The Wedding Photojournalism Association (WPJA) has a notoriously tough contest each quarter, and earlier this year I placed my very first winning image, a photo of the groom and groomsmen smoking cigars out back at a wedding in Texas.  I entered again this last quarter and was so excited to discover that I’d placed THREE images this time around.  I was even more thrilled when I saw the placings; I scored third place in the Details (Found) category with the rainy day photo from Kraig and Katie’s Lenox Hotel Boston wedding, seventh place in the Great Natural Light category with a photo from my first solo Boston Public Library wedding, and 18th place in the Musicians & DJs category with a late night photo from Nellie and Chris’ wedding at the Woodstock Inn in Vermont.

It is a huge honor to have my images recognized by such a prestigious organization and it’s always fascinating to see which photos make the cut.  I also love looking through the contest galleries to see some of the outstanding work produced by my colleagues and friends from around the world.

I got some really great comments from the judges this time around.  First, for my third place “detail” photo of Katie climbing into the trolley, her dress dripping:

“It’s one of those photos where you wish you had taken it or even thought of shooting it, the drips from the dress add to the drama from the single shoe hurrying to her wedding. The feeling of anticipation is remarkable.”

“I could say it rained on the wedding day or an image could show it in an artistic, beautiful way. This image is why a professional wedding photographer brings so much to a shoot. The details of the day can truly tell a story. Very nice photo.”

And for the photo of Kate and Dan running down the steps during their wedding at the Boston Public Library:

“This made the top because the photographer took a step back and captured the grandeur of the night. I love the inclusion of the party going on in the background.”

“Don’t you love it when the right light finds the right moment at the right time? The photographer knew where the position to make the right frame for a photo that simply “feels right.””

2014 has been a really great year for me professionally and creatively, and having some of my photographic achievements recognized only pushes me to work even harder next year.  If you’d like to see my full set of 25 (and counting) award winning images from the last few years, you can find them here.  A huge thank you to my couples for trusting me to take the risks needed in order to create the kind of photos that are noticed by the judges in these competitions; creating a simple, pretty photo is no longer enough!