It has been a very busy time at Studio Impressions.    There has been a lot going on but there has been a couple of things that I am really excited to share with the world.

Recently the Australian Institute of Professional Photography held the Queensland State photography awards.   Over the last few weeks, I have watched as Aurelie tentatively submitted images to the Queensland AIPP Awards in the wedding category.   Just entering the awards is daunting – you are putting your work out to be critiqued, judged.  Entering a category that your boss has won a few times is pretty gutsy I have to say.  Especially when you know that the competition is going to be tough.    Aurelie put her work out there and didn’t just do well, she did FANTASTIC!   She was one of only 3 finalists for the category.  The other two were previous winners Jonas Peterson & Todd Hunter-McGaw.      It made me so happy to see her work beside the work of these talented guys, because she really deserves to be there.

And if that wasn’t enough, this month one of Australia’s leading photography magazines, Capture, listed who they believed would be the emerging top photographers of the future.   Aurelie was listed as the runner up in the Wedding Category and a finalist in the Landscape Category.   I have known for a while that she will be one of Australia’s top photographers in the future.  It was great to see industry leaders notice it too.

A lot of people think you can start photography with a fancy camera, a good website and some great marketing.   I am often surprised by the lack of experience in so many wedding photographers today.  They are charging crazy prices after just 6 months and just a few weddings and, often it shows in their work.    The reality is that you cannot replace hard work and experience.   All those ‘rock star, award winning photographers’ have often been doing it tough on their craft for a while.   Their accolades are well earned.   They don’t just pick up a camera and make money.  They study their craft.  They practice, practice, practice, practice.    Aurelie is no exception.

When the people that work for me achieve something they never thought possible, it gives me an unexpected sense of pride and joy for them.  I know they have earned it.  When someone joins the small Studio Impressions team they are required to ‘second shoot’ or assist for many years before they are allowed to photograph a wedding on their own.  They work hard.    Really hard.  Their job is often tedious and often not behind the camera.  But, they see  and work on more images than most photographers.  They certainly shoot more weddings than most before they book their own.   This is part of my quality control process (or my perfectionist personality).  What I have found though, is that it also grows great photographers.   AMAZING photographers.    Photographers better than me.       Photographers that know their craft.  Love it.  Want to do better and better at it.   And it makes me proud to see them grow and shine.  These are photographers that connect with the people they photograph and want them to have memories of something significant – something they might not have even noticed.   To themselves, they can always do better.        Adam is this kind of photographer.   Aurelie is this kind of photographer.  And I can see that Karen Pedwell and Gabe Veit are this kind of photographer.    I can’t wait to see them achieve more than they thought they could too.   It is why this is a group of photographers I’m really really proud to work beside.

Aurelie, you are a sensational wedding photographer and a humble person.   You deserve all of this.  I look forward to learning from you.

For your enjoyment and mine, here is a little selection of the portfolio that was judged by Capture Magazine.