Ben Ohau - Gold Distinction Award, NZIPP Iris Awards 2014
The New Zealand Institute of Professional Photography held their NZIPP Iris Awards last month in Queenstown. This was an amazing and inspiring event for me to be involved in. There were approximately 1,200 prints submitted.
In these most recent awards, I was extremely fortunate and managed to achieve one gold, one silver distinction, three silver and four bronze awards. It hasn’t always been that way. I have entered these awards and received one or two awards in my early years. At times I nearly gave up, but it has been a learning process. I carefully looked at what was winning, not to imitate, but to better understand our craft and good storytelling. The Iris awards give me an opportunity to look at what I have done in the past year. A chance to be introspective and analyze my work to help me make good decisions about creating better images and better stories. The Iris Awards have pushed me to create my best work and take creative risks that I may not have otherwise taken.
Thank you to the NZIPP Honours board, the sponsors and the other volunteers who help to make it happen.