Kris wins the Kodak Gallery Award!

Twirling - Winner of the Kodak Gallery Award and First Place Child Portrait: IPPA 2007

Anyone who knows me well knows that October is competition time. For those of you who don't know, I am a member of the Professional Photographers of America (the PPA.) IPPA (Intermountain Professional Photographers Association) is an affiliate of the PPA and was established for the Intermountain Region which includes Utah, Idaho, Colorado, Arizona, and Wyoming. Every year the IPPA puts on a three-day intensive convention for the education and inspiration of its members. There are classes, social activities, a trade show, and the print competition. Each photographer who is brave enough enters four photographs that are given a score by a panel of judges. This process can be exhilarating, or downright painful for some. I have never had the personality of a competitor, so I fall into the "painful" category. It's always difficult for me to place a photograph, in which I have invested so much time and artistic attention, before complete strangers and wait for them to tell me how I rank according to national standards. This year wasn't so bad. I received the Kodak Gallery Award for Portrait Photography with my image, Twirling.

Kodak's website says this about the award:
"Kodak introduced the Gallery Awards in 1985 as a way to honor and promote the importance and value of excellence in professional photography. The Gallery Awards are judged on a state or regional basis, with winners going on to compete at the national level for a Gallery Elite Award."

*STUNNED SILENCE* Umm..... WOW! I can't even begin to explain how cool this award is to me. Twirling also won first place in the Child Portrait category, AND I made it into the Court of Honor, which is essentially eight photographers with the highest cumulative scores. I didn't even prepare an acceptance speech. Ok, well, I'd like to thank my adorable model first, who is the definition of beauty in the flesh; Allison who gave me Painter and gives me the confidence and encouragement to continue day after day; my girls from Soderberg: you are all my kindred spirits; my parents of course, and most especially my husband who, as I was accepting my award, yelled out, "KRIS IS HOT!" I think that was almost as good as the Kodak.