Australian Professional Photography Awards 2017

What’s in a point?

After my huge success in the Queensland Epson Professional Photographers Awards earlier this year.  I decided this was the year I needed to go to the Australian Professional Photographers Awards in person.  I tallied my points and calculated that I only needed 4 more points to graduate as a Master of Photography.  Just imagine, if I was able to be awarded those 4 points, I could stand with my fellow colleagues and personally receive the red Gong I have so longed for.

So, with that thought in mind, I travelled to Melbourne for a week of networking, judging, partying and celebrations.

I entered the same images I had tested in the Queensland Epson Professional Photographers Awards, with a little hope that they would help me achieve those 4 points towards my Masters.

And, as luck would have it, I was right.  I entered 4 images into the Family category, each of the above images scoring a Silver Award, which counted as one point each to my Masters.

The next set of images contained an image of a boy in a wash tub had tested at QEPPA, and returned a similar result with a Silver Award.  My Rainforest baby was new to being judged, and I had high hopes for the image to be awarded a Silver, to count as my last point needed for my Masters.  I was granted my wish!  The image was judged to be a Silver with Distinction… I would be walking on that stage to accept my Masters of Photography at last!

Here is where the story takes an unfortunate turn of events… You see, maths is not a skill I excelled in.  In fact, I might have skimmed in by the seat of my pants which is probably how I ended up in the predicament I am about to explain.

I was sooo excited to know that I would be graduating to be a Master of Photography I shouted it to the world.  It was all over Instagram, Facebook, I excitedly told people I knew and admired… That was until I noticed my name was missing from the recipients list.  The magical list that contained all the names of the graduates who would be receiving their Gongs that evening.  I stared in disbelief … Where was I?  Surely the saw I had been awarded my 4 points… I only needed 4 points… what on earth could be going on…

Under the advice of my fellow colleagues, I recounted my point tally… and again I stared in disbelief… I had made a monumental error.  I didn’t need 4 points… I needed 5.  I was one point, one single measly point off obtaining my Masters of Photography, and I had embarrassed myself in the process.

The thing with the AIPP members is that we are a tight knit community, when the questions came about why I hadn’t received my Masters after all… there were no laughing, or snide remarks. There was empathy, and the reassurance that we are all human can all make silly mistakes.

So, I celebrated the achievements of others, and knew that 2018, would have to be my year instead.