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Three Lethbridge photographers have been recognized for their skills in the national salon competition through the Professional Photographers of Canada Association.
Four times a year, a group of southern Alberta photographers send a collection of photographs to a panel of judges to be examined and rated on a provincial and national scale. The photos are examined for composition, lighting, framework and other factors for what makes a good photo.
Lorelei Hoffarth was awarded excellent in the national salon as well as won Best in Class Wedding group, in addition to two other photos being accepted.
“They have provincial and national competitions and this is the highest I’ve gotten in both,” Hoffarth says. “All of the excellence photos go into a collection so I have a certificate that says the photo is in the National Collection of Photography for the PPOC.”
Hoffarth’s photo called “Under My Umbrella” was created for a wedding party where the group was posed under the rain clouds, along the Galt Museum walkway for a prize-winning silhouette.
“The actual image that I wanted for this was the one that I took after this photo,” Hoffarth says. “I gave them Dollar Store umbrellas and I wanted them to throw them up in the air, and just letting them fall to the ground. It was just something fun to do for the wedding party.”
Mark Orenstein scored a merit for fashion photography and won Best in Class Fashion for his photo “Radiant Fall Day” which shows a young lady walking down the street filled with falling leaves. With this year’s submission, Orenstein also received his Service of Photographic Arts designation.
StandOut Photography owner Jackie Standing had one of her images of a newborn baby selected for inclusion in the national exhibition which celebrates Canadian professional photography. Standing says she is happy to see more members of the PPOC in southern Alberta being selected.
“In our south branch three of us from Lethbridge got in there which is really exciting,” Standing says. “It is a little rare to get a few winning from one area, but being in it for itself, it really is exciting.”
Being a part of the PPOC not only lets photographers compete against each other, but allows photographers to challenge their skills and grow toward achieving accreditation in the different fields of photography to be classified professionally in their desired field.
“One of the reasons we are members is because it is an organization that separates the professionals from everyone else that has cameras,” Standing says. “I have been a member since 2011 and basically it pushes you to be a better photographer artist overall.”
After analysing the photographs, the PPOC sends feedback to the photographers about what they liked and the different areas in which they can improve.
“The PPOC is there to educate and help you become the best photographer you can be,” Standing says. “My biggest thing is that you are only in competition with yourself, not anyone else, but by entering an association competition it helps you work personally harder.”
The southern Alberta district of the PPOC is always looking for new members to join to create and explore the professional world of photography. There will be a public provincial salon judging in Lethbridge at the Coast Hotel on Sept. 29, and community members are welcome to go and observe the work local photographers have created.