And the Oscar goes to...
…well, at least not to me. However, I just got awarded with a 2019 IPA – Honorable Mention and this means about the same – at least to me.
What is IPA?
At a Friday night, it is a kind of beer (which I personally don`t prefer). But for a photographer, it is the international photography awards. Besides the National Geographic, the Pulitzer Prize and the WPI awards, one of the highest decorations and awards in the world of photography. So even if it`s not the Oscar, it is for sure comparable.
The Award
Of course, technically, it is not an award. It is an Honorable Mention. But compared to our example with the Oscars, this would be at least an Oscar nomination – which is already a great achievement. And to me, it means the world!
For those who win the real prize, there is a lot to get. The Award is separated between professionals and non-professionals. I attended as non-professionals. In this category, you can win prices up to $5k, and professionals can win $10k. Additionally, you can win the Lucy Trophy, an exhibition and a lot more. You can find a list with all the details here if you are interested.
My Entry - the arch
The Arch is a shot I took back in 2017 when my family and I drove south to St. Louise for the great solar eclipse. We had to drive down there in order to be right in the center of the path of the core shadow because that`s where you get the best show.
If you never had the chance to experience a solar eclipse, do it! But it must be a 100% one. Because even if it`s 99%, it means that you can`t watch it with your bare eyes.
So, by now you probably have a good guess what`s my „Arch“, right? And you are absolutely correct. It is the „Gateway Arch“ in St. Louis. The 630ft or 192m high piece of art from the 1960`s.
This is a shot straight up from the bottom, leaning at one side of the arch. If you look at the middle of the picture, what is actually the top of the arch, you can see the windows of the observation area. I can highly recommend going up there if you ever make it to St. Louis.
Based on the nature of this shot, I entered „The Arch“ in the categories „Fine Art“ and „Minimalism“. You can probably see why 😉
What does it mean?
As I previously said – to me – the 2019 IPA Honorable Mention means the world! It was a huge surprise as I never anticipated getting anything out of my entry. So even if it`s „just“ an Honorable Mention, it is still an award of its own and – well, a great honor.
Besides that, it doesn`t do a lot to me at this point. No money, no trip to the Lucy Awards, no exhibition and no world-tour. But you know what? This is totally fine!
I am doing this as an amateur, as a non-professional. I do it because I love photography and I am always trying to get better and be one of the best in what I do. I love the challenge and I love the competition against my own expectations.
Life is a journey and one of my personal goals is the concept of life-long learning in order to experience and cherish life at it`s best. So this is proof to myself, together with my latest 35Awards, that I am on the right path…
