6 October 2005
The judges of the 2005 British Professional Photography Awards have finished their mammoth task of appraising the 3,000 plus entries, which included the popular Consumer Awards. This is the second year of the Awards, following a successful debut last year. The Awards are a joint venture between the British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP) and the Master Photographers Association (MPA).
The judging panel was chaired by Roy Lewis and was made up of 11 eminent Fellows who hold disciplines relevant to each category. The panel sat for 23 hours to make their final selections and decide on both the British and Overseas Photographers of the Year. The Mario Acerboni Wedding Photographer of the Year was also selected from final panels that had been submitted.
Each image was judged according to the criteria set out in the rules and given a score out of 100. Any print that achieved a score of 80 points or above was awarded a Merit. All judges were given the opportunity to talk at length about each of the images that were in contention for a category prize. A vote was then taken to decide the winner, with awards of excellence being given at the judge's discretion.
Roy Lewis had this to say about the judging: "It's been a marathon session for the judges, but it was definitely worth it. The eventual winners of both the UK and the Overseas categories were really outstanding. The BPP Awards hold massive credibility for the winners, not just in Britain, but across Australia, Europe and the Far East, so I'm sure each winner will feel the benefit of winning such a great award."
Colin Buck, MPA Chief Executive, added: "It was very encouraging to see so many submissions from newly qualified members; some of them very strong contenders for the top awards. A lot of Licentiates have done very well."
The winners will be unveiled at the prestigious Awards weekend which takes place over the 15th, 16th and 17th October 2005 at the Hilton National hotel in Coventry, with the main Awards Dinner taking place on the evening of the Sunday 16th.
The weekend also features an impressive array of seminars, hosted by some of the world's top names in photography including The President of Professional Photographers of America, Anne Monteith. Weekend Seminar Passes, which enable the holder to attend all the seminars, lectures and the trade exhibition that will take place over the weekend, are available. These are also being made available to non-members for the first time. The cost of the passes is just £25 + VAT.
Those requiring information on membership of either organisation, or the BPP Awards should call MPA on 0845 130 9700 or BIPP on 01920 464011.