I’m now back in the studio after spending 5 days at the Professional Photographers of California’s ProPhoto Expo in Pasadena where I was so honored to receive multiple prestigious awards…All I can really say is WOW! I am still buzzing from the excitement of being so honored with so many awards…a total of FIVE awards!! I am truly delighted!!

*Children’s Photographer of the Year* for the second time…I was so honored to have also received this award 2 years ago in 2007.

This year though, my image was awarded so much more than that. I also received the *President’s Choice Award*. This award is chosen by the Professional Photographers of California’s president, Tim Meyer, who by the way, is the director of the portrait department at Brooks School of Photography in Santa Barbara, so he knows his stuff…anyway, he chooses the one image that he feels demonstrates photographic excellence and I am just so excited that he chose MY image!! It’s such an honor.

I also received a *Kodak Gallery Award*, only 5 images in the entire state are chosen to receive this award and it also qualifies me to compete for a national Kodak Elite award that will be awared at the PPA National Convention in Nashville next year. And its just a really cool glass trophy…it looks cool in my studio!

My image also received a *Judges Choice* award

AND…(insert drum roll here) I am especially honored to have received is the *People’s Choice Award* which is chosen by the attendees of the convention, most of whom are my peers. It’s quite the coveted award and I am just so excited that MY image was chosen out of all the images that were on display (about 275).

I know this is a looong post with lots of blah, blah… but i am just so jazzed that i want to share it all. I was so happy that my family was there to cheer me on…my wonderful niece Emilee was up front with her hand made Ya! Anti sign…the best of all the awards i received that night…

Here’s a few snaps from the awards ceremony Sunday night…

first off we have my winning image with all it’s loot!! told you I cleaned up!

me with Tim Meyer, President of Professional Photographers of California doing the silly handshake pose… (photo by Diane Lundgren)

Tuesday at the Professional Photographers of California’s annual Print Competition I was awarded Children’s Photographer of the Year 2009 along with my friend, the fabulous, Jennifer Wilson! It was an exciting, nerve racking day. This is my second time receiving this title in 3 years!

The image below, entitled, But You Promised, received a score of 86, anything above 80 is worthy of a merit, but anything above 84 is considered Superior! And let me tell you, those scores of 85 and above don’t come easy…of over 370 images, only 17 scored above 84!

Anyway, according to the rules the 5 highest scoring images come back to compete for the Photographer of the Year award, and after much deliberation by the judges they decided they couldn’t possibly decide between my image and that of my friend, so they awarded us both the title of Children’s Photographer of the Year! I am so happy to share this with Jennifer…even though earlier in the day, I had threatened to kill her for bringing that amazing image in to compete with mine…I wouldn’t have it any other way. Had I won by beating her I wouldn’t be as giddy writing this now as I am! And I know Jen feels the same.

After the Category Photographer of the Year awards were all chosen there were some more awards to give out and I am so pleased to say that my image also received the President’s Choice Award, a Judges Choice award and a Kodak Gallery award! It was a really exciting competition!! My image was also in the running for the Best of Show award…made it to the last 2 out of 20, which to me is an award in itself.  

                                                                  and no…I didn’t pinch her!

This image received the ever coveted “Jennifer Wilson’s Choice Award”…