Awards competitions drive personal evolution and brand growth

More than a few years ago I was interviewing for a Marketing Director role when the VP told me he wanted an ICSC Maxi award within four years.

I didn't fully appreciate the planning and work that would be required to fulfill this objective but I was willing and we did.

The ace in the hole was that management at 20 Vic fostered the belief and practice of collaboration among marketing directors to make constant improvements to events, promotions, and advertising designed to bring results for the properties and tenants. I

In the end, planning and implementing marketing programs geared to be judged elevated all of the promotions we ran during those years because it was just the way we did everything.

That's why I enter juried photography contests. Whether they be wedding, architectural, headshots, personal branding, events, or shopping centres constant improvement in planning and making professional-grade images is the objective.

On Wednesday it was announced that the two images I entered into the Portrait Masters Competition placed in the top 20

The Portrait Masters judges are internationally renowned photographers, they've been there, they've done the work themselves and they have seen it all. Having these images judged by them is an honour in its own right as they have a reputational interest to only acknowledge what they see as the best. It has to be a tough gig as they sort through more than 4,000 entries twice a year.

See the latest award-winning images and judge for yourself at https://theportraitsystem.com/award-galleries-january-2024/.It is inspiring to see the works of amazing photographers from around the world and humbling to have our collaborative work displayed alongside theirs.

For me, collaborative work involves many people from creative couples (in this picture, Stacey & Ryan) and their enthusiastic wedding party & guests, to the abundance of vendors (including Britannia Yacht Club and Ecotay) were on point.

My direct collaborators/assistant/second shooters on these days, Frank M Zrinyi and Jack Fenn were invested in making the day and the pictures memorable by not only carrying equipment, holding lights, and taking pictures himself but by keeping everything on the organizational rails and coming up with fresh ideas to "plus" the pictures along the way.