If there were only one competition I could enter each year, my choice would be to enter the WPPI International 16x20 Annual Print, Album + Filmmaking Competition.  This prestigious contest not only celebrates the art of printing in this digital age, but provides entrants with valuable, carefully considered and articulated feedback on their work and the work of others.  Judging is open to anyone attending the WPPI conference, and if one is lucky enough to attend the judging, it is like a master class on steroids; a group of the industries finest photographers and educators give feedback on each image for *everyone's* benefit.  I have attended the judging several times and on certain occasions found it to be the most useful photographic education I received all year.  I was sad to miss the competition judging and WPPI conference and expo this year.  It overlapped with a trip to photograph in the Serengeti.

I was especially disappointed to miss the awards ceremony because to my utmost surprise, I received 3rd Place in the Portrait-Animals category for my photo entitled "Waiting"!  I had received the news a few days earlier that the photo had earned a Silver Distinction award, but it hadn't occurred to me that an image could actually place with anything less than a Gold.  If I had known my image was going to place, I would have flown to Las Vegas just to cheer loudly for myself and walk across the stage like a rock star!  Ha ha!  (Probably better that I wasn't there...)

Indeed I was ecstatic about my performance in the competition this year.  7 of my images were recognized and 6 hung in the competition's gallery; 4 with a Silver Award and 2 with Silver Distinction Awards.  I earned an additional Silver Award in the In-Camera Artistry category for a raw digital image with no post-processing.