ATLANTA, GA (August 16, 2018) - Professional Photographers of America (PPA) has announced its finalists for the Grand Imaging Awards, to be awarded at Imaging USA 2019, the largest annual conference and trade show for pro photographers. The Grand Imaging Award finalists have been judged to be the very best of the 2018 PPA International Photographic Competition (IPC). The Grand Imaging Award finalists were selected from 5,073 entries judged by a panel of 32 jurors. There are ten finalists in ten categories comprising the Grand Imaging Awards, and one winner from the ten categories will be named the recipient of the overall Grand Imaging Award. View slideshows of the finalists at PPMag.com/2019-gia-finalists.
The Grand Imaging Award finalists are:
In the Animal Portrait category: Beth Brinston, Cathleen Broderick, Erich Caparas, Jody DeWeese, Dani Miller, Travis Patenaude (2 images), Rebecca Pickrel, Judy Reinford, Kimberly Smith
In the Children's Portrait category: Gaby Chung, Marnie Clagett, Brooke Kasper, Gigi Odea, Tanya Odom Sylwia Ok, Cristie Reddehase, Ben Shirk, Joseph Simone, Shannon Toews
In the General Portrait category: Felice Boucher, Jonathan Givens, Leymi Gutierrez, Nikki Harrison, Dennis Kelley, Mario Munoz, Cristie Reddehase, Kimberly Smith, Valerie Steinkoenig, Heather Vanderpool
In the Landscape & Nature category: Larry Adkins, Mary Jo Allen, Ralph Allen, Laura Bennett, Gail Carver, Coleen Graybill (2 images), Andy Lay, Cassandra Sullivan, Chris Vander Velde
In the Illustrative & Commercial category: Erich Caparas, Dana Heisler, Leann Kucerik, Jim LaSala, Oscar Lozoya, Rex Madden, Curley Marshall, Lisa Saad, Ben Shirk, Teri Whittaker
In the High-School Senior Portrait category: Erich Caparas, Joshua Hanna, Toni Johnson-Harryman, Lisa Jones, Brooke Kasper, Phyllis Kuykendall, Dawn Muncy, David Shields, Kimberly Smith, Richard Sturdevant
In the Wedding category: Michael Anthony (2 images), Francie Baltazar Stonestreet, Erich Caparas, Vicens Forns, Marceliano Munoz (2 images), Mario Munoz, Tomas Munoz, Yogi Patel
In the Non-Event Album category: Ella Carlson, Bob Coates, Kris Doman, Cris Duncan, Amy Feick, John Gladman, Ted Linczak (2 images), Anjana Olson, Shannon Walker
In the Event Album category: Roben Bellomo, Cindy Dover, Jamie Hayes/Mary Fisk-Taylor, Keith Howe/Holly Howe, Catherine Larson, Mario Munoz, Kaely Pillars (3 images), Brenda Pottinger
In the Artist category: Paul Biederman, Ella Carlson, Cary Garrison, John Malboeuf, Cristie Reddehase (2 images), Judy Reinford, Mona Sadler, Ben Shirk, Mark Sweeney
Each category winner will receive a crystal award and the winner of the overall Grand Imaging Award will receive a $1000 cash prize. Last year's winner was Ben Shirk, for his image "Till Death Do Us Part" in the portrait category.
To learn more about the Grand Imaging Awards, view previous winning images and watch the 2018 GIAs, visit PPA.com/Competitions.
About PPA:
Professional Photographers of America (PPA) is the largest and longest-standing nonprofit photography trade association with a 150-year history. It currently helps 30,000+ pros elevate their craft and grow their business with resources, protection, and education, all under PPA’s core guiding principle of closing the gap between what photographers do as artists and entrepreneurs and what consumers want.