Last week was the annual print competition for the Tallahassee Professional Photographers Guild. Out of his six entries, Olyn received merits for four of them! I am super duper proud of him, as this is not an easy thing to achieve! Way to go, Olyn!!
Here are his four merit prints:
Portrait of a Woman, “Expectant”
Portrait of a Woman, “Captain Kirk’s Conquest”
Portrait of a Woman, “Cherry Bomb”
Portrait of a Man, “Unarmed”
I think Tallahassee probably heard me screaming in excitement all the way from Atlanta! I entered images into the regional competition of the Southeastern Professional Photographers Association (SEPPA) and I earned some of my highest print competition scores ever! On top of that, the SEPPA competition is known to have some of the toughest judges around, so it makes the scores even sweeter!
Photographic print competition is one of the toughest, most humbling, most infuriating and best things I have ever done as a photographer. These competitions hold photographers to the absolute highest standards imaginable and they push you to be the best you can be behind the camera, in Photoshop and in your overall creativity. I have learned more from print competition than any other source in my photographic career.
At the SEPPA competition, I had two of my four images merit which is a huge success in itself! Most people that entered SEPPA did not fare so well. My entry “Entangled” scored an 83, which is a pretty high score for the tough SEPPA judges. Then, my image “Unwrapped” was judged and received a 94. I was in shock. This is the highest print score I have ever received and it came from such a hard panel of judges. It took two solid days before I could believe it was real!
I received the second highest score in Florida, and the eighth highest of all the entries from all thirteen states that are a part of SEPPA. I was only four points from the top score awarded at SEPPA this year of a 98. “Overjoyed” does not even begin to describe my happiness!
These achievements were not mine alone, though. These images are a result of the amazing people who have been my photographic mentors and peers. I am so lucky to have the guidance of some of the finest people in this industry. If you are a photographer or you want to be a photographer, then I strongly encourage you to join groups who can give you this guidance. For me, this was the Professional Photographers of America, the Florida Professional Photographers and the Tallahassee Professional Photographers Guild. Through these groups, I was able to learn and grow as a photographer and I was also able to connect with photographers who inspire me, challenge me and bring out the best in me. To them, I will be forever grateful and because of them, I will always be committed to giving back to the photographic community and paying forward what has been so graciously given to me.
“Unwrapped” 
“Entangled”
I am overjoyed to announce that I was named the 2013 Tallahassee Photographer of the Year and that Olyn was named to the Top Three Tallahassee Photographers by the Tallahassee Professional Photographers Guild (TPPG). Of all the awards we have won, these really mean the most. These awards are based solely on the quality of our images as judged by our colleagues. Each month, we compete in a print competition where local Tallahassee photographers vote to select the best print in eight separate categories. We also compete in a formal competition that is scored by a panel of three trained photographic judges. The results of these competitions is what determines who is the Tallahassee Photographer of the Year.
This is the third time I have won the title, with Olyn winning one of his own as well. We have also been named to the top three several times. These awards are ones we display proudly in our studio as they are so humbling to win. Tallahassee has so many amazing artists who belong to TPPG and we feel so honored to not only be in their company but to have their respect for our work.
We first joined the Guild in 2008 and instantly realized what an amazing local resource it was. Through TPPG, we have learned more than we ever thought possible about art and business, we have made enduring friendships, we have given and received support and guidance and we have celebrated the successes of so many in our community. It is truly a family that loves, supports and guides its members through an ever-changing industry.
From many newer photographers, I often hear them express fear and hesitation of joining the guild or of entering print competition. I know its easy to sit on this side of the situation and scoff at that fear, but I completely and totally understand it. I had sweaty palms walking into my first meeting. I thought no one would want me there. I thought I would throw up when I entered my first print in competition. I thought I would die if anyone critiqued my work and pointed out the flaws. But… the most shocking thing happened- I was welcomed. I was encouraged. I was mentored. I received guidance.
The impact TPPG made on my art and my business is undeniable. Now, I stand on the side of the long term guild member and want to invite new members to come to our meetings, join our ranks and partake in this awesome resource that we have available! I promise we won’t hurt you, we won’t ridicule you and you will be welcomed with open arms!
Now, if you have managed to read this novel of a post, let me share some of the winning images from this awesome year!
I am super thrilled with the results of the November print competition with the Tallahassee Professional Photographers Guild! I was so honored that all four of the images I entered won their categories and I also won the overall Print of the Month with my Portrait of a Woman!
Portrait of a Woman and Overall Print of the Month:
Open/Illustrative: 
Portrait of Two:
Commercial:
I have been neglecting blogging about my boys since we have been so busy lately! Today, Thatcher was off from school so I had him come into the studio for his “school pics” and for his football pics. As I photographed him, it really hit me how much he has grown and changed over the last year. He is such an incredibly sweet boy and always tries to take care of his mommy and little brother. He absolutely has his dad’s sense of humor and silliness that always makes us smile. This year, he has learned so much and you can see his heart and character growing. I am incredibly proud of him and I feel so blessed that I am lucky enough to be his mom.
Olyn and I managed to get away from Tallahassee for a week long beach vacation. We got some much needed R&R and spent everyday playing with our two boys, Thatcher and Ethan. Of course, I did make time for a very quick beach photo session as part of the trip! The beach photos were right at sunset, just after a thunderstorm. We only had a few minutes of light left on the beach, but we made the best of our quick photo shoot! Now back in Tallahassee, I am most definitely missing the beach!
