Sara Sadler becomes a member of the Photographer’s Bar
Last week I received some really exciting news. The Guild of Photographers announced the results from the 2017 Image of the Month competition. So my amazing news? The Guild awarded me the Photographer’s Bar.
What is the photographer’s Bar?
If you have been reading my blog for a while you will probably remember me sharing my bronze awards that I achieved throughout 2017. Awards are only given out to images that show a high standard and being of national competition level. I was so happy to be getting my images nationally recognised. Each award given gives the photographer a score. At the end of the year these are added up and those that have achieved a high enough score are awarded the “Bar”. The Guild only award the “Bar” to a small number of photographers each year and I never expected to achieve it.
The Guild describes it as: “The Photographer’s Bar is a unique distinction awarded to those photographers who have successfully had images assessed by the Guild over the course of a year. These images have attained a score evidencing an exception level of professional skill and consistency.”
It is an understatement to say I am shocked.
Here are my winning entries from 2017 that helped me achieve this distinction:
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Most noteworthy awards of 2017
You can read more about my 2017 awards journey by following the links below. Here you can read about my excitement in receiving my first Bronze and concluding the year on a high note with a grand total of 14 bronze awards.
My first Bronze awards in 2017
Damselfly photographs picked up bronze awards
Three florals picked up bronze awards in October
My final winning images for 2017 – two more florals
Image of the Month
The Guild received 13000 photographic entries into the Image of the month competition throughout 2017. The standard is extremely high and as a result there are always some really inspirational images. There are four categories, which include wedding, people: babies and bumps, people: children and adults, and open. I always enter the open category as people and weddings are not a specialty of mine. It is a great society and the competition is brilliant for encouraging photographers to continually learn and improve.
2018 Image of the Month Competition
So after achieving and learning so much throughout 2017 I was in a dilemma as to whether or not to enter again in 2018. It is hard work to find suitable images, edit them to a high standard and submit them each month. So I seriously considered giving myself some time of. Because I have achieved the bar and learnt so much in the last year, I decided to enter again this year.
On results day, I was really pleased with my decision. There is such a buzz on the guild’s facebook feed on results day, and if I hadn’t entered I would have felt left out!
The good news too is that I have received my first two bronze awards for 2018. Here are my winning images:
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Photographer
I am a fine art photographer based in the South of England. I enjoy sharing my photographic adventures, hints and tips.
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