elements of a Merit Image:

Impact • Technical Excellence • Creativity • Style • Composition • Presentation • Color Balance • Center of Interest • Lighting • Subject Matter • Technique • Story Telling

Together, these elements look at everything from the technical execution of an image — exposure, sharpness, retouching and lighting — to how composition directs the viewer’s eye, how effectively color and presentation support the photograph, and ultimately whether the image has impact and tells a story.

That last part is important to me.

A technically perfect photograph can still leave you feeling nothing. Great portraiture should do more. It should make you stop, look and feel something.

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The image below is titled:

As She Wishes

Putting My Work Up for Critique

It can be pretty intimidating to put your work in front of accomplished photographers and invite them to examine it closely. The experience can be both affirming and, at times, a little brutal.

Let’s be honest. Your family, friends, and clients are going to compliment your work. They’re going to hit the heart, post the emoji, and gush about how nice they look in the picture you took with that good camera you have.

But if you’re looking for an honest, educated critique of your photography, listen to the professional feedback. And yes, sometimes that's not so easy.

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The image below is titled:

Modern Mona Lisa

During competition work is presented anonymously, but judging can be watched in person at watch parties, or virtually. When one of your images comes up, it somehow FEELS like all eyes are on you.

There can be a lot of emotions flying around when you are hearing your work critiqued. But with open ears and minds, there is also a lot to learn.

And that is where the real value lies.

Competition gives me an opportunity to step back from my own work, see it differently and ask myself: Could I have done this better?

Yes. The answer is always yes.

A merit or an award is wonderful recognition, but for me, the real value of competition is the process. It pushes me to look more carefully at lighting, posing, composition, expression, storytelling and all of those little details that can turn a good photograph into an exceptional one.

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The image below is titled

Some Day

Raising the Bar for My Client Work

What makes the experience of competition even more meaningful to me is where these images came from.

All of the images recognized through this years competitions were originally created for my clients — a few even came from volume picture days! These weren’t competition-specific shoots, but photographs created for real people who trusted me to capture something important to them.

There’s something especially meaningful about having the images I create while simply “going to work” recognized.

Bonus - my landscape are from personal travel. All the more reason to say yes to an adventure!

That feels authentic and organic to me — and may be what I value most about the competitions.

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Story Time

In December of 2025. I was honored to photograph the Professional Photographers of Northern Illinois' 2026 board members portrait. That image titled, Focused Together (below) merited and received the best of Groups & Families in the PPANI August 2026 competition.

A photographer, photographing photographers, is one thing. Being the photographer whose photograph of photographers gets critiqued by a jury of photographers... Well, that's on another level. Did that make me smile? Yes.

A Craft That Keeps Evolving

Another thing I love about the images that I entered into competition this year is the span of time they represent.

Some subjects were photographed only a few months ago.

Others were created more than 20 years ago.

Photography has changed enormously during that time. And I have certainly changed as a photographer.

But the fundamentals of a strong photograph endure: beautiful light, thoughtful composition, technical craftsmanship, genuine expression, emotional impact and a story worth preserving.

After more than 30 years behind the camera, I still want to learn. I still want to challenge myself. And I still want the photograph I create tomorrow to be even better than the one I created yesterday.

I’m grateful for the recognition, but ultimately, competition isn’t about the trophies or ribbons for me. It’s about continuing to learn, challenge myself and grow.

After all these years, I’m still learning, still working to get better, and I think my clients deserve that commitment from me.

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The image below is titled:

Purely on Point

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Why I Enter Photographic Competition

Why Competitions Matter to a Working Photographer

What Makes a Merit Image?

Putting My Work Up for Critique

Raising the Bar for My Client Work

A Craft That Keeps Evolving

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