Photographer’s Work Goes to International Exhibition

Wayne V. Hall of WALL Photography & Design is honored by peers and jurors for high-quality photography

SPRINGFIELD, Va. – A photograph created by Wayne V. Hall of WALL Photography & Design in Springfield has recently been accepted into the General Collection of Professional Photographers of America’s 2015 International Photographic Competition. Hall’s work will be on display at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia Jan. 10-12, 2016. This International Photographic Exhibition is held in conjunction with Imaging USA, an annual convention and expo for professional photographers and several photographic associations.

A panel of 43 eminent jurors from across the United States selected the top photographs from more than 5,000 total submitted entries at Gwinnett Technical College in Georgia. Judged against a standard of excellence, just over 2,100 images were selected for the General Collection and 1,085 (roughly 21 percent) were selected for the esteemed Loan Collection—the best of the best. The Loan Collection images will all be published in the much-anticipated “Loan Collection” book and over 200 selected General Collection images will be published in the “Showcase” book by Marathon Press.

Titled “Reflections On Thanksgiving,” Hall’s photograph will be in the International Photographic Exhibition alongside other top photographic works from the competition and traveling and special invitational displays. These images constitute one of the world’s largest annual exhibits of professional photography gathered simultaneously under one roof.

About PPA:

Professional Photographers of America (PPA) is the largest international non-profit association created by professional photographers, for professional photographers. Almost as long-lived as photography itself, PPA has roots that date back to 1869. It assists more than 28,000 members through protection, education and resources for their continued success. See how PPA helps photographers be more at ppa.com.

Titled “Reflections On Thanksgiving,” Wayne V. Hall’s photograph will be in the International Photographic Exhibition alongside other top photographic works from the competition and traveling and special invitational displays.
© Wayne V. Hall. All rights reserved.

“A great photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels, in the deepest sense, about what is being photographed.” – Ansel Adams

Inspiration Fuels the Soul

First of all, let me start by apologizing for the long hiatus; I got hung up in preparing images for competition, and an extended period of time in school associated with my full-time job. But thankfully that is all now well behind me, and I look forward to diving back into my photography pursuits.

Through it all, the one saving grace from my time away was taking my gear with me to Kansas City and having time away from school on the weekends to shoot; now I just need to bear down and get editing.

That said, I must return to where I left off – my mentor session with Dennis Hammon during the third day of Imaging USA. As you can figure, thousands of photographers attend Imaging USA; many, like myself, are first-time attendees. I found this opportunity for 20 minutes of one-on-one time with a very skilled and seasoned professional photographer to be very insightful. However, in retrospect it was 20 of the quickest minutes of my professional life.

It was refreshing to gain a new perspective on an approach to some of my favorite images. I spent a fair amount of time reworking my images, adjusting for the guidance Dennis offered, and am very hopeful it will pay off during the International Photographic Competition – which will take place in Atlanta Aug. 3-6.

More importantly than just modifying my previous work, Dennis’ counsel has provided me with new perspective in my approach to photography, which I am beginning to see reflected in some of my more recent work.

The last image I sought to shoot, and perfect, before going to school – “Innocent Serenity” – I feel is a perfect example of what I took away from that 20-minute session. In fact, a long-time friend and colleague said “of all your work you have shared with me, I think that is quite possibly the best image you have ever produced,” when he first saw it.

I am glad to be back; once again drawing from inspiration I have gained along the way, and I am now ready to continue moving forward in my journey of artistic growth.

The Pentagon Memorial – in Washington, District of Columbia – honors the memory of 184 men and women who perished in the September 11, 2001, attack on the Pentagon.
© Wayne V. Hall. All rights reserved.

“A great photograph is a full expression of what one feels about what is being photographed in the deepest sense and is thereby a true expression of what one feels about life in its entirety.” – Ansel Adams

Learning to Work Smarter; Not Harder

In my most recent postings, I have been chronicling my experience at Imaging USA; so I’ll pick up where I left off – with day two of the conference. I spent the majority of this second day attending sessions focused on improving workflow and productivity.

This day was very important to me, as I recently made the jump from Apple‘s Aperture to Adobe‘s Photoshop Lightroom – after Apple’s recent decision to no longer continue upgrading its professional-grade photo management and editing program that I had come to love and rely on so much after using it for many years. The transition from Aperture to Lightroom has been a little challenging, and I really need to learn all I can about getting the most out of my new photo management and editing tool if I am going to success in this business.

The day’s first session for me was “Streamline Your Wedding and Portrait Post Production in Lightroom and Photoshop,” with Jared Platt, a professional wedding and lifestyle photographer from Phoenix, Arizona. Platt is a well-known lecturer on photography subjects, with a particular emphasis on workflow. Given my relatively short time using Lightroom, I found his presentation very enlightening. He is a dedicated professional, who is committed to sharing his vast knowledge with others. I had a rare opportunity to learn first-hand how dedicated and genuine he is through a personal interaction while attending the closing party – I cannot thank him enough for taking the time, and his profound generosity. I am already making use of the tools I gained.

I had hoped to continue on my theme with “From Camera to Client – Winning Workflow for Success,” with Julieanne Kost. However due to overwhelming popularity her session was filled to capacity and I was unable to attend. I did get an opportunity to attend her session on day three, which I will take about in my next post.

Later that day, my wife and I took time to tour the International Photographic Exhibit, which featured images from the 2014 International Photographic Competition, quite arguably some of the best photography you will ever see. It was truly enlightening to see the work of great photographers, which has helped inspire me to push my craft farther. During that tour I discovered the mentor’s corner, and scheduled a session to sit down with a mentor. I’ll talk more about my session with Dennis Hammon in my next post.

“Sunsphere Before Sunrise” – I captured this image in Knoxville, Tennessee, just before sunrise on my journey home from Imaging USA. I can see influences of what I learned from my experience there already taking shape in this image.
© Wayne V. Hall. All rights reserved.

“No man has the right to dictate what other men should perceive, create or produce, but all should be encouraged to reveal themselves, their perceptions and emotions, and to build confidence in the creative spirit.” – Ansel Adams