It's official... I've earned my Master of Photography degree during IPC (International Print Competition) this year in October.
I am so excited and over the moon about this accomplishment!!! I earned the final 3 merits necessary to complete my degree this year and even had one image that went LOAN!!! Which means it will be placed in the prestigious loan collection book, only the best of the best are placed in the loan book. What makes this even more exciting for me is that it was an image that Maddie modeled for my concept.
This is a very high honor and I'm so excited to have achieved my goal with the support of my family and my tribe. I've been lucky enough to have meet a group of ladies who have become more like family to me along my journey. I started entering print competitions in 2015, I had no idea what I was doing but knew I needed to step outside my comfort zone. This is when I meet 2 very important ladies, I had no idea the impact these ladies would have on my life. As I continued to attend conferences and educate myself on photography, I was lucky enough to be introduced to some more amazing ladies!! These women, are my tribe, we not only support each other in our businesses, our drive to be the best photographers we can be, but we support, pray, and cheer each other on in our accomplishments, our time of need and during our struggles.
None of this would be possible without the support of my loving husband Chris, who is my biggest cheerleader. He's the one who gives me the nudge when I don't quite believe in myself. He never lets me give up. Clayton and Maddie have been there with me along the way, modeling for me, being my light testers, or lending a helping hand, whether it was helping with the remodel of our studio space, or pulling events together.
To earn a Master of Photography degree with PPA you must earn 25 merits. These are a combination of 13 Exhibition merits (earned during print competition) and 12 additional merits (mine are educational and/or service merits). During pint competition your images are judged based on the 12 elements....if you score an 80 or above at Districts or IPC then you earn a merit. Loan images receive 2 merits.
Below are the images that helped me earn my Master of Photography degree. I want to thank my clients who have allowed me to use their images or allowed me to be creative with their help and bring the images in my mind to fruition. It's fun to look back and see how my skills have evolved.
Thank you to everyone that has encouraged me during this process!! It means the world to me. I appreciate each and everyone of you!!
XOXO,
Melinda
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