award-winning photography by...

WHO WINS AWARDS for wedding photography, why do they win them and what does it all mean for you?

Every year, photographers have the opportunity to submit their images to the prestigious MPA and BIPP Scotland bodies. Their work is then judged by some of the most experienced photographers in the business, and those deemed the best receive highly coveted awards for their efforts. This year, John Parris of Parris Photography won the double whammy of both MPA and BIPP Scotland Wedding Photographer of the Year with the image shown below. In addition, countless other professional wedding photographers were acknowledged for the high quality of their top images. You can view all the winning images by clicking on the links at the bottom of this page. But first, we find out what it actually means to win by catching up with the judges involved in deciding just who these plaudits go to.

The image that won John Parris both the MPA and BIPP Scotland Wedding Photographer of the Year 2007 title

Images deserving recognition

If you've looked through the photography section of The SWD lately you will probably have noticed many adverts boasting the impressive phrase, 'Award-winning photography by...' But what does this mean to you, as a couple looking for the right photographer for your wedding day? Well, any photographer who has won an award has at the very least shown the following:

• He/she is part of a professional photographic body that exists to raise the standards of wedding photography
• He/she is proud of the work they produce, plus they're committed to developing their ski
• That his/her work is of such a standard that they have been recognised by peers who not only work, but are respected, in their field

And it seems we're lucky to have so many talented photographers available for work in this country. Here's what Desi Fontaine, renowned photographer and one of the two judges of this year's MPA Scotland Awards, told The SWD: "I judge many awards and the standard seen in Scotland is, quite frankly, the consistently highest I have ever been asked to judge. Even in the categories that had clear winners, we felt compelled to award many Awards of Excellence and Merits as so many entries deserved recognition."

What makes a winning image?

With nearly 1000 images entered into just the wedding categories of the MPA Scottish regional awards, and over 100 into the wedding section of the BIPP Awards, the competition was obviously pretty tough, with only the very best images receiving an accolade. BIPP judge Llewellyn Robins (who is also chairman of the UK's Professional Photographers Qualifying board) described what can make the difference between a good image and an award-winning one: "We are looking for images that are striking, bold and colourful. But the most important criteria for any award-winning picture is the ability to catch the judge's eye with something a little different."

Or as Desi puts it: "Beautifully handled photographs with excellent composition make for a strong visual impact and stand out as clear winners. When it came to choosing the Wedding Photographer of the Year, the winning image had all of the above along with excellent printing, which can really make an image come alive."
As mentioned above, this year the winning image and the runners-up prize were both taken by John Parris, and Llewellyn reveals that this was due not only to the exceptionally high quality of his images but also to his creativity. He acknowledges that the fashion element seen in John's images also worked in his favour: "This style appeals to many of today's brides and grooms, who want something new to help tell the story of their day."

Great expectations

When it came to the 'complete wedding' category, there were lots of impressive entries to consider but both Desi and her fellow MPA judge Gill Shaw were immediately drawn to the weddings of Gordon McGowan, who went on to win this title. "Gordon has always been an exceptional photographer," Desi says, "but with these most recent entries it was as if he had raised the bar again. We were particularly struck by the cinematic influence on his work, which made the winning entries both unusual yet believable at the same time. Excellent!"

Both the judges said that there were a whole host of reasons why certain images had either won or made it to runner-up status - besides basic prerequisites such as technical excellence and a strong sense of creativity - but all of them had one thing in common. "They captured the moment," Llewellyn says to sum it up. "There are always lots of emotions flying about on a wedding day; these photographs managed to capture those emotions so that they could be documented for the future."

Want to know more?

MPA SCOTLAND AWARDS 2007 - view the winning images
BIPP SCOTLAND AWARDS 2007 - view the winning images

Find out more about the MPA and BIPP on page 227 of the current issue of The SWD. Or visit:

• www.mpascotland.co.uk
• www.bippscotland.com