Building on Excellence

Nine Years of Learning to 'SEE' - and Be Seen

National Image Salon judging with the Professional Photographers of Canada (PPOC) is starting tomorrow!

I can't believe it's been 9 years since I began my competition journey in 2017, after I received my Accreditation as an Animal Sports Photographer. At that time, you were required to hold at least one Accreditation before entering. I was excited to get started but at the time, a category didn't exist for me yet - so I helped create it!

It was not an easy road. Helping establish the category was one thing. Passing the keen eyes of the judges was another.

Setting the Bar High

To earn your Accreditation, your submission of ten images must match the criteria and be deemed as 'ACCEPTED' to be awarded Accreditation status. It was a humbling experience to have only seven of my images accepted the first time.

I learned the hard way... "You don’t know what you don’t know."

That experience, and the guidance of the PPOC, opened my eyes to truly 'see' my images — not just capture action, but evaluate light, impact, and storytelling at a deeper level.

That decision shaped everything that followed.

The Path Forward

Since then, I’ve earned:

• Fine Art Accreditation (2019)

• Image Manipulation Accreditation (2020)

• Craftsman of Photographic Arts (CPA) designation (2020)

• Regional Judge Certification (2021)

The Craftsman seal represents points earned through image excellence, education, involvement, and dedication to the craft.

Becoming a Certified Judge deepened my understanding of the standards behind professional competition — and the responsibility carried with every score given. The first time I sat on the judging side of the room, I felt the anticipation. You realize quickly that every score affects someone who poured themselves into that image.

And that experience changes how you see your own work.

What Competition Really Means

Yes, there have been honours along the way:

Photographer of the Year – Manitoba (2018)

Photographer of the Year – Prairies (2022)

Eleven Best in Class Awards

Twelve Judges Choice Awards

But competition isn’t about ribbons.

It’s about growth.

It’s about inviting critique from trained eyes.

It’s about pushing your work beyond comfort.

It’s about honouring photography as a profession — not a hobby.

Why It Matters to My Clients

Competition and client work serve different purposes — but my attention to detail doesn’t change.

Light. Timing. Composition. Impact. Story. Technical precision.

Those aren’t just judging terms. They’re the quiet checklist running in my head every time I’m on the sidelines of an event, or curating a private session.

Expressions shift in fractions of a second. There are no resets. Competition has trained me to anticipate those changes — to recognize when a moment is building and commit before it peaks. 

For my clients, that means you’re not just receiving a sequence of images from a run. You’re receiving photographs chosen with purpose — images where the form is strong, the light supports the subject, distracting elements are minimized whenever possible, and the expression tells the story.

It means I’m not chasing average — I’m chasing IMPACT.

Looking Ahead

I’m grateful to PPOC for maintaining strong standards and creating a space where photographers can continue to learn, evolve, and support one another.

To everyone entering this year — whether it’s your first submission or your tenth — putting your work forward takes courage.

No matter the outcome, growth is always the win.