We won!!!
So in January of this year, I decided to pursue WPPI’s 16×20 Print Competition. It happens to be one of the most renowned competitions in our industry. It’s judged by a panel of prestigious portrait photographer’s from all over the world. I don’t know if it’s the absolute biggest of all print competitions but I do know it’s the biggest one I know and I have been in this business for 10 years.
Well guess what? We won! We won first prize in the Glamour/Boudoir category and Grand Prize for the entire Portrait division! I am also so very elated to state that our print scored a perfect 100. From what I am told, there have been about 5 perfect 100 scores in the last 15 years of WPPI print competitions. That number is adjustable depending on who I ask so don’t take me to school on that.
Here is the winning print:
In making the decision to enter, I wanted to select just the right piece of work. I decided on this selection from a series that was created and inspired by an Ingres painting. My sister Ximena helped with the make up and styling for this particular series. I sent this image to my master print maker, Jonathan Penney. He created the beautiful magic that was needed to make this baby a winner. He selected the final appearance of this portrait, the right paper to display it on and matting which are all essential ingredients for a winning print.
All of this collaboration culminated in a winning print! I am so, so very honored in the most humbling way to be recognized by peers in my industry. Although I do not know who the judges where as of now, I am eternally grateful to them for this great honor.
Here is the wonderful message I received from WPPI:
Dear Aaron Gil:
Thank you for entering the WPPI 16×20 Print competition. We had an extraordinary response this year and we appreciate your participation. We are proud to report we received 2,000 entries, which is nearly 25 percent more than last year! Your work sets the bar for our industry, and this year’s competition is one to be proud of! From the entire crew at WPPI, thank you for all your hard work!
Below you will find your image entry number and score. If you did not score an 80 or above, you may want to consider some of the basic tenets of good image-making: proper exposure, lighting excellence, good posing and expression, adequate retouching and excellent postproduction techniques.
Here is a guide to help you determine the value of your score:
100 Exemplary – Best possible use of all skills and creativity: new, fresh, and unique
95-99 Superior – Approaching the highest standard in imagination, creativity and technique
90-94 Outstanding – Exhibiting exceptional skills in all areas
85-89 Excellent – Very good use of imagination, skill & technique
80-84 Above Average – Good standard of professional skill, creativity, and technique
76-79 Average – Average professional skill and technique
70-75 Below Average – Requires improvement in technique
Your WPPI 16×20 Print Competition Results
1ST PLACE Grand Award Winner
GL-8860
Glamour/Boudoir
Score: 100.00
Your Title:Fruit of the Harem
Lastly, here are the awards proudly displayed in the studio!
FotoNuova is a family portraits photographer providing services in Los Angeles, Pasadena, Orange County and throughout all of Southern California. For more information, please visit our website at: Family Portraits Photographer | FotoNuova or call 626-588-2445
